The Mirrored World: A Novel - Softcover

Dean, Debra

3.21

1,371 ratings by Goodreads

9780062218551: The Mirrored World: A Novel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062218557 ISBN 13: 9780062218551

Publisher: Harper, 2012

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

Paperback. Pub Date: 2012 09 Pages: 256 Publisher: Harper Collins USA The bestselling author of The Madonnas of Leningrad Returns with A eathtaking novel of love madness. Devotion set against the extravagant royal Court of eighteenth-century St. Petersburg.Born to a Russian family of lower nobility. Xenia. an eccentric dreamer who cares little for social conventions. falls in love with Andrei. a charismatic soldier and singer in the Empress's Imperial choir. Though husband and wife adore each other. their happiness is overshadowed by the absurd demands of life at the royal court and by Xenia's growing obsession with having a child - a desperate need that is at last fulfilled with the birth of her daughter. But then a tragic vision comes true. and a shattered Xenia descends into grief. undergoing a profound transformation that alters the course of her life. Turning away from ...

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

“In her excellent second novel, THE MIRRORED WORLD, Debra Dean has composed a resonant and compelling tale. . . . Dean’s writing is superb; she uses imagery natural to the story and an earlier time.” (Seattle Times)

“For those familiar with the story of St. Xenia, this is a gratifying take on a compelling woman. For others, Dean’s vivid prose and deft pacing make for a quick and entertaining read.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Love affairs, rivalries, intrigues, prophecy, cross-dressing, madness, sorrow, poverty THE MIRRORED WORLD is a litany of both the homely and the miraculous. Intimate and richly appointed, Debra Dean’s Imperial St. Petersburg is as sumptuous and enchanted as the Winter Palace.” (Stewart O’Nan, bestselling author of Last Night at the Lobster)

“THE MIRRORED WORLD explores the mysteries of love and grief and devotion. Against a vivid backdrop of eighteenth century St. Petersburg and Catherine the Great’s royal court, the woman who would become St. Xenia is brought fully to life. Is there a more imaginative, elegant storyteller than Debra Dean?” (Ann Hood, bestselling author of The Knitting Circle)

“With evocative, rich prose and deep emotional resonance, Debra Dean delivers a compelling and captivating story that touches the soul. Truly a wonderful read.” (Garth Stein, bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain)

“Transporting readers to St. Petersburg during the reign of Catherine the Great, Dean brilliantly reconstructs and reimagines the life of St. Xenia, one of Russia’s most revered and mysterious holy figures, in a richly told and thought-provoking work of historical fiction.” (Bookreporter.com)

“Dean’s novel grows more profound and affecting with every page.” (Booklist)

“In Debra Dean’s skilled hands, history comes alive. . . . Though the world she creates is harsh and cold at times, it is the warmth at its center the power of love that stays with you in the end.” (Miami Herald)

From the Back Cover:

A breathtaking novel of love, madness, and devotion set against the extravagant royal court of eighteenth-century St. Petersburg, Russia.

Xenia is an eccentric dreamer when she falls in love with a charismatic singer in the Imperial choir. Though they adore each other, their happiness is overshadowed by the demands of the royal court, and by Xenia's obsession to have a child. When a tragic vision comes true, she withdraws into grief and undergoes a profound transformation, giving her possessions to the poor. Then, one day, she vanishes.

Years later, dressed in the tatters of her husband's mil-itary uniform, Xenia is discovered tending the paupers of St. Petersburg's slums. Revered as a soothsayer and a healer, she is feared by Empress Catherine, who perceives her deeds as a rebuke.

In this elegant tale, Dean reimagines the life of Xenia of St. Petersburg, one of Russia's most mysterious and beloved holy figures. It is an evocative exploration of the blessings of long and loyal friendship, the limits of reason, and the true costs of loving deeply.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.