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The Mirrored World

by Debra Dean (Goodreads Author)

3.15 of 5 stars 3.15 · rating details · 392 ratings · 137 reviews

The bestselling author of The Madonnas of Leningrad returns with a breathtaking novel of love, madness, and 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 E...more

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published August 28th 2012 by Harper Collins

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Oct 12, 2012 Douglas Dalrymple rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is Debra Dean’s second novel, and though it is in some ways less ambitious than her first (the NYT-best-selling Madonnas of Leningrad), I think it’s the better of the two. The storytelling is crisp, the pacing consistent, the characters well-drawn, the prose never flat and often very good.

My meager experience of contemporary fiction has shown me that most of it is truly awful. As a rule I avoid it. I make an exception for Ms Dean because she isn’t at all awful and because (full disclosure)...more

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Jun 12, 2013 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 10, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

What is it like to see someone you know become a saint--a holy fool for Christ? How does that transformation influence you? Debra Dean tells that story in her new historical novel, The Mirrored World. According to the publisher:

The bestselling author of The Madonnas of Leningrad returns with a breathtaking novel of love, madness, and 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 c...more What is it like to see someone you know become a saint--a holy fool for Christ? How does that transformation influence you? Debra Dean tells that story in her new historical novel, The Mirrored World. According to the publisher:

The bestselling author of The Madonnas of Leningrad returns with a breathtaking novel of love, madness, and 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 family and friends, she begins giving all her money and possessions to the poor. Then, one day, she mysteriously vanishes.

Years later, dressed in the tatters of her husband's military uniform and answering only to his name, Xenia is discovered tending the paupers of St. Petersburg's slums. Revered as a soothsayer and a blessed healer to the downtrodden, she is feared by the royal court and its new Empress, Catherine, who perceives her deeds as a rebuke to their lavish excesses. In this evocative and elegantly written tale, Dean reimagines the intriguing life of Xenia of St. Petersburg, a patron saint of her city and one of Russia's most mysterious and beloved holy figures. This is an exploration of the blessings of loyal friendship, the limits of reason, and the true costs of loving deeply.

Debra Dean is telling the story of a true Orthodox saint, Xenia of St. Petersburg, wonder-worker and fool for Christ, intercessor for "employment, marriage, the homeless, for fires, for missing children, and for a spouse". Dean uses a first person narrator, Xenia's cousin Dasha, to tell this story. I suppose a believer in the communion of Saints and in the whole notion of sainthood and sanctity reads this story differently than one who does not believe in such people and goals. As I read Dean's novel, I noticed that Dasha functions like a lens for us to adjust our sight and see Xenia as she is--radically sane and not mad at all. Xenia, and Dasha to some extent, has realized the true goal and end of life, which is not to remain focused on this world and our comfort in it, but to seek Godliness and heavenly realities.

Dasha does not go as far as her cousin, but by the end of the novel, she has taken up many of the generous and selfless actions of the saint: she has opened her home to a group of cast-offs of her culture: homeless vagrants, former dancers, and other poor people. She still worries about how long the money will last--but then an inheritance comes--and she protects and supports Xenia. Dasha has been transformed as much as she has been by her recognition of her own failure to love as she should have when her husband (a castrati) dies. At first Dasha tries to hinder Xenia; then she tries to help her in spite of herself; finally she accepts the holy woman as she is.

Xenia, however, has taken the more radical approach, totally giving herself to love, selling all she has, living among the poor in the streets, and even laboring unknown to help build a cathedral, carrying bricks up the ladders at night for the men to work with the next day. Xenia makes it possible for Dasha to have a son, adopted from a mother who dies in the street.

Set against the backdrop of the decadence and opulence of the Romanov reigns of the Empresses Anna, Elizabeth, and Catherine (and of the Emperor Peter), Dean's novel often glitters with the twisted excesses of a court at leisure--mascarade balls that enervate; elaborately cruel jokes that punish rebellious courtiers; capricious whims that turn lives upside down. That background should help even the unbelieving reader to see that Xenia and Dasha have chosen the better part. (less)

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Mar 03, 2013 Sarah Beth rated it 2 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins. 2.5 stars

The Mirrored World is based on the life of St. Xenia of St. Petersburg, who supposedly gave all her possessions to the poor after the death of her husband, and wandered the streets for 45 years wearing her husband's military uniform. Yet what the jacket cover of this novel fails to tell you is that this book is narrated by Xenia's cousin Dasha, and is largely about her life. Dasha provides a levelheaded account of events, particularly...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Joyce rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, set-in-locations-outside-usa

The novel The Mirrored World by Debra Dean is set in 18th century St. Petersburg. Dean has created a story of Xenia, the patron saint of St. Petersburg. The story is narrated by Xenia's cousin, Dashenka and starts out during their childhood when they are growing up in a Russian family of lower nobility. Even as a child, Xenia, is portrayed as a charismatic girl who is undaunted by the opinions of others. She goes on to fall passionately love with a talented court singer, Andrei Feodorovich Petro...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Jaci rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story of St. Xenia, a holy fool in the Russian tradition, begins during the reign of Catharine the Great. The description of court life and the excesses of the ruling class are always fascinating and Debra Dean does a masterful job in this short novel. How Xenia came to deny court life and live a life giving to the poor is heartbreaking.

p.3: "I have reached an age when I can see how little all my possessions were worth and even to feel them as a burden on my soul. But the effort to rid mysel...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Julie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Want more than a superficial reflection.
Needed more of the "holy" less of the "fool"

I so loved The Madonnas Of Leningrad that I may be judging this too harshly. MOL was a multi faceted book (read my review : http://book-file.blogspot.com.au/2011...) that came to life. TMW stays on the page, flat, uninspiring.

I don't mind dark, grim, bleak ... and this setting was all of those things. My problem was that I never felt empathy for the characters, I never felt I was there, I never felt I cared (I fi...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dasha and her cousin Xenia were raised together almost like sisters. Now, all grown up, Dasha recounts their life together.

Xenia was like any other child -- almost. She had an uncanny prescience, sometimes able to predict certain things simply based on her dreams. When she met and fell madly in love with Andrei, her life seemed complete. They longed for children and when they finally conceived it seemed as though Xenia would have everything she dreamed. Life had other plans. Tragedy struck and...more Dasha and her cousin Xenia were raised together almost like sisters. Now, all grown up, Dasha recounts their life together.

Xenia was like any other child -- almost. She had an uncanny prescience, sometimes able to predict certain things simply based on her dreams. When she met and fell madly in love with Andrei, her life seemed complete. They longed for children and when they finally conceived it seemed as though Xenia would have everything she dreamed. Life had other plans. Tragedy struck and Xenia retreated into herself. Dasha tried desperately to help, but when Xenia finally emerged she became fixated on helping those in need, finally giving away all of her possessions. She would disappear from Dasha's life only to be discovered wandering the most destitute area of the city, clothed in her husband's uniform and spouting predictions and helping those around her.

Like THE MADONNAS OF LENINGRAD, THE MIRRORED WORLD as historical fiction is fantastic. The images of eighteenth century Russia -- especially the whims and excesses of the royal family -- are fascinating and richly portrayed. But, again like MADONNAS, I found Xenia and Dasha's story very sad.

Perhaps it's something that comes with age. I can recall as a teen being utterly disappointed in coming to the end of GONE WITH THE WIND (the movie). By the time I was in my twenties I'd gone from loathing it to adoring it. Similarly, while both MADONNAS and MIRRORED WORLD deal with undoubtedly woeful subjects, I can see how the stories would be considered less melancholy by other readers. By the end of MIRRORED WORLD Xenia herself is in a much more peaceful, if not outright happy, place and I think even Dasha has come to appreciate this as well.

All that said, I kind of wish that MIRRORED WORLD had been about twice as long as it actually was. It's a very slim read -- and a quick one at that. I would have loved for parts of the story to have been fleshed out more. By the the end of the story everything wraps up very quickly. In truth, Catherine's fear of Xenia is barely touched on at all.(less)

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Sep 07, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Saints are fascinating subjects; bringing in to question the lines between devotion and mania, as well as sanity and lunacy. In her latest novel, The Mirrored World, Debra Dean explores the life of the Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg, an 18th Century saint also known as the fool for Christ. Born to relative privileged and married for love, Xenia dreamed of a happy life with children. Shortly after the death of her infant daughter her beloved husband met with an accident and died. Xenia gave all...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Cindi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

The Mirrored World by Debra Dean is the resplendent and fascinating tale of St. Xenia, a holy fool in eighteenth-century Russia. Told by Xenia's beloved cousin, the story tells of Xenia's passionate love for her husband, then her visions of tragedy followed by turning away from the material world to serve the impoverished of St. Petersburg.

Debra Dean tells this historical tale with an eye for the details of Elizabeth's eccentric court and then the paranoia that plagued Catherine the Great. I rea...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Patty rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is tale of life in St. Petersburg as a young woman of the minor nobility loses her mind after the death of her child then her husband. Told through the eyes of a fictional cousin, this tale of the woman who would become St. Xenia is dark, mysterious and compelling. It is, though as much the story of the cousin as it is of Xenia.

The story is very interesting and the history of Russia is always fascinating. Fact and fiction are woven together well to create a mood that is dark and unsettled....more

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Aug 17, 2012 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story of Xenia is told by her cousin, Dasha, and begins with the two girls growing up together and takes us through Xenia's personal tragedies that transform her into a Saint who tirelessly takes care of the poor. A lot of the book is about Dasha and unfortunately Dasha is not the most interesting character to read about. I would have enjoyed reading this a lot more if it had been told from Xenia's point of view. Xenia is great to read about, there was so much joy and happiness in her life,...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Rebekah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-giveaways, fiction, literature

Review of The Mirrored World by Debra Dean.

I was happy to have received an advanced readers copy of this novel through the goodreads giveaway.

"Yes, this was her house, many years ago, when she was still Xenia." So opens The Mirrored World by Debra Dean. I judge a book by the opening lines, just like I judge a book by it's cover (and The Mirrored World has a gorgeous cover), and this line caught me. It's the voice of an old woman remembering her past, it's the stray thought of someone closing th...more Review of The Mirrored World by Debra Dean.

I was happy to have received an advanced readers copy of this novel through the goodreads giveaway.

"Yes, this was her house, many years ago, when she was still Xenia." So opens The Mirrored World by Debra Dean. I judge a book by the opening lines, just like I judge a book by it's cover (and The Mirrored World has a gorgeous cover), and this line caught me. It's the voice of an old woman remembering her past, it's the stray thought of someone closing their eyes to go to bed and catching an image of a dream from the night before. When the beginning of the book seemed to drag in the opening chapters, I held on to this line with hope.

And, almost without knowing it, first Andrei's death and then Xenia's grief pulled me into the story just in time to be immersed in Dasha. Dasha who is dull by comparison to Xenia, left alone on the sidelines of this tragedy and watching her childhood idol unravel just as the walls of 18th century Russia--winter-stricken and rotting at the court while embroiled in a conflict with Prussia abroad--close in around her.

The image of mirrors, and fancy and distortion associated with them, reoccur throughout the novel. I loved this and the many manifestations this takes. It starts with the ice castle, something straight from a dream, and the mirror inside that didn't reflect anything. And the masquerade ball with the men and women cross-dressing! What a wonderful, loud distortion to illustrate the absurdity of an isolated, backward country trying to catch up with the emerging culture and civilization of the European world. And then Dasha eventually mirroring the "holy fool" Xenia, becoming eccentric in her own way, believing in something other than herself (even if it's just believing that Xenia believes in something bigger and otherworldly), and then sheltering the poor of the city while conscious of the security risk to her own future.

In the center of the novel is the theme of love. What love is, especially love in marriage. After all of her experiences, Dasha postulates that it's not one's place to judge--or even underestimate--the kind of love a husband and wife might have. Central in the theme of love is the yearning to be loved. Dasha yearns for it, especially when the realization of her loneliness is first felt when she loses Andrei (to death) and Xenia (to madness) and then again when her own husband passes away. At the close of the novel, Xenia is at the height of her madness brought on grief. However, the author provides in the opening pages of the book a quote: "For if we genuinely love Him, we waken as the beloved in every part of our body." So it's maybe better to say that at the end of the story Xenia has reached the height of love. She overflows with it, so much so that Dasha latches on to that love, and everything comes full circle with both women damaged but with Xenia as Dasha's idol once again: "I looked at her and she at me, and in that moment it did not matter whether she recalled any of our shared past or what we had been to one another; in her gaze I felt utterly and inescapably beheld."

In summary, the writing is lyrical and gorgeous without being a swamp of prose that one has to labor through. The setting is remarkable, capturing the many contrasts that is Russia and letting that dissonance bleed over into the lives of the characters. Dasha isn't the most sympathetic character, nor is Xenia very relatable, but as the story tips into the spiritual, material-less world near the end it is forgivable and in fact fits the tone of the story.

I did not read the summary of the novel when I entered the giveaway. Actually, I didn't read it until after I finished the book. It's interesting that the summary seems to say that the novel is about Xenia when the point of view and (I think) the story itself is more about Dasha, who's life is almost entirely influenced by Xenia. This discrepancy will probably be off-putting to most, but I recommend that people stick it out and read the book anyway. I know The Mirrored World is going on my bookshelf, and will probably be a book I will want to re-read in the future. (less)

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Jul 11, 2012 Denise rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.0 out of 5 stars - a story of Russia's "holy fool"

This novel, set in 18th century Russia, is a reconstruction of the life and times of St. Xenia. She was born into the lower nobility and marries the love of her life during the extravagant years of the royal court in St. Petersburg. Tragedy strikes and Xenia leaves her home and possessions to lead a life of a mad fool caring for the poor and sick in the slums surrounding the city. She has a gift of foretelling the future and is both loved and f...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Debra Dean's The Mirrored World attempts to shed light on the life of Xenia of St. Petersburg, an renowned eighteenth-century mystic and "fool for Christ," canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988. Little is known of the particulars of Xenia's life, other than following the death of her husband, she supposedly gave all her wealth to the poor and took to the streets of St. Petersburg wearing her late husband's military uniform. Dean approaches Xenia's life through the eyes of Dasha, a fic...more Debra Dean's The Mirrored World attempts to shed light on the life of Xenia of St. Petersburg, an renowned eighteenth-century mystic and "fool for Christ," canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988. Little is known of the particulars of Xenia's life, other than following the death of her husband, she supposedly gave all her wealth to the poor and took to the streets of St. Petersburg wearing her late husband's military uniform. Dean approaches Xenia's life through the eyes of Dasha, a fictional younger cousin, and the result is as much or more Dasha's story as it is Xenia's, and more of a rumination on the complexities of faith and female friendships than a fictional accounting of a legendary figure's life.

Spanning the reigns of Elizabeth to Catherine the Great, as the daughters of lesser nobles -- not extravagantly wealthy but not quite poor -- cousins Dasha and Xenia are uniquely positioned to observe the political tumult of the age and the stark contrast between their society's "haves" and "have nots." From the moment Xenia joined Dasha's family household, her gentle spirit captured her young cousin's loyalty. Xenia is perhaps best described as cerebral -- an aficionado of the arts and music, more concerned with the soul than the economics of being a young woman in the eighteenth century, and therefore in many respects a commodity on the marriage market. With no marriage prospects, Dasha becomes attached to Xenia's household, and it is through her eyes that we witness the euphoria of her cousin's courtship and love match, the heartbreak of losing a child, and the greatest blow -- the loss of her spouse, the pivot point which changes the course of Xenia's life forever.

I've long been fascinated with Russian history, and was eager to read Dean's take on Xenia and life in Russia during the turbulence and excesses of the eighteenth century. The Mirrored World is a slim volume, elegant in its economy, with flashes of lovely prose, but ultimately lacking in substance -- the characterizations I'd hoped for feel ultimately as ethereal as Xenia's legend. Part of the issue is expecting Xenia's story from the cover copy, and getting more of Dasha's -- and while she has her moments (her unconventional love story, marriage to the Italian eunuch musico broke my heart!), her main purpose is as a reflection for her unconventional cousin, the one family member who, despite her doubts, remained loyal.

Dean does an excellent job contrasting the excesses of the Russian court with the heartbreak and spiritual life that Xenia (and to not quite as radical an extent Dasha) chooses to embrace. The mirror imagery sprinkled throughout the novel is particularly effective, especially as a reflection of truth and the unseen principles of faith the women ultimately find comfort in as their lives progress. An oft-times tantalizing glimpse into a lost world and an enigmatic figure whose life and legacy have resonated through the centuries, ultimately The Mirrored World left me wanting more, as it is thought-provoking but all-too-brief introduction to St. Xenia.(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Misfit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, russia, amazon-vine

The Mirrored World is a very brief novel of St. Xenia of Russia. The narrator is Xenia's cousin, and through eyes we see a young Xenia wed to Colonel Andrey Fyodorovich Petrov. The marriage is a solid one, but tragedy strikes and Xenia's method of coping with it lead her to become a "holy fool", wandering the streets of St. Petersburg in her husband's old uniform.

OK, interesting subject matter, lyrical writing, nice sense of place and time (love the Russian setting); but in the end this one jus...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

The Mirrored World" by Debra Dean is a very short historical novel about St. Xenia. I thought I would be enchanted by the Russian world in the 1700's. The cover is gorgeous. I really love historical fiction. I loved the part at the beginning about material possessions weighing down the soul. And also the idea of very old memories of childhood seeming like a dream. That I loved so much.

Then, as the book went on, I lost that previous enchantment. I had read of Catherine the Great before and the bo...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Bookworm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-novel, 2012

Because I won this book I would like to thank Harper Collins and Goodreads for sending me this book. I was so exited when I found out I won. Winning stuff is always fun :)

The writing style of The Mirrored World took some getting used too. The book is written like a fairy tale. In the beginning of the book I found it hard to focus on the story because of the dreamy way of writing. Also in the first part of the book it's not really clear who the person is telling the story and where the story is g...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Lynn Demarest rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a short, beautifully written story based on actual events. Dean cautions against using it as a history book, and the 18th century Russia she creates reinforces the admonition by being as fanciful as it is freezing: There is an ice castle complete with ice cannon that shoot ice cannonballs. Bloody bedsheets are put on display as part of a wedding celebration, one supposes as evidence of the bride's lost virginity. Females are subjugated. Their husbands are chosen for them. They believe re...more This is a short, beautifully written story based on actual events. Dean cautions against using it as a history book, and the 18th century Russia she creates reinforces the admonition by being as fanciful as it is freezing: There is an ice castle complete with ice cannon that shoot ice cannonballs. Bloody bedsheets are put on display as part of a wedding celebration, one supposes as evidence of the bride's lost virginity. Females are subjugated. Their husbands are chosen for them. They believe reading will make them barren. The landed are pampered at the expense of the lower classes.

The main character, the strong-willed Xenia, chooses her own husband, then struggles to bear a child. She loves the child and her husband deeply and is subsequently tormented by the loss of both, first the infant, then the husband.

Xenia reacts to her loss first by withdrawing and then by eschewing material possessions with fervor, giving literally everything away, right down to the chamber pot in her cousin's bedroom, which causes the poor girl next morning to have to run out into the yard to relieve herself. (Her cousin is the first-person narrator.)

Xenia emerges a mysterious saint, a scruffy smelly street urchin who wears her dead husband's coat threadbare and takes his name, Andrei. She becomes the protector of street beggars and a seer able to predict the imminent death of royals. Merchants give her food, thinking it will bring them luck. Carriage drivers take her for free. She seems to come and go quickly, mysteriously, announcing before exiting that she is needed. No one knows where she lives.

Meanwhile, Xenia's cousin, the narrator, lives a life that takes a path not unlike Xenia's. She loses her eunuch husband (a man made to give pleasure, not to receive it) and, in response, takes to caring for the poor. This, I'm guessing, is the reason for the book's title -- although others suggest it refers to the similarities between Russian royals and the modern-day "One Percent."

The story was a tad difficult to follow for me because of the flurry of long Russian names, some of them important to remember, most of them not. What I came away with mostly was an appreciation for Dean's ability to turn a phrase. I will definitely seek out her other books. (less)

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Oct 15, 2012 Dominica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Xenia, a young girl growing up on the fringes of the Russian court in St. Petersburg, has an odd gift for dreaming about the future. She has other odd gifts as well, as her cousin Dasha, who is the narrator of Debra Dean's new novel, observes in loving detail. Once grown, Xenia makes a happy marriage, and generously takes in her still single cousin to live with her and her husband. The three live happily together until tragedy strikes, and then it is Dasha who cares for Xenia, as grief transfor...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Overall I enjoyed the book, it ended up being a interesting read and the overall story was well done. I don't know a lot about the time period, but I think the author gave enough of a glimpse for me to want to seek out more historical fiction during the time period. Writing was well done, I'll more than likely seek out more by the author at some point in time.

I did find it a little too short, and I think some plot and character development fell just a touch short because of it. There was some gr...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Danelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical, 18th-century

The Mirrored World is the story of St. Xenia and it tells the story of this revered Russian saint through her cousin Dasha. The story begins when the two are girls and follows them as they grow up, find love, experience loss, lose each other and then find each other again.

It's an OK read. I'm pretty well versed in the political & historical events during this time in Russian history and it is accurate. But it felt like the book didn't really tell the story of Xenia. It seemed the focus was...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Audra (Unabridged Chick) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-figure-fictionalized, historicals, mood-evocative, place-russia, sense-of-place, teenage-heroine-but-not-ya

I have a soft spot for saints. Novelists who tackle the life of a saint -- what they might have been really like -- automatically endear themselves to me, and I was drooling with anticipation over this book. Happily, Dean didn't disappoint, and this brisk little novel has the lush extravagance I wanted from a historical novel featuring royalty as well as the more mundane details of everyday life.

Beginning in the 1730s, the story is told by young Dasha, who is mesmerised by her older cousins, Nad...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Caitlin marked it as to-read

Xenia is Russia's most-beloved saint. She lived in the 18th century, beginning as a woman of influence and privilege and then giving away everything after her husband's death to help the poor. Her family was shocked to see her living in the slums and Catherine the Great considered her a threat.

Told through the eyes of Xenia's cousin, Dasha, The Mirrored World is a story of Catherine the Great's court and of all of the people outside looking in. Through Dasha's frank clear voice, Xenia stops bein...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Brittney Edwards rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wait for the mail everyday hoping to receive a book I won from goodreads. When I received this one I was first amazed by it's cover. I have to start by saying I normally don't read books like this one but it called to me. It is set in the 18th century and the story line kept me wanting to read more even though it was at times hard for me to follow the proper speech of this period. I was really touched by the relationship between these characters and the love that Xenia had for her husband. Tha...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Mimi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

I often wonder what makes a book a slow starter - is it the book or is it me? Is it finding the footing for a character and a story, or is it me having to get into the rhythm of the writing?

These are the things I found myself pondering as I began this novel - a secular Historical Fiction about St. Xenia of Petersburg, a very beloved Orthodox Saint. For a lot of the novel, I felt that it was a bit hampered by the choice of the narrator not being Xenia herself, but a cousin. I think that the conce...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Margaret Sankey rated it 2 of 5 stars

The premise of this book is very interesting--the political, social and religious milieu that created the Holy Fool Xenia in 18th century Russia, a time period of extreme crisis spanning the 7 Years War, the death of Elizabeth, the coup of Catherine II and the formation of the elaborate court culture in St. Petersburg. However, by being told from the first-person narration of Xenia's rather conventional cousin (although Dasha married an Italian eunuch musician who promptly died, and then rushed...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

*I received this book for free through GoodReads First Reads!*

I have to start by saying that the synopsis on the back of the book is somewhat misleading about the actual story of the book. This is the story of Dasha, and her cousin Xenia.it is told from the perspective of Dasha, but it id not so much the life story of Xenia (as the synopsis seems to indicate) but the story if Xenia and their relationship as cousins and friends.

The novel is set in the mid-1700s Russia. I am not very familiar with...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Mirrored World by Debra Dean takes the reader back to eighteenth century Russia and through Daria, Xenia's cousin, the reader learns about the trials and tribulations of Xenia, an outwardly appearing ordinary young women who would eventually become known through history as St. Xenia. Dean writes with an expert hand and through exquisite prose and an exceptional eye for detail effortlessly draws the reader into eighteenth century Russia. The readers will easily feel for Dean's characters and...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Margaret Donovan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Again, a well-cut gem of a novel from Debra Dean. She brings her characters to life with small details, with colorful images, and with the scents and sounds of 18th century Petersburg. Robert Massie's biography of Catherine The Great, though an excellent achievement of nonfiction, does not have the evocative power of Dean's fiction. She is among those writers from whom I learn more about the past than I do from straightforward "history."
I have recommended her Madonnas of Leningrad along with t...more

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About Debra Dean

Debra Dean’s bestselling novel THE MADONNAS OF LENINGRAD was a New York Times Editors’ Choice, a #1 Booksense Pick, a Booklist Top Ten Novel, and an American Library Association Notable Book of the Year. It has been published in twenty languages. Her collection of short stories, CONFESSIONS OF A FALLING WOMAN, won the Paterson Fiction Prize and a Florida Book Award.

Her new novel, THE MIRRORED WORL...more

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Confessions of a Falling Woman: And Other Stories

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avg rating	preview: The Mirrored World Goodreads rating: 3.15 (392 ratings)
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The Mirrored World

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