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67th out of 195 books
—
493 voters
Now Face To Face (Through a Glass Darkly #3)
by
Karleen Koen (Goodreads Author)
The unforgettable sequel to Karleen Koen’s beloved debut, Through a Glass Darkly
A Book-of-the-Month Club main selection
A bride at fifteen, widowed at the tender age of twenty, Barbara, Countess Devane, embarks for colonial Virginia financially ruined by the death of her husband in scandalous circumstances. Dressed in mourning as is proper for a woman, she is patronizingly de
...morePaperback, 703 pages
Published
June 1st 1997
by Kensington
(first published January 1st 1996)
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This book reminded me of how much I truly enjoy historical fiction. The story began in sparse and spare colonial Virginia but was interspersed with scenes of delicious London court intrigues. The heroine, Barbara was a believable and lovable character despite (or perhaps because of) her human foibles. This book would have fallen in my "unbelievable reads" category if the last few hundred pages didn't peter off. I understand the novel was based on James II's attempts to wrest the throne from King...more
A solid four stars.
Koen brings her "history" to a satisfying conclusion, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. The energy level was lower than Through a Glass Darkly, but the writing better. A few of the subplots were too neatly concluded.
Koen successfully relates how the Bible (as well as Shakespeare, John Donne, etc.) wove through the consciousness of the eighteenth century, even among people who were not believers. That's a rare achievement.
Several egregious errors about boats and bo...more
Koen brings her "history" to a satisfying conclusion, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. The energy level was lower than Through a Glass Darkly, but the writing better. A few of the subplots were too neatly concluded.
Koen successfully relates how the Bible (as well as Shakespeare, John Donne, etc.) wove through the consciousness of the eighteenth century, even among people who were not believers. That's a rare achievement.
Several egregious errors about boats and bo...more
Now Face to Face is the first novel I've finished in which I was/am truly saddened to have to say goodbye to the characters and story.
That being said I did enjoy reading it, despite the fact that it almost felt like two entirely separate novels crammed into one.
Through A Glass Darkly ends with Barbara on a boat headed to Virginia. That is right where Now Face to Face picks up.
Koen tried, rather unsuccessfully, to juggle the story of Barbara's time in Virginia along with a subplot in London for...more
That being said I did enjoy reading it, despite the fact that it almost felt like two entirely separate novels crammed into one.
Through A Glass Darkly ends with Barbara on a boat headed to Virginia. That is right where Now Face to Face picks up.
Koen tried, rather unsuccessfully, to juggle the story of Barbara's time in Virginia along with a subplot in London for...more
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For me, with movies, the sequels are never better than the original. In my opinion, the same can be said for Now Face to Face, which is the sequel for Through a Glass Darkly. Not to say that I did not enjoy it and am not happy that I read it, but it wasn’t quite up there with the TAGD.
After the death of her husband, Barbara is beside herself with grief. Her grandmother, the Duchess of Tamworth, offers her the chance to go to Colonial Virginia to check out her newly acquired tobacco plantation. W...more
After the death of her husband, Barbara is beside herself with grief. Her grandmother, the Duchess of Tamworth, offers her the chance to go to Colonial Virginia to check out her newly acquired tobacco plantation. W...more
I picked this up hoping it would be half as good as Through A Glass Darkly, only to end up thinking it might even be better.
It was so nice to have a big rich historical novel, written for women, which dwelled almost entirely on factors other than romance. Yes, there is a satisfying romance in this story, but it is only a very small part of it, and the matrix in which it is embedded is so interesting that even without the romance the story would still keep you turning the pages. I also loved tha...more
It was so nice to have a big rich historical novel, written for women, which dwelled almost entirely on factors other than romance. Yes, there is a satisfying romance in this story, but it is only a very small part of it, and the matrix in which it is embedded is so interesting that even without the romance the story would still keep you turning the pages. I also loved tha...more
Oct 15, 2011
Lori McD
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
drama,
british-lit,
historical-fiction,
romance,
series,
kindle-book,
2011_read,
favorite-author,
favorites
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Mar 09, 2009
Becky
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Historical Fiction Fans, Karleen Koen Fans
Shelves:
reallyenjoyable
This was a really great book, but I was disappointed in the ending. I loved "Through a Glass Darkly" and reread it before starting on this one. While I did enjoy this book, I felt like the first 500 pages were spent getting the reader invested in all of the characters, their stories, and what the future held for them. The rest of the book seemed like a rushed attempt to wrap up these stories & some were still left wide open. There were events that you wanted to read about that were described...more
Through a glass darkly was pretty good up until a bit past Barbara finding out what her husband was up to; then the thing just went to the dogs. That book had way too much pointless graphic sex. It was a dirty and trashy read, which I just finished several days ago. I'll admit I skipped a few pages here and there. I had Now face to face waiting by my bedside and couldn't wait to get at it, that was of course before I read the first book, after having struggled through that one, I wasn't too keen...more
First, I'd give this one 3 1/2 stars if I could because I did not like the ending...not what happened at the ending, but how it was constructed and what characters were actually in the ending. I do think protagonists should be in the ending and I would have appreciated some further explanation of some plot resolutions. With that being said, I did enjoy this book which tells what happens to Barbara Devane and other characters after "Through A Glass Darkly." The reader is introduced to some additi...more
Man this book draaaagged! When you find yourself skipping lines, then whole paragraphs, and flipping to the next page, then it’s probably time to throw in the towel. But no, I insisted on finding out how it ended, and in so doing read 700 pages, of which only about 200 was relevant information. Was it really necessary to include the thoughts of every…single…person, minor character or not? Does she really have that little faith where she can’t rely on her readers to make inferences and read betwe...more
As with Through A Glass Darkly, this novel takes its title and its themes from this verse:
When I was a child, I spake as a child. I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
~ I Corinthians 13:11-13
I absolutely loved Through...more
When I was a child, I spake as a child. I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
~ I Corinthians 13:11-13
I absolutely loved Through...more
This is the sequel to Through a Glass Darkly. It continues the story after Roger's death and her debt (Hanoverian England) and Barbara's journey to the tobacco plantation in a Virginia colony. This is a whole new Barbara, adapting well to the squalid living conditions. slavery issues and weather. It is not necessary to have read the first book as the author does a great job of filling in the gaps. The story is intriguing as it goes back and forth from London and its Jacobite plotting to the fiel...more
True to some reviews I've read, I liked the first book better (Through a Glass Darkly) but only just a bit. This sequel did not disappoint and I enjoyed Barbara's experience in Virginia just was much as I did England. I loved Koen's use of poetry and bible verse to assist in the storytelling. All the charachters you meet in the first book become even more endeared to the reader...even if you don't like them. I can only say that I was slightly disappointed with the ending as I wish more detail ha...more
These books so moved me as a teenager, I had to quit reading for a while thereafter. I became attached to the characters and story and because it was well written, it was hard to let go.
I enjoyed "Through a Glass Darkly" and this sequel immensely and read it again as a mother and yet again it was moving and the story beautiful and I had trouble putting it down. I may consider reading it again and seeing what my review would be now with more life experience and discrepancy in reading. It is wort...more
I enjoyed "Through a Glass Darkly" and this sequel immensely and read it again as a mother and yet again it was moving and the story beautiful and I had trouble putting it down. I may consider reading it again and seeing what my review would be now with more life experience and discrepancy in reading. It is wort...more
I liked it, couldn't stop reading it, but was exhausted by the end--not because of the writing, by any means, but because of all the intrigue, the plotting, the backstabbing. I really needed a break by the time I finished this and the one before it, Through a Glass Darkly. Yes, I know, life at Court was grueling. It was what it was. I could never have survived it. Thank goodness Barbara ends up with the man she wanted to be with; I was very afraid he would die, as so many other beloved character...more
Jun 14, 2011
Lori Anderson
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction
"Now Face to Face" is the sequel to Karleen Koen's book "Through a Glass Darkly". I dearly love historical fiction, and as I devoured "Through a Glass Darkly and gave it a resounding Five Stars, I really looked forward to the sequel.
Eh. Well.
This book was on its way to being put on my "Not Finished" shelf, but I persevered and the pace finally picked up and the story fell back into the method of her first book. When I finished the book, I had tears in my eyes, and felt the novel had redeemed its...more
Eh. Well.
This book was on its way to being put on my "Not Finished" shelf, but I persevered and the pace finally picked up and the story fell back into the method of her first book. When I finished the book, I had tears in my eyes, and felt the novel had redeemed its...more
I loved Through a Glass Darkly, which is the first book and I loved this book as well, but not quite as much as Through a Glass Darkly. I need a third book, so I can catch up on what everyone is now doing...I don't like for books to just end, unless there is another one coming along to tie up any loose ends. There is also Dark Angels, but that is about Barbaras grandmother and was written later. They are all three great examples of historical fiction that is juicy, but also loaded with factual i...more
****SPOILERS POSSIBLE***
NWTF continues the story of Barbara Devane begun in Through a Glass Darkly. Widowed and saddled with her husband's huge debts, Barbara's grandmother convinces her to inspect the Virginia plantation she now owns and she's soon sailing westward, although much to the chagrin of her mother Diana and Cousin Tony (who loves her and would marry her despite her crippling debts).
Our plucky heroine sets the plantation to rights, runs off the black hearted smugglers, frees the slave...more
NWTF continues the story of Barbara Devane begun in Through a Glass Darkly. Widowed and saddled with her husband's huge debts, Barbara's grandmother convinces her to inspect the Virginia plantation she now owns and she's soon sailing westward, although much to the chagrin of her mother Diana and Cousin Tony (who loves her and would marry her despite her crippling debts).
Our plucky heroine sets the plantation to rights, runs off the black hearted smugglers, frees the slave...more
I enjoyed this book, but not nearly as much as the first book by Karleen Koen. I felt the whole story was kind of disjointed and the emphasis on certain characters changed throughout the book which made the flow of the book kind of odd. Jane's family and her thread of story is tied up, but the main character Barbara is not really finished or potentially could have been wrapped up 50 pages earlier. And with her servant, that was really an odd wrap up - is that to show us the impossible is possibl...more
Aug 01, 2008
Shannon
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical,
fiction-history
This is the second book in Karleen Koens series. Barbara is all grown up now, & fleas to the new world to escape the death of her husband & family. Barbara is in for a real surprise Virginia is nothing like London. All her black gowns are useless there, Hyacinthe is not a servant but a slave, & life is far from easy in the new world. Barbara takes on Virginia in great stride, before long she is growing her own tobacco, & steering up trouble with her Londoner ways. When she finall...more
I did not enjoy this book as much as I did the first one, "Through the Glass, Darkly." There were too many "history lessons" (e.g. all of Chapter 34!), and I did not like that the Jacobite plot to restore James III to the throne was at the forefront. I much prefer when the historical elements are in the backdrop. Still, we do follow the main character, Barbara, and, despite the heavy history lessons, this book remains a must-read for those who enjoyed the first book and want to know what happens...more
I'm not saying this is a bad book, it's not my style. It seemed to go on and on and repeated information. I couldn't stick with it. I flipped through the pages, catching what was going on page after page to see what would happen. There was no way I could read it word for word. I just didn't find it that interesting. The characters were good. I liked the main character Barbara and how well she treated her servants and hated the guys who treated the servants badly.
Defiantly NOT as good as Through a Glass Darkly. I bought this book and the 3rd book of the series Dark Angels at the same time because I had read the 1st one and enjoyed it, that being said, after reading this book I have yet to even crack the spine of the 3rd one because it was just so disappointing. I found myself skipping parts just to avoid characters who were simply annoying and the whole experience was just downright frustrating.
The sequel to Through a Glass Darkly. If anything, I would have loved to have seen more of Hyacinth's story here but there was so much to cover in this book that the ending felt a little rushed for closure sake. Maybe a 3rd book in the series would have been a nice finish. Couldn't put down this story especially since I've read so many stories from the Jacobite position. It was a nice balance to see a story from the opposing side.
The two novels are interesting, to say the least, but probably longer than they need to be. I think I could have done a bit of editing that would have moved the storyline along a bit faster. As a Virginian, I did enjoy the main characters sojourn to an area north of Williamsburg on the James River. It made me want to go exploring to find out where she settled, but, again, more detail than I actually needed.
I enjoyed it.
This book was less love story than the first one, and more political. Still, very good, but amusing how it changed as the main character, Barbara, has grown. This one was almost too realistic with the way loved characters change or die. The first book really concentrated on Barbara's love & its fallout, while this one focused on all the other people in her life (to the point where for the last third of the book, she's hardly the main character).
A long book, but a quick read.
This book was less love story than the first one, and more political. Still, very good, but amusing how it changed as the main character, Barbara, has grown. This one was almost too realistic with the way loved characters change or die. The first book really concentrated on Barbara's love & its fallout, while this one focused on all the other people in her life (to the point where for the last third of the book, she's hardly the main character).
A long book, but a quick read.
Karleen Koen has a wonderful book with Face to Face. I enjoyed reading all about Barbara, Lady DeVane, who leaves England after the death of her husband that has left her in financial ruin. She leaves for Virginia to see to her grandmother's plantation there. There she learns of planting tobacco and slavery, questioning the established traditions of slavery. Having many enemies she never suspected, she has to return to England after a year being in Virginia, to deal with the problems created by...more
I am a huge fan of Karleen Koen and I loved her other two books. This book had some great parts however it was not nearly as arresting as the other two. The ending was unsatisfying in many ways and having so many characters took away from the story and became distracting. It is still definitely worth a read and a nice conclusion to the cliff hanger in Through the Glass Darkly.
Unlike it’s predecessor, Through a Glass Darkly, Now Face to Face lacks the drama, glitz, intrigue, and wonderfully written characters. I wavered between caring and not giving a care about what happened, and continually asked myself what happened to Koen’s writing abilities between her first novel and her second.
There’s just too much going on, and it’s all poorly strung together as we jump across the pond to England and back again to Virginia. This poorly constructed storyline is distract, confu...more
There’s just too much going on, and it’s all poorly strung together as we jump across the pond to England and back again to Virginia. This poorly constructed storyline is distract, confu...more
The sequel to In a Mirror Darkly and what happened to Barbara and the Duchess afterwards. A good, thick read with people that you can cheer for. Definitely a keeper for me.
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_N...
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_N...
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18th Century Politics in London and Virginia | 2 | 19 | Mar 13, 2009 09:21pm |
My childhood was filled with glorious books, Little Women, Lad A Dog, Black Beauty, Little House on the Prairie, Caddie Woodlawn. They were as real to me as the life around me, a lower middle class one in a small oil refinery town in Texas. My grandfather, an invalid, was a huge fan of the writers Frank Slaughter, Frank Yerby, and Zane Grey. By the time I learned to read, I was sneaking his square...more
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