The Mirrored World

By Debra Dean

Book Overview

The bestselling and critically acclaimed 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. Xenia is a free spirit who seems blessed with second sight; her cousin Dasha is more cautious and sensible. When the two come out into society, Dasha watches from a remove as her friend plunges into marriage and motherhood. But when a tragic vision comes true, Xenia withdraws into grief and undergoes a profound transformation. She gives away all her possessions to the poor, and then vanishes. Years later, dressed in the tatters of her husband's military uniform and answering only to his name, Xenia is discovered tending to the paupers of St. Petersburg's slums. Her choice to live always on the razor's edge of passion and her hard path towards sainthood lead Dasha to confront her own deepest fears. In this elegantly written tale, Dean re-imagines the intriguing 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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061231460
• ISBN13: 9780061231469
• Release Date: July 2013
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 7.9"