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As opulent and passionate as the 18th century it celebrates, Through a Glass Darkly sparkles with all the extravagance and scandal of a grand and glorious era. Barbara Alderly has loved her husband, the wealthy, charming Earl of Devane, Roger Montgeoffry, since childhood. Set against a French court awash in intrigue, treachery and debauchery, Barbara must learn to navigate the dark currents of deception, scandal and betrayal. Peopled by a cast of unforgettable characters, here is the story of a great family ruled by a dowager of extraordinary power; a young woman coming of age, seeking love in the midst of a storm; her mother, the cruel and self-centered Diana; and of a man haunted by a secret that could turn all of their dreams to ashes...
"Greatest romance ever written" — Romance Writers Report 2001; Book of Month Club main selection; New York Times best seller.
This was such an innocent experience for me, writing without realizing others would read me and have opinions about everything. I'll never be able to write with the innocence this book displays, but it's my goal. |
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"A heady mixture of sophistication and melodrama, elegance, decadence and homely virtues...stylishly wicked, smartly written and unabashedly bold." — Detroit Free Press
"A brilliant historical novel..." — Richmond Times Dispatch
"Karleen Koen has created a stupendous saga full of romance, unrequited love, sex, duels, family dynamics and politics." — United Press International
"Koen is a graceful, natural writer and Through a Glass Darkly is a notable accomplishment, a suspenseful, romantic and vividly believable historical [novel] from a new writer who knows how to use (not abuse) her research material." — Kirkus Reviews
"What an incredibly potent evocation of the eighteenth century and what mastery Karleen Koen has over her enormous canvas." — Rosemary Sutcliff, author of The Eagle of the Ninth
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