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    The Mirrored World: A Novel
    The Mirrored World: A Novel
    The Mirrored World: A Novel
    Audiobook6 hours

    The Mirrored World: A Novel

    Written by Debra Dean

    Narrated by Yelena Shmulenson

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    The critically acclaimed author of The Madonnas of Leningrad (“Elegant and poetic, the rare kind of book that you want to keep but you have to share” —Isabel Allende), Debra Dean returns with The Mirrored World, a breathtaking novel of love and madness set in 18th century Russia. 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 that recounts the unlikely transformation of a young girl, a child of privilege, into a saint beloved by the poor.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateAug 28, 2012
    ISBN9780062204875
    Author

    Debra Dean

    Debra Dean worked as an actor in New York theater for nearly a decade before opting for the life of a writer and teacher. She and her husband now live in Miami, where she teaches at the University at Miami. She is at work on her second novel.

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    Reviews for The Mirrored World

    3.5/5

    26 ratings19 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is the first novel I've read by this author and I am now eager to read more of her work. It's an imagined recreation of the life of St. Xenia, told from the perspective of her cousin Dasha. Xenia and Dasha come from privileged families who are connected to the royal family in eighteenth-century St. Petersburg.The descriptions of the royal court and of St. Petersburg bring the time period to life and create a very richly detailed sense of setting. Xenia, coming from a well-to-do family, is content with parties and dresses until tragedy strikes and changes her worldview. Suddenly aware of the inequity of the society in which she lives, she shuns worldly goods in favor of helping the poor, much to the chagrin of her family.The novel explores her transformation from the eyes of a close family member, who is mystified by Xenia's transformation and alternately thinks her both mad and divinely blessed. Because of this perspective, the reader never truly sees the world through Xenia's eyes, which left something feeling a bit lacking in the novel. I would have liked a deeper rendering of the inner workings, even imagined, of Xenia's own mind and perspective.Nonetheless, the story is beautifully written, captivating, and brings to life a fascinating period of history in which the lavish life of the royal court contrasts sharply with the deprivation of the poor. Xenia's character bridges these worlds as the author paints a riveting historical backdrop to her story. A very enjoyable read.
    • 3/5
      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 being a figure on an icon and becomes an actual person whose sainthood is understood within the context of her history. Aren't we all the sum of our choices and of our history - guided this way and that, sometimes by choice, sometimes by chance. Xenia's life in many ways illustrates the fact that life can go almost anywhere - anything can happen. It's a magical tale told well.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book, which had been sitting on my shelves a while. I had previously liked Dean's The Madonnas of Leningrad, and this was a good book for me to read now, historical fiction that didn't remind me too much of current events.Dean has a nice style, writing about historical events as if they were contemporary, and not over-explaining. This is a fictionalized account of St. Xenia (c. 1719–1730 – c. 1803). I didn't know anything about St Xenia, but was familiar with the era from reading Massie's Catherine the Great. Xenia was born into minor nobility, and married Colonel Andrey Fyodorovich Petrov. When he died in an accident, she mourned extravagantly, and became a "fool for Christ," giving away her belongings and living in the streets of St. Petersburg, where apparently she became a beloved character thought to bring blessings on those she encountered.This book is narrated by a close relative (a fictional character, I believe) which allows a contrast between Xenia's emotionalism and spirituality, and that of a more conventional young woman. (who nonetheless ends up with an unconventional life, highlighting the narrow life options available for women in this time and place.) The book raises a lot of issues about religiosity, marriage, parenting, and social roles, but never tells the reader what to think.
    • 5/5
      The Mirrored World is a truly captivating read. The writing is elegant and classical, almost poetic. This enhances the mystical setting of 18th century Russia, a time and place that I know very little about. Debra Dean's writing easily connects the reader to the characters. Their life circumstances are thoroughly developed, allowing true emotion to be felt by the reader. The historical accuracies are interlaced well throughout this engaging story. This has inspired me to learn more about St. Petersburg and its rich history.
    • 4/5
      Debra Dean made a large leap from the beginning of this plot to the end, weaving both ends together by reworking the beginning to reflect the gleaming emotional irises and frightened pinpoint pupils that stare upon the flotsam remaining after a life spent moving as a pawn of the powerful. The first paragraph puts the narrator, Dasha, into the role of framing the narrative by reminiscing a series of difficult events during her life. Among the opening chapters, there is a description of a cruel and fatal match-making torture entertainment, funded by Empress Anna Ioannovna, who caused a folly to be built,a fully bedecked icy hall of frozen terrors, to ceremonially destroy the Prince who defied her. The price of defying social necessities is steep in all episodes that follow in this novel about the royal court in 18th Century St. Petersburg. The novel skirts any more ceremonial murders later on, but speaks to the difficult way of keeping a means to a comfortable life by continually rendering command performances in the court. A social portrait of a country in which just a very low number of people can be trusted to give fair treatment to their kin and their fellows in the court fills the pages of this unlikely novel which veers between resignation and madness.
    • 5/5
      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 like this reader, be unable to set the book down. I highly recommend The Mirrored World to all who enjoy historical fiction. For those who do not think historical fiction is an enjoyable genre, I suggest giving The Mirrored World a chance.
    • 1/5
      Full-disclosure: I received an advance reader's copy of this book through the First Reads program. I doubt anyone will think my opinion was bought.

      What a disappointment. I admit, I was lured in by the beautiful cover. Upon realizing it was a retelling of the life of St Xenia, I consulted google to learn more. I did not realize that the two line biography--Her husband died. She went mad and gave away all her belongings.--summed up the entire story. I flipped rapidly through the last 50-75 pages. And missed nothing.

      While the beginning showed promise, by mid-book, it fell flat. Such a disappointing book.
    • 3/5
      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 book refers to her as the German princess but it only touches on her shortly. I would have loved to have seen the tying together of the poverty of the beggars and the opulence of royalty. Xenia found great beauty and fascination in nature when she was a child and later she referred to herself as a fool. I couldn't get inside of her feelings or thoughts. There was not enough depth to Xenia or Nadia, the friend that she grew up with.The subject of a mad woman who gains saint hood could have been so much more satisfying than it was. I had read of Catherine the Great before and the book refers to her as the German princess but it only touches on her briefly. I would have loved to have seen the contrasts between the poverty of the beggars and the opulence of royalty. I wanted more information about the Russian customs. Xenia found great beauty and fascination in nature when she was a child and later she referred to herself as a fool. I got angry at her for not understanding herself as a child. I couldn't get inside of her feelings or thoughts. There was not enough depth to Xenia or Nadia, the friend that she grew up with.The subject of a mad woman who gains sainthood could have been so much more satisfying than it was. I received this book from the Amazon Vine Program but that had no influence upon my review.
    • 3/5
      1790's Russian court - good holiday read to escape to a different world
    • 4/5
      St. Xenia is a Russian saint who lived in the time of the Empresses Anna Ioannova, Elizabeth, and Catherine the Great. She was called a "fool for Christ" and lived on the streets and the cemeteries of St. Petersburg for more than forty years, giving all of her possessions and any alms offered to her to the poor around her. But her life started out far from the streets as a member of a family of the minor aristocracy, among those on the outer fringes of the Tsarina's court. Debra Dean's new novel The Mirrored World fills out Xenia's early life and what led her to the life of poverty, want, and denial to which she felt called. Told through the eyes of Dasha, Xenia's beloved cousin, the novel is related by Dasha as an old woman looking back on her life. She takes us first to when the girls are young and Dasha looks up to her older, dreamy, and distracted, arts-loving cousin, to when the two girls become close. Despite Xenia's social gaffes, she makes a love match in her marriage unlike her poised and elegant sister and she is nurtured by her husband Andrei's great love for her. Dasha seems unlikely to ever marry and Xenia invites her to live with she and her soldier/chorister husband. Although Andrei and Xenia struggle to have a child, when they are finally blessed with a baby, it seems as if the sun shines on their small family and all will be good in their world. But this is Russia, the land of winter, and after two crushing tragedies, Xenia is a husk of herself, grieving and frozen, locked inside her own head and going mad. When she finally comes back to life, she starts giving all of her possessions away to the poor while Dasha tries to stem the tide and save something, anything for themselves. But Xenia can no longer be contained and she disappears into the streets of St. Petersburg only to eventually resurface wearing the ragged remains of Andrei's military uniform and continuing to survive on handouts, sharing her meager finds and alms with all those in need around her. When Xenia disappears, Dasha becomes the focus and the path of her own life takes precedence in the story. She marries an Italian eunuch from the Russian court and lives with her Gaspari in harmony if not love for several years, continuing to minister to the needy when she can, in her cousin's honor, and continuing always to look for her beloved Xenia. Dasha's odd marriage is never accepted and Gaspari's outsider status at the court allows him to hear much of the labyrinthine inner workings and accurate gossip that the more connected might have been protected or excluded from. And so the reader is treated to a spectacularly exposed view of the royal court. As in her previous, marvelous novel The Madonnas of Leningrad, Dean has written a gorgeous tale. She has evoked the Russia of the time with the petty cruelties of the court, the uncertainties of the time, the wide gap between the wealthy and the poor, the social structure, especially as it pertained to women and their status, and the turmoil from the streets on up through the ranks. There is a mystical, almost elegaic feel to the narration and the mood is icy and foreboding throughout much of the novel. It is smooth and ethereal but completely engrossing. Xenia remains a hard to know character as she succumbs to her God-inspired madness but her passion for the intangibles that have touched her life shines. Dasha is a less interesting character but is necessary to the narrative, especially once Xenia would have been unable to narrate her own tale. And Dasha herself adds to the wealth that is Xenia's narrative with her love, respect, and care for this otherwordly cousin. The missing time in Xenia's life, that when she is absent from the novel, feeds into the mystery of where she has gone and although her absence is a hole in the novel, Dasha as narrator has no idea where Xenia is so the reader cannot either. Truly if there is any complaint to make about the novel it is that it is too short pushing the reader back out into the light of real world before he or she has finished with the forbidding coldness of St. Petersburg.
    • 3/5
      I suspect this shall be one of those reviews that sounds like I didn't like the book, but I did for the most part, so make note of that. Debra Dean writes beautifully, and I never found my attention waning from The Mirrored World. However, the story really lacked any sort of emotional impact or connection, largely because of the over-brisk pacing and dull main character.Let me start, however, with what kept The Mirrored World a positive read for me. For one thing, I am hugely into anything about Russia or the Soviet Union, thus my interest in Dean's novel. There's something about Russia I find so captivating, and I suspect that has to do with the wide divide between the serfs and the upper classes. The pomposity of the events and the exhibitionism of the tsars and tsarinas is astounding. Dean delves into the excesses of the reins of Elizabeth, Peter III, and Catherine the Great. Throughout are such historical goodies as a party where Elizabeth ordered everyone to crossdress or the way she married off people for her own entertainment. I was definitely in it for the historical pageantry, and that was enough to get me through.Unfortunately, the pace moves so quickly through time that much of history is glossed over, like watching decades of Russian history pass by from a bullet train. The Mirrored World clocks in at just over 200 pages, and it could have been much longer. In those pages, Dean takes Dasha from a child to an old woman, which gives you a sense of how quickly the pace goes. Brevity may be the soul of wit, but this novel is not a humorous one and meaning was obscured in the rush to the finish.Dasha, however, is the biggest obstacle. She has almost no personality, and is more an observer of the people around her than anything. Of course, the people around her are interesting, but I kept expecting their to be a purpose to her, for her to learn something or do something in the course of the narrative, but she only ever reflected the values of those around her, particularly Xenia, though for a while she reflects her eunuch husband, who was definitely my favorite character.More than anything, The Mirrored World is a tale of Dasha mirroring Xenia's life. She follows the lively Xenia everywhere, going to live with Xenia and her husband after the marriage. When Xenia tells Dasha to wed Gaspari, Dasha does. As Xenia becomes a holy fool, Dasha turns more and more to charity, even with the prospect of bankrupting herself in the process, as Xenia did before her. Their dynamic baffled me, and is perhaps a bit alien to our culture.While a prettily-written novel, The Mirrored World failed to captivate me, skimming on the surface of history, rather than really diving in to where the feelings and the meaning reside. I liked it, but couldn't help comparing it to another book I enjoyed more set in the exact same time period, The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak. By no means will this experience with Debra Dean be my last, but I do hope for a bit more from The Madonnas of Leningrad.
    • 4/5
      First Line: Yes, this was her house, many years ago, when she was still Xenia.In 1736 when Dasha was only four, a horrible fire destroyed the house of her father's cousin, and the cousin's wife and two daughters, Nadya and Xenia, came to live with them. As they were members of the minor nobility, it was important for everyone in the family to dress in the right clothes, attend all the right functions, and know all the current gossip. Nadya fit into this world. Dasha and Xenia did not.In an age when it was frowned upon for women to know how to read, Dasha was drawn to the printed page and punished many times for trying to sneak into her brother's lessons or trying to teach herself to read. Dasha did not fit in.Neither did Xenia. Xenia always seemed more deeply attuned to the world around her-- the sights, the sounds, the emotions. She grew up to be a dreamer who cared little for social conventions, and who was deeply in love with her husband, Andrei, a soldier and singer in the Empress's Imperial choir. Only one thing could make Xenia's life complete: a child, and when she gave birth to a daughter, her joy knew no bounds. But her happiness was not meant to last. Tragedy upon tragedy strikes, and a grieving Xenia withdraws from the world. When she begins turning away from family and friends, when she begins giving away all her money, clothing and possessions to the poor, the rich point and whisper... and the poor begin to revere her.Little is known about Xenia, patron saint of St. Petersburg and its poor, and this gives Debra Dean the perfect canvas upon which to create another wonderful portrait of Russia. Her The Madonnas of Leningrad was one of my favorite books the year it was published, and I had high hopes for The Mirrored World. In almost every way, I was not disappointed.If you expect this book to be a deadly boring portrait of a saint, you're the one who's doomed to disappointment. This story is told by Dasha, the little girl who insisted upon learning to read. She grows up to be an intelligent, observant woman who-- like Xenia-- doesn't particularly care for the excesses of the society in which they live. Xenia disappears for a period of several years, and it is up to Dasha to make her own life while remembering her lost friend.Dean is a master of creating layer upon layer of mood, and she's done it again here. The longer I read, the more I disagreed with what the synopsis of the book had told me. According to it, The Mirrored World is all about Xenia, Xenia, Xenia. It's not. How could it really be when Dasha tells the story from beginning to end? No. Dean's lyrical, atmospheric book is the tale of Mary of Bethany and her sister, Martha, set in the extravagant, feckless Russia of the eighteenth century.After a bit of a slow beginning, the book rapidly gains power and intensity through to the end. Earlier I said that I was pleased "in almost every way." In which way was I not pleased? The book was too short... although there is much to be said for a writer who leaves you wanting more.
    • 5/5
      I don't think I've read anything else set in eighteenth-century Russia. So, in spite of that, or possibly because of that, I was enormously impressed by how Ms Dean brought this world to life. I found her writing elegant but accessible and the storyline compelling. The events which took place found just the right balance of shock and sadness to compel me to keep reading. That said, I was surprised by the amount of the plot revealed in the blurb and I would have preferred more finality in the ending. So, maybe 4.5 stars ~ but still a memorable novel.
    • 3/5
      This is a novel based on a real-life historical figure, Saint Xenia. She was a Russian woman who, following her husband's death, went made gave away all of her possessions to the poor of St. Petersburgh. She lived for many years, possessing what many believed to be prophetizing powers.The book, however, was a bit disappointing. I didn't think the characters were particularly well developed; their portrayal was shallow. Dasha, Xenia's cousin, is the narrator. She wasn't a particularly interesting character in her own right and, as narrator, she pretty much told the facts without much depth of feeling. Madonnas of Leningrad was so much better!
    • 3/5
      An interesting depiction of a little-known historical figure - Xenia of St. Petersburg, who was born into nobility but became the patron saint of her city. Seen through the eyes of her cousin Dasha, Xenia's story emerges as the tale of a grieving wife who turns her sorrow into working with St. Petersburg's poor. A good read, but not as engrossing as The Madonnas of Leningrad.
    • 4/5
      In her latest book, Debra Dean explores the world of St. Xenia, a Russian saint who was known for her gifts to the poor, through a fictional account told by Xenia's cousin. Xenia was a selfless soul throughout her life. She met her husband and eventually had a daughter, but tragedy struck Xenia, leaving her grief-stricken. Seeking solace, she began to give away her money and items of wealth to the poor. Xenia also had a keen sense of the future, often predicting how people would die. Between her charity and soothsaying, Xenia became revered by the poor but a threat to the crown (specifically Catherine the Great).It took me a long time to fall into the rhythm of this book. I almost abandoned it when I reached the halfway point, but I am glad I persevered. The Mirrored World is brilliant in leaving you with the question of whether Xenia was truly a godly creature or a woman driven mad by grief. Additionally, its exploration into the ascension of Catherine the Great left me wanting to learn more. If you like historical fiction, consider The Mirrored World for a quick read.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book more for the historical aspect than any other element. This book tells the story of St. Xenia of Russia through the eyes of her cousin, who loves her dearly. The story of their relationship and how Xenia's descent into madness affects her was well-written even if it was a tad two-dimensional at times. What I really enjoyed was the depiction of life in St. Petersburg during the life of Empress Elizabeth and the rise of Catherine the Great. This world in Russia, with all of its political turmoil, was extremely fascinating and made the book worth reading. This book was a goodreads giveaway.
    • 4/5
      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. Xenia has a knack for seeing the future and this disturbs her family; she is a very free spirit in a time of circumspection. When she loves, she loves completely and this is what leads to her downfall when she loses all that is dear to her. The book is not long and Ms. Deans writing style brings you into the story despite its dark overtones. Xenia is a fascinating character and I truly wish there had been more of her but I suppose there can only be so much wandering around the poor sections of town in a husband's uniform before there is no story. The family stories are very interesting and help to bind Xenia's life choices together. I enjoyed the story and Ms. Dean's descriptive passages.
    • 3/5
      St. Xenia of St. Petersburg is a saint I had never heard of. This book was quite fascinating, the decadence of the court of the Empress Elizabeth, the introduction of Catherine, the Winter Palace, the balls, the idle lifestyles, the banquets that went on forever are wonderfully portrayed. The book is narrated by Xenia's cousin and it is through her that we learn of Xenia's life. After the death of her beloved husband, Xenia quickly looses her bearings and becomes more than dissatisfied with the empty lives of the nobility and court hanger ons. Enjoyed this book but am not sure if Xenia was really a saint or just some mad from grief. I did look her up and it said many miracles were attributed to her grave-site so who knows, I guess anything is possible.