"Lives up to every expectation. It's magnificent!"
- Cleveland Plain Dealer

Sourcebooks Landmark proudly reintroduces this classic historical novel.

Karleen Koen's sweeping saga contains unforgettable characters consumed with passion: the extraordinarily beautiful fifteen-year-old noblewoman, Barbara Alderley; the man she adores, the wickedly handsome Roger MontGeoffry; her grandmother, the duchess, who rules the family with cunning and wit; and her mother, the ineffably cruel, self-centered and licentious Diana. Like no other work, Through a Glass Darkly is infused with intrigue, sweetened by romance and awash in the black ink of betrayal.

* Sold 130,000 hardcover and 600,000 mass paperback
* New York Times bestseller for five consecutive months
* A former Book of the Month Club Main Selection

PRAISE FOR THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY:

"A completely involving story...power, greed, family conflict, burning ambition and passion kindle the plot. Readers will be captivated!"
- Publishers Weekly

"Fast-paced and fun to read!"
- Glamour

"Engaging, elegant, chock full of sex and gossip."
- Philadelphia Inquirer

I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down. I liked this book but it was sooooooo depressing. I felt very depressed after I put it down :). I wish there was at least one character in this book that wasn't unhappy, lol. Barbara and Roger's story was so heartbreaking. I'm not sure if I'm going to read the sequel or the prequel.

This afternoon I finished listening to an audio version of this book, narrated by Rosalyn Landor. The novel was tragic in its own way, but deeply enthralling. It revolves around the character of Barbara Alderley, a 15-year-old headstrong, beautiful noblewoman whose love for a man 27 years her senior pushes the plot line forward. From that infatuation a world of passion and sorrow comes forth - beginning with her mother's self-serving attempt to arrange their marriage, then pausing in lascivious life of the Paris courts, then careening into the national chaos of the South Sea Company's financial failure. Barbara weathers it all with the help of her clear-sighted grandmother, and though I felt like Barbara's character could have matured more I nevertheless enjoyed reading about her. I can see why this book has so many 5 star reviews on Amazon and will be checking Karleen Koen's other novels out from the library.

It is definitely a great read, but you might become angry with the author if you are expecting some grand love story. This book doesn't have a happy ending, but life doesn't always have a happy ending, does it? I would describe Through a Glass Darkly as a story about life. I was worried about some of the bad reviews before I read it, but now that I finished it, I understand why some people didn't really care for this book. The first two chapters were really terrible, lots of raunchy sex scenes, children die, the author skips 4 years ahead, and the readers don't get the ending they will want. Not to mention, Roger's big secret will make your jaw drop. Still, all this is what made this book so intriguing to me. Trust me, it's definitely worth it.

Also, Mrs Koen does a wonderful job at expressing grief. You just want to cry along with the characters. Everytime Barbara said "I will not cry." It just broke my heart. Most of the characters in this book are very well developed. Barbara's grandmother, is just delightful. You will wish she was your grandmother. She is strong and wise, and you just might come away with some words of wisdom for yourself!

I am definitely buying the next book, Face to Face. I just have to know what Barbara is up to.

This was an historical, emotional read. I loved it...every page.
It brings the entire background of life in that period so that you
can see and feel it. I feel like I knew the characters. The research
was amazing.

With about 100 pages to go, I just realized that I didn't give a darn about any of the characters or what happens to them. I just put the book down. I felt like it was mostly a waist of time. The characters are so UNLIKABLE!!! There is not one character in the book that had any redeeming qualities, they were all selfish and dull.