The Mirrored World

Xenia, patron saint of St. Petersburg, was born into the Russian upper classes in the early eighteenth century. Thus, when she gave all her material goods to the poor after being widowed in her early 20s, her family questioned her sanity; undaunted, Xenia devoted her life to helping the unfortunate. Narrator Yelena Shmulenson's subtle native accent signals the setting of the novel without distracting listeners from the well-researched details of life in the Russian court and Xenia's prophecies and deeds. Shmulenson's emotional range easily spans the story, from the excitement of balls to the horror of sudden death. Especially impressive is her performance of Xenia's transformation from courtier to holy fool, which allows listeners to decide whether the saint went mad from grief or was truly called by God. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

July 30, 2012
In her second novel (after The Madonnas of Leningrad), Dean returns to Russia to reimagine the intriguing life story of St. Xenia, as seen through the eyes of the fictional narrator, Dashenka. A terrible fire in 1736 in St. Petersburg forces a young Xenia; her sister, Nadya; and their mother to seek refuge in Dasha’s childhood home. The girls grow up together and are ushered into society the same year. Soon after, Xenia falls in love with Col. Andrei Petrov and the two wed. Dasha is not so lucky, but is kindly welcomed into Xenia’s house, where she witnesses Xenia unravel, first over her difficulty in conceiving, then the deaths of her only baby and husband. When an unstable Xenia begins to relinquish her worldly possessions, Dasha becomes concerned, and Xenia suddenly disappears, only to resurface years later as a saint to the poor—much to the chagrin of the royals. For those familiar with the story of St. Xenia, this is a gratifying take on a compelling woman. For others, Dean’s vivid prose and deft pacing make for a quick and entertaining read. Agent: Marly Rusoff.