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Karen Barrow

Goodreads Author

Born

Trinidad and Tobago

Website

https://www.karenbarrowbooks.com

Genre

Historical Fiction, Suspense, Mystery

Influences

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... ...more

Member Since

January 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/historicalfictionauthor

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Karen Barrow is the award-winning author of Palmyra, winner of the 2024 Whistler Independent Book Award for Fiction and a finalist for the Guernica Prize, the Page Turner Awards, and the Eric Hoffer Award. Her recently published novel, Dreams of the Alhambra weaves a modern mystery with a 15th-century tale of betrayal and ambition - two stories intertwined across time.

Palmyra is Caribbean Gothic suspense at its finest, beginning with the arrival of a mysterious stranger on a cocoa estate in Trinidad and the tragic chain of events that follow, as seen through the eyes of a precocious eleven-year-old boy.

Her newly published Dreams of the Alhambra, Spring 2026, takes readers to Spain across two timelines, weaving the story of a modern Canadia ...more

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Karen Barrow’s books

Average rating: 4.36 · 85 ratings · 28 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	Palmyra 4.35 avg rating — 80 ratings — published 2024 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dreams of the Alhambra 4.60 avg rating — 5 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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Karen Barrow's Blog

A first look at upcoming Dreams of the Alhambra

Two lives. Two centuries. A connection that defies time.

I’m so excited to share a first look at Dreams of the Alhambra—a story set between modern-day Spain and 15th-century Granada, where two lives echo across time.

If you enjoy historical intrigue with a touch of mystery and romance, I hope this one finds its way onto your shelf.

If this story sounds like your kind of read, adding it to your Want t Read more of this blog post »

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Published on March 28, 2026 08:18

Karen is Currently Reading

Karen Barrow is currently reading

The Lore : Dark tales from the Caribbean. An Anthology Series

by Neigeme Glasgow-Maeda

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17 hours, 23 min ago

Karen Barrow is currently reading

Ibis

by Justin Haynes

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Mar 28, 2026 10:04PM

Karen Barrow is currently reading

Only One Survives

by Hannah Mary McKinnon (Goodreads Author)

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Jun 07, 2025 03:32PM

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Karen’s Recent Updates

Karen Barrow is currently reading The Lore : Dark tales from the Caribbean. An Anthology Series by Neigeme Glasgow-Maeda	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17 hours, 23 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Lore by Neigeme Glasgow-Maeda. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Lore by Neigeme Glasgow-Maeda <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Karen Barrow liked Kayudiva's review of Dreams of the Alhambra: "Dreams of the Alhambra is set against two distinct timelines – one modern and one reaching back to 15th Century Spain. The author’s rich blend of descriptive and figurative language perfectly transported you back in time. Being a gardener, I particul" Read more of this review »
May 28, 2026 08:17AM · see review
Karen Barrow liked Susan's review of Dreams of the Alhambra: "What a great book, I read it in one week! A surprise ending, her blend of history with fantasy melds very well together. The book demonstrates awesome research on the history of the Alhambra as well as the Andalucia region. Her research and descripti" Read more of this review »
May 13, 2026 05:26AM · see review
Karen Barrow rated a book really liked it Scarlet Birthright: What They Left Behind (Scarlet Yearnings, #2) by Scarlet Ibis James (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A strong character based novella, written with heart, about abandonment and the love of those who step in to fill the void. Slow to be moved to tears, this novella had me shedding one or three.
Apr 15, 2026 08:45AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Scarlet Birthright by Scarlet Ibis James. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Scarlet Birthright by Scarlet Ibis James <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Karen Barrow liked Sylvia Archer's review of Palmyra: "Obviously written by someone with knowledge of the Caribbean. Engaging storyline. Would strongly recommend. "
Apr 08, 2026 09:52PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Palmyra by Karen Barrow. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Palmyra by Karen Barrow <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Karen Barrow wants to read There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America's Biggest Catfish by Anna Akbari (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 08, 2026 09:44PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of There Is No Ethan by Anna Akbari. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — There Is No Ethan by Anna Akbari <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Karen Barrow is currently reading Ibis by Justin Haynes	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 28, 2026 10:04PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Ibis by Justin Haynes. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Ibis by Justin Haynes <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Karen Barrow made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Please add ISBN number to this book topic " Hi, could you please add/update the ISBN for Dreams of the Alhambra? ISBN: [978-1-03-835963-6] Book link: [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...] Than ...more "
Mar 28, 2026 12:37PM
Karen Barrow joined the group Goodreads Librarians Group
Mar 28, 2026 12:26PM · like
Karen Barrow rated a book it was ok The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 28, 2026 09:08AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Karen's books…

Karen’s Quotes

“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
― Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

320 likes

“She left our Gdańsk-Morena apartment with same haste as Tata, gone in a mad dash. She must have prepared for it , trained hard and practised. Everything that fast is slow in planning. An earthquake that takes seconds to wreck everything is a result of billions of years of slipping and shoving of tectonic plates. Those plates have no choice but to live side by side, often on top of one another. They hate this setup. They push each other around, siblings vying for the top bunk, to the point of eruption, ruin and exhaustion. After the quake: calm. A sad empty calm, with too much time to think...”
― Aga Maksimowska

3 likes