Through A Glass Darkly

Tamworth Saga #2

by Karleen Koen

Barbara Alderly's marriage to Roger Montgeoffrey--twenty-seven years her senior--seems a dream come true until his plans for building a magnificent estate with the proceeds of her dowry turn the marriage into a nightmare

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, Historical Romance, British Literature, 18th Century

743 pages, Hardcover

First published July 12, 1986

About the author

My childhood was filled with glorious books, Little Women, Lad A Dog, Black Beauty, Little House on the Prairie, Caddie Woodlawn. They were as real to me as the life around me, a lower middle class one in a small oil refinery town in Texas. My grandfather, an invalid, was a huge fan of the writers Frank Slaughter, Frank Yerby, and Zane Grey. By the time I learned to read, I was sneaking his square, cheap (a dime, I think) paperbacks off and reading them. Pirates. Passion. History. It has never occurred to me to write anything but historicals, a kind of time travel into other minds, other lands, other eras, other cultures, other worlds. That's what I wish for my readers, that my books take them far away into another place and time and that they enjoy themselves there and maybe even learn an interesting fact or two.

My blog: http://www.karleenkoen.wordpress.com
My website: http://www.karleenkoen.net

Reviews

[Federico DN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Royally motivated niece.

18th century England. The series continues not with dear old Alice Verney, but with her niece, Barbara Alderley. Young, impulsive, and fragile, but with the resolute spirit inherited of her grandmother Alice, Dutchess of Tamworth. Barbara will try to make her own path in life past a cruel and libertine mother, an exiled and heavily indebted father, a reckless and impetuous brother, and a wealthy and very stern grandmother. Through impossible hardships, will try to find a path to her own happiness, and maybe marry Roger, Earl of Devane, the man she loves, but hardly knows.

Very much to my surprise I must admit I really enjoyed this. Almost favorite. Rather than the historical setting I think the strongest part of this book is its wide range of characters, lovable, hateful, and sometimes both. Dear Alice, now Dutchess of Tamworth, was the best, an extremely severe old woman, but ultimately motivated by a kind heart. Barbara is a childish creature at the beginning, but goes through an extensively painful character development. Diane is one truly despicable mother, unlike few others I’ve seen before. Roger, Tony and Philippe also good. A rather lengthy book, but a very memorable one.

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PERSONAL NOTE :
[1986] [674p] [Historical] [3.5] [Almost Recommendable]
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★★★☆☆ 1. Dark Angels
★★★★☆ 2. Through a Glass Darkly [3.5]
★★★★☆ 3. Now Face to Face

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Nieta realmente motivada.

Inglaterra, siglo XVIII. La serie continua no con la vieja querida Alice Verney, sino con su nieta, Bárbara Alderley. Joven, impulsiva y frágil, pero con el fuerte espíritu heredado de su abuela Alice, Duquesa de Tamworth. Bárbara tratará de hacerse su propio paso en la vida a través de una cruel y libertina madre, un exiliado y muy endeudado padre, un impetuoso e imprudente hermano, y una acaudalada y muy severa abuela. A través de imposibles dificultades, tratará de encontrar un camino a su propia felicidad, y tal vez casarse con Roger, Conde de Devane, el hombre que ama, pero que poco conoce.

Muy a mi sorpresa debo admitir que realmente disfruté esto. Casi favorito. Mas que el ambiente histórico, creo que la parte más fuerte de este libro es su amplia variedad de personajes, adorables, odiosos, y a veces ambos. La querida Alice, ahora Duquesa de Tamworth, fue lo mejor, una extremadamente severa anciana mujer, pero en última instancia motivada por un bondadoso corazón. Bárbara es una criatura infantil al comienzo, pero atraviesa un extensivamente doloroso desarrollo de personaje. Diane es una verdaderamente despreciable madre, como pocas veces he visto antes. Roger, Tony y Philippe también remarcables. Un libro algo extenso, pero bastante memorable.

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NOTA PERSONAL :
[1986] [674p] [Histórica] [3.5] [Casi Recomendable]
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[Jenny Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeing the various 1 and 2 star reviews for this brilliant novel and its sequel, Now Face to Face, confirms me in the belief, growing over the past year, that a certain proportion of today's readers are so poorly educated and emotionally blunted that great historical fiction is completely wasted on them.

I found the characters in these novels were richly crafted, well rounded people who lived within the beliefs and culture of their time, rather than modern day people plopped into the middle of some imagined past. The relationships in these books were real too, not wish fulfillment Cinderella fantasies. The writing carried me along, painting rich detailed scenes I could sink into while keeping me turning the pages, wondering what would happen next. Yes, they are big long books, but they are creating a whole world filled with real people. And the brilliance and complexity of the plotting of these two volumes is breathtaking.

Reading both books back to back was like time traveling to the second and third decade of the 1700s, a period about which I knew almost nothing. I loved that we were not repeating the same old stories about the same three historical personages the poorly educated can't get enough of. (Please, no more Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth, and Jane Austen!)

It was a pleasure to read a book this entertaining that also taught me a lot about events in an obscure corner of history. It was a delight to read a novel with such a fascinating and flawed set of characters about whom we end up caring so very deeply. It was even more delightful not to have the Pretender romanticized and to see the real cost of political machinations and political venality made so clear.

Thanks you Ms. Koen for restoring my faith in historical novels!

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

After some grappling and soul-searching, I have finally decided not to finish this book. As Karen said in her review, there's nothing wrong with indulging in a trashy novel occasionally, but 750 pages is a big investment for trash.

This book reminded me of some of the Philippa Gregory books I've tried to read and abandoned, although I did find the characters here slightly more interesting. Barbara, a beautiful (how could she not be?), headstrong (naturally) 15-year-old is engaged to 40-something Lord Roger Devane, whom she loves in a worshipful way, and you just know that she's going to get hurt in this relationship. Although this worshipful unrequited love by heroines has annoyed me in the past, I could forgive it a little -- just a little -- in Barbara because she is, after all, 15. Roger has agreed to marry little Barbara despite their age difference because she comes with property in which he would like to invest. Roger, though mostly a cad, actually does care for Barbara on some level, although his love clearly doesn't match hers (a deeply rooted passion which is based on, uh, his good looks?). It takes them a while to actually get married, because of scheming on the part of various family members with regard to the property and milking Roger. As a result, the book was slower than your typical Harlequin-cum-historical-romance, and I closed it after finally reaching their wedding night on page 250 or so.

Other things that annoyed me included ridiculously heavy-handed characterization. For example, Barbara's cousin Tony, the stupid-but-goodhearted character in the book, continuously leaves off the first words of his sentences in an effort to remind you of his limited intelligence, except for those rare moments where he shines in heroically. His sentences in those scenes are helpfully complete, sometimes accompanied by asides from the author pointing out that this was one of the rare occasions in which he spoke in full sentences. What is that? Is he just pretending to be dumb the rest of the time? I wasn't motivated to read far enough to solve this mystery. Barbara also consistently lifts her chin whenever she's deciding to defy authority. She's lifting her chin -- look out, world!

These types of trashy-pretending-to-be-literary historical romances are also often guilty of anachronism. I found the character of Roger's friend Tommy Carlyle, a flaming homosexual complete with heels, make-up, and sexy young men draped on his arms, extremely difficult to swallow for the 1700s. Look -- I don't know much about that period of history, but I really find it hard to believe that one could be so blatantly homosexual and still function as a part of high society in those days, a group which, in this book, included the British royal family (another hallmark of this type of historical fiction -- of course, they're all best buds with the people in the history books, as Sarah pointed out in her review of "March").

I actually gave this three stars because, if you're a more forgiving reader who likes historical romance, I could see this being a good read despite its flaws. If it had been shorter and tighter, I would have finished it and maybe even enjoyed it. However, if you want a good historical romance, I would suggest "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon instead.

[Misfit · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When I was a child I spake as a child. I understood as a child, I thought as a child:
but when I become a man I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face”

Through a Glass Darkly is the second in a three book series set in Georgian England. Barbara is the granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Tamworth and she and her younger siblings were raised by their grandparents instead of their parents Kit and Diana Alderley. Kit is an exiled Jacobite involved in the plots to put James III on the throne and Diana is a scheming slut desperate to wed Diana off to a wealthy man to save her from her creditors. Diana is negotiating with the much older but very wealthy Roger Montgeoffry, Earl Devane, and Barbara is thrilled as she'd always loved Roger from afar - although Diana’s insatiable greed might bring those talks to a screeching halt.

The path to true love and married bliss is never easy, especially when you have a family as complicated and double dealing as the Barbara’s -it is way too complex to try and explain - just sit back and enjoy the fun. Roger eventually takes his new wife and business to Paris and an innocent Barbara soon gets quite an education in the debauched lifestyle of the French court and its courtiers. Someone from Roger's past returns that thoroughly upsets Barbara's marital applecart and sends her life spinning out of control, and only Grandmama can set it to rights. Or can she?

And that's all I'm going to tell you - I don't write book reports. This is the second time I've read the book and I enjoyed it just as much as the first. While I enjoyed all of the family's antics, I most especially adored Grandmama and her cats, as well as Barbara's very smutty mother who steals every scene she’s in. I loved watching Barbara mature from a young innocent (you will want to slap her a few times) to a mature woman who could take just about anything life threw her way – and life throws her a lot of heartache. It broke my heart watching Tony’s unrequited love for Barbara, and as for Philippe? Grrrrrr.

This is a book to be savored, like a box of fine chocolate or a rich red wine. Highly recommended, and one I will read again and again and again. The first book in the series is Dark Angels and the last is Now Face to Face. I recommend reading Dark Angels last after you have come to know and love the old Duchess, then go back and read Alice and Richard’s story.

[Icey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s epic.
The up and downs of a big family, the deception and seductiveness of a royal court,
the glories, the scandal, the love, the desire, the tragedy, the inevitable.
And the drama. Yes. The drama. Always the drama.

The world is so ugly, darling, and it’s cruelly beautiful.
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

[Sud666 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. Several years ago, midway through my journey of life, I found myself in a dark wood. No, no this isn't Dante's inferno, the metaphoric "dark wood" refers to romance novels masquerading as Historical Fiction. My first contact with this doppelganger was "Outlander". I was settled in, ready to read a cool story about a time displaced girl who is stuck in 1700's Scotland. But instead, I was chased off the Scottish moors by heaving breasts, moist crotches, and turgid Scottish phalluses.

Now, mislead by the review lines, I've done it again. "Through a Glass Darkly" could be better called "Real Housewives of 1700's England" but even that wouldn't work. Centered around a parvenu family called the "Tamworths". Ostensibly modeled after the Duke Marlborough, this knock-off Tamworth managed to become a Duke. Within less than a generation, this upjumped merchant clan puts on airs to put the Plantagenets to shame.

Led by the decrepit, and senile, old Duchess Tamworth (who has some measure of class)-the rest of the clan shows just how thin their blood really is. The daughter is the type of person that could easily be misconstrued as a Parisian whore, the granddaughter- the alleged heroine, is a 15 year old fool with dreams of love and Teen Vogue, as she married some dude 30 years older who just wants to build a big house. Sigh.

Is it well written? Yes. There is something good here. The descriptions of 1700's life and manners is spot on. BUT, this is focused on a specific social class that at this stage of history is nothing more than a decadent, perverse, incompetent group of inbreeds partying their way, in France, towards the Guillotine which is still several decades away..but it comes, and, considering these wretches? It couldn't come too soon.

So no this isn't historical fiction. It's just romance in a historical setting. If this works for you..go for it. If this isn't your thing, no worries, there's plenty of porn out there to titillate you. But, should you wish to learn about moist vaginas and engorged cocks in a French setting..this is the book for you. I made it 371 pages before I realized it not going to get better.

[Joe Krakovsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

My wife is reading this and since she is not a GR member I am posting this. She must like it as she is still reading it even though after page 184 the next page is 153, and that is followed by consecutive pages up to 184 again, which is followed by page 217. So she has no idea what happened in those missing pages. My reason for posting this is that every so often I read in a review that a story needed better editing. Well, Random House must have an editor as well as a workshop full of elves working for them so I just had to post this with a grin on my face.

[Naksed · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child.

Through a glass darkly, by Karleen Koen, is an epic historical fiction set in the beginning of the 18th century in England and France. This story will rip your heart out so beware, before you dive in. In the beginning of this novel, we meet fifteen year old Barbara Alderley, the cherished grandchild of illustrious English nobility, the Duke and Duchess of Tamworth. She stubbornly sets out to marry her grandfather's former military aide, the dashing Roger Montgeoffry, Earl Devane. Though he is forty two years old and this would be a marriage of convenience, at least on his part, since he is coveting her dowry, Barbara has been in love with him since she was a child. A blind, faithful, arrogantly optimistic love that only a child can believe in. I will MAKE him fall in love with me, Barbara repeats as mantra in response to the objections of her family. What awaits her is, naturally, very different from her youthful and pure ideal of love.

For now we see through a glass, darkly

As the novel takes us throughout the next five years of her life, Barbara realizes that love, which she thought was something concrete that she could hold in the palm of her hand is nothing but an illusion. Get out your hankies because there are many tragedies that mar her young life.
While Barbara battles with her many foes, the reader also gets to enjoy an amazing portrait of life in Europe the 1700s: France is as corrupt and debauched as the last days of the Roman empire, while England is on the brink of a financial crisis created by speculation, insider trading, and a bubble that is about to burst.

This book has been unfairly referred to as a "dressed-up" bodice-ripper. Not that there is anything wrong with bodice-rippers, an underrated and unfairly maligned genre imho. This was by far my favorite read of this year.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this first 20 years ago (yes, I am that old). And I remembered it so fondly because I was in France at the time and this was one of the few novels in English that I read while I was there. It was such a relaxing way to spend a day at the beach, doubly so because all the rest of the time I was there I was having to work in my second language, which I wasn't nearly so strong in. So, I reread it and it was a very different experience this time. It's still a really fun and well-written novel, but I remember having a very different reaction to the heroine when I was younger than I did this time around. Interesting how you change with age. And I'd forgotton how compelling the grandmother was.

[Chennijen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have you ever come across one of those books in which the main protagonist starts out being beautiful, brave, intelligent...in short, all that is admirable in a person...and then, about 50 pages in, said protagonist becomes the brattiest, whiniest, dumbest little kid you've had the misfortune of coming across in the last 20 books you've read? This is what happened to me with this book. I read a summary of the work somewhere and thought that it aspired to be much more than a trashy historical romance. I WAS WRONG. When Barbara threw a bizarro tantrum and developed an eating disorder because they wouldn't let her marry the object of her childish crush, I wanted to throw the book at the wall. And then stomp on it a few times once it hit the floor. Instead I continued to read, hoping that the ending would redeem the rest.

...I want those hours back.

[Sarah Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF, pg 120-something.

I just don't care, y'all.

Clearly the author wanted to write a more readable style than, say, Here Be Dragons -- except this book contains that same toxic mixture of slow plotting, epic infodumps, & As You Know Bob conversations, which ruins any melodramatic flow. Barbara is a sappy, uninteresting heroine & Diana is so OTT that she's one step above a Scooby Doo villain. Sometimes OTT can cut a swathe of awesome through family sagas, but not this time. NOTHING HAPPENS to advance the story -- it's an endless litany of architecture, clothes, personal histories, blah blah blah...and Roger's Big Important Secret is screamingly obvious, so there's no suspense that way.

Final verdict: another so-called classic historical romance that leaves me cold. -___- It's a shame, yes...but life is too short to waste on boring doorstoppers.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly absorbing read. I'm still a bit stressed, so I've been binging on historical fiction (I even ordered my first Heyer novels).

Koen's novel is sprightly told and competently researched. It mixes historical figures into the narrative fairly well (though they aren't nearly as captivating as the main characters or the actual historical figures they are based upon). I'm debating between a two and a three star. On one hand, when I think on it, it doesn't seems to be a particularly memorable book. On the other, I found it very hard to put down and couldn't wait to see how it ends. I'm going with the higher score, because I was absorbed while it lasted and found the ending moving.

Below are what I see as its pros and cons. I've tried to keep it as spoiler-free as possible.

(+) Its characters are all flawed. There are villains and heroes, but they are presented a three-dimensional and very human (except for maybe the French characters).

(+) I loved the depiction of the South Sea Bubble's rippling destruction through London society. Maybe this is due to current events or just the fact I find it be an interesting historical event.

(+) Well-written female characters. Much more so than their male counterparts, the female characters present a balance of realistic, feisty characters who at the same time are being clearly shaped by the social/economic/legal/restrictions placed upon them. This doesn't just apply to the upper class leads (Barbara and her grandmother, Alice, who I think is the lead in the prequel), but Barbara's maid Therese and to a lesser extent, Diana's maid Clemmie were intriguing to follow.

(+)Related to this, the book focuses exclusively on the upper-class, with the only real exceptions being servants, but it does a nice job outlining the hierarchy within that class fairly well.

(+) While I knew where the plot was going for the first half, the second half was a lovely surprise.

(+) Tony's character arc.

(+) The ending.

(-) There's a "dark secret" for one of the characters. The text dances around it, Barbara is blind to it until the climax in the center of the book (I don't think this is a spoiler, since it is heavily, heavily foreshadowed). The problem is that it is pretty obvious what it is and connects to the other negative.

(-) I'm stressed and tired, so I'm just not going to think this much about it, but I'm debating whether this is a bit of a homophobic, conservative text. The counterargument I keep telling myself is that all the characters are flawed so it is not as if its portraying "straight" characters as saints, and that abortion was a messy, dangerous procedure during the time, so the lingering focus on its negative effects is supportable. It does seem to negatively present anyone that enjoys sex without having a deep, emotional connection to their partner.

(-) Hyacinth, Barbara's slave, is an incredibly flat character. His role is to be precious and cute. Given the timeline, the equal might flesh his character out more. For a text that has multiple female characters muse on how society oppresses them, it was a little annoying to have such a positive portrayal of slavery. "A little" because his treatment fit with the plot's logic: there are several women mourning their childless state and see him as a way to fill the void. The way he is used as an emotional crutch and toy for these women could have been an interesting way to explore the racial/slavery issues that the novel ignores.


Neither positive or negative:

(*) It captures details of the eighteenth century, but the narrative voice itself is very late twentieth century.

(*) The depictions of smallpox and other fun diseases were more detailed than I had expected. They aren't the most graphic scenes, but they were a more vivid than I usually encounter in this genre.

(*) Sex scenes seemed to be more detailed for lust-based couplings and more euphemistic for the emotion-based ones. I found this a little weird.

Will I read more of her work in the future? I probably will. I'm debating whether or not want to read the prequel or the sequel. The backstory for this novel isn't that intriguing to me, and while Alice is a delightful secondary character, I'm not very excited about having her as the center of an entire book. I am curious about the sequel, but the publisher's description is rather dull.

[Amy Bruno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had been on my TBR pile for quite some time before I plucked it off my shelf and boy, am I glad that I did! This is one of the books that when you read it, you could just kick yourself in the shin for not reading it sooner! I LOVE drama and this book did not disappoint.

Through a Glass Darkly is a novel about Barbara Alderley and is set in England and France in the early 18th century. Barbara and her siblings were raised by her grandmother, the Duchess of Tamworth. Her mother, Diana, being too selfish and caught up in her own drama to worry about the children she bore and her father has just left the family, taking the money with him.

When Barbara’s mother informs her that plans are in motion for Barbara to wed Roger Montgeoffrey, she cannot contain herself, to her mother’s surprise. Roger was an old friend of her grandfather’s that she has been secretly in love with since she was younger. What Barbara does not know is that she is part of a deal her mother has concocted.

The story goes on to follow Barbara as she moves to London and marries Roger. She quickly grows up when surrounded by the deception and cruelty of the English and French courts.

I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were well-developed and easy to like, although they had their own faults (but that’s what makes them real). Koen paints a very pretty picture through her words and you as the reader feel like you are right there with Barbara through all of her ups and downs. What was interesting to me was watching as Barbara tried to stay true to herself and her beliefs amidst the licentiousness of court. The love between Barbara and Roger was beautifully written, so much so, that you could feel it in your heart. One word of caution: have plenty of tissues ready when you are near the end (and if you do cry, then do in a separate room as your husband or he will more than likely make fun of you, like mine).

Bottom line: I highly recommend this book to all historical fiction fans!

Song: Torch by Alanis Morissette

Favorite lines:

When you can no longer taste the divine nectar of life, when love no longer exists, then life is death.

Never run away from the truth because you carry it on your shoulder and someday it will put its ugly face into yours and say, “Boo”.

Forgiveness: It is never done well in little bits and dabs. Do it all at once and never look back, or do not do it at all.

Change is an easy thing to decide and a difficult thing to do. It is the day-to-day struggle of it that defeats people. Do not despair if old ways look good to you. Despair only if you fall into them too often.

Overall: 5/5

[Jenny Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title comes from a Bible verse:

When I was a child, I spake as a child. I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
I Corinthians 13:11-13

And from this verse flows the essence of the story of Barbara: a young woman with an open heart full of dreams and desires, longing to please, to love and be loved with a child's innocence, who comes to know a woman's life and to be known as a woman, amidst the heartache and bitterness of failed expectations, personal tragedy and the duplicity and debauchery of the English and French courts.

England, 1715. Barbara is the sheltered granddaughter of the late Duke of Tamworth, one of England's most famous military heroes. With a traitorous father on the run and a scandalous, uninterested mother, Barbara and her siblings have been raised by their grandmother, the Duchess, an iron-willed woman who strikes fear in the hearts of those who oppose her, and will go to any lengths to aid those whom she loves.

Barbara is content to spend her days happy and carefree on her grandmother's secluded country estate until her money-scheming mother arrives and plants the idea in her head that she could marry her childhood idol, the dashing, worldly, and much older Roger Montgeoffrey. Barbara latches on to that idea and moves to London, spinning grand dreams of her future and enlisting her grandmother's help to see those dreams to fruition. Though Barbara is young and unknowing in many ways, she is aware from the beginning that Roger marries her out of respect for her grandfather and for the dowry she brings him, but she is determined to make a place for herself in his life and in his heart.

Roger, a rising investment star in the infamous South Sea Company, has plans for his life, and though Barbara is an unexpected and intriguing addition to that life, he's not planning on making any significant changes. As soon as they're married, he and Barbara are off to France, where Barbara makes her debut in society amidst a decadent and licentious French court. In this world of sex and scandal, Barbara is left to her own counsel and must choose how to conduct herself, all the while striving to hold her husband's attention, praying for him to return even a fraction of the love she feels for him. And just when it seems she's about to get everything she wants, tragedy strikes Barbara's family and Roger's hidden past sweeps into Paris. And as he succumbs to the temptations of his dark secrets, Barbara's life crumbles around her. Attempting to pick up the pieces, Barbara embarks on a journey of discovering who she is and who she wants to be.

This book is one of those slow burners that takes its time to draw the reader into a sensuous world of compelling characters. It is a beautifully written coming of age story, love story, and family saga rolled into one; a heart-wrenching portrayal of emotions, of the damage people can inflict upon each other; of human nature in every shade, where nothing is black and white. The outstanding cast of supporting characters adds dimension and layers to the story and the lushly depicted era of opulence, political unrest, and financial instability of England and France weaves a rich historical texture throughout.

I loved every minute of this book, and I cried my way through the last hundred pages. Then, after I got hold of myself, I went right out to the library and picked up the sequel. This is one of those books that kept me up late and then woke me in the middle of the night - I could not stop thinking about it. Definite Keeper Shelf. Highly recommended to fans of emotionally charged, character-driven historical fiction.

[Jana Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am apparently in the middle of a bunch of 'not as good as I wanted it to be' books. I got this as a free ebook and picked it up out of curiosity, looking for a Georgette Heyer type read. Light and romantic with the historical backdrop and some good characters. This thing is a 671 page monster and from the get go it slogs. The descriptions are over the top and often drag out for pages when it's not necessary, which is a shame because there are some focused descriptions which were lovely and made me miss England. It just seemed the author had to put in every little historical snippet she could come up everywhere. The story is that of 15 year old Barbara, her family and the cad she loves and is married to who then cheats on her, a lot and with another man, and so she goes from innocent to almost as bad as her 'titled whore' mother. I didn't read the last 300 pages because I was already tired of the increasing sexual content and the fact that everyone except for Barbara's grandmother was pretty much immoral and very often mean. I found a synopsis and in the end very few people live happily in any form...so I'm just as glad I didn't give any more hours to this piece.

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This committed the worse sin for a book--it bored me. What's more, not in a this-is-a-slog dense, difficult read but possibly worth it way. More in a this-reads-like-a-trashy-book-but-nothing-is-happening way. The writing is sloppy in its point of view, with head-hopping within a narrative that isn't really omniscient, and I noted clutzy dialogue tagging, far too many exclamation points, cliched phrasing and frequent typos.

Now, these are common defects in popular fiction I'm willing to overlook. Give me witty dialogue, humor, adventure, even just a peek at an unknown corner of the world like fan-making or weaving or astronomy or a character or two to fall in love with I'm willing to forgive. But I'm none too fond of domestic drama, and this is what was served up page after page in this book set in Hanoverian England among the aristocracy. We're 200 pages in and it's still all largely about intrigue surrounding the marriage contract of the teenage Barbara Alderley, daughter of a disgraced duke. Barbara is likable enough at first, but not all that interesting. Her mother Diana is interesting, but not likable, the grandmother, Alice, Duchess of Tamworth, formidable, interesting, and likable and I kept wishing the story was about her. There is a wealth of well-rendered period detail, but it wasn't sustaining enough given the daunting length of over 600 pages. I found myself turning pages slower and slower and then about half way started skipping and skimming.

This is also an example of how knowing too much history can kill suspense. As soon as I saw "South Sea Company" mentioned as the family source of wealth I knew things would be headed to a fall. There was also more than a hint before you're fifty pages in Barbara's romantic hopes are destined to be crushed--Roger is fixated on her as a bride (besides his coveting her lands) because she reminds him of her grandfather who he was madly in love with. Reading some reviews, some report they're "shocked" by a "twist" in the middle. I can only say shock, what shock? Did they read the same book I did? The pace of events do pick up after Barbara's marriage, but it then shifted to a tedium of the Forever Amber depraved court kind and piled-up misery. I found too much of the journey very predictable, and the ending screams Sequel! In a book this length that is just too damn annoying.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first two thirds of this book. Set in and around the English and French courts of 1715/16, it’s a real romp of a read with snobs, bitches, dandies, bawdiness, double dealings, betrayals, scandals, duels, crazy wigs and pots and pots of rouge.

The story may centre around the marriage of 15 year old Barbara to the much older and wealthier Roger, but it’s her mother Diana, the beautiful, slutty, scheming daughter of the Duchess of Tamworth, who’s the early scene stealer, as she screams, slaps and sleeps her way through the first half. I also adored the Duchess, who’s obsessed with her cats and her dead husband, and matriarchs her family with love and exasperation. Other memorable characters for me included the mad old cackling aunts; Carlyle, the flamboyant, gossiping stirrer who gets camper by the minute; and Philippe, the cruel, calculating long-lost friend of Roger, who carries a secret that will haunt Barbara forever. An easy 5 stars.

However, the last third of the book, 1720/21, disappointed me. It got too serious, the sparkle vanished, the riotous plotting dulled, the whole mood became one of doom and gloom. It wasn't what I was expecting at all and I felt let down after being so caught up in all the earlier antics.

Still an overall very good read though, and I look forward to its prequel Dark Angels and sequel Now Face To Face.

[Rachel M · Rating 2 out of 5]

When a book written about the year 1715 has a character blurting, "I shall be right back," you know you are about to get a mixed bag of history and modern culture. "Being right back" was not a phrase that the 18th century was in any way familiar with. The book was peppered with these little modern colloquialisms - not enough to cause me to stop reading, exactly, but enough to pull me out of the illusion of the past. It makes me think of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, the scene in which Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy meet walking outside in their nightgowns, and express no surprise or shock at seeing each other this way. Had something like this happened in Jane Austen's day, it would have been a cause for scandal, and the fact that the occurence was not treated as it would have been made the film a lot less believable. Ironically, Koen was particularly careful with every other historical detail- I was often amazed at the kernels of information I learned about everyday things in the time. So how did the language itself escape this careful scrutiny?

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am so depressed after reading this. I don't think I have ever read anything more depressing. It seemed to be well researched, but my guess would be that the author chose only the unknown things that would shock people. Like a french princess who was so vile and filthy that she reeked. She burped loudly in front of anyone, her teeth were rotten and she felt herself above a chamber pot so she would relieve herself standing wherever she was. But that had nothing at all to do with the plot.

Ick! I really need to read something light and cleansing now.

***** Major Spoilers Ahead *******



I am sure that in the 18th century within the nobility, many 15 year old girls were married off to titled 42 year old men. But I can't help to wonder how many actually desperately wanted their chosen man. 15 is 15, be it now or then. They are not mature, period! Well this man was deeply, madly in love with his future 15 year old brides grandfather! So he wants this girl because she has her grandfather's smile. WTF???? Never-mind that he does finally start to fall in love with his 15 year old bride, but once things start looking up for her, he runs into a prince that he had a torrid love affair with. Yeah of course they start that up again. Plus all the other whoring going on including orgies threesomes (not descriptive like erotica, but not closed door entirely). While that is going on, the girls 4 little siblings that she loves with all her poor little heart, get the small pox and die. The author gives us vivid descriptions on what a body goes through with that along with what a face looks like while sections of it are falling off the little babies. while she is deep in depression over this, her husband is walking the clouds because of his love for the prince.
And love? Everyone in this story, and there were many players, were in love with someone, but in every situation that love was not returned.
What I don't understand, is how the men all went to orgies and whores and such, but no one had any kind of std.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars. I LOVED this. I was apprehensive at first just given the setting, I don’t love 18th century France. But I was depending on a strong recommendation from a friend and she was not wrong. This is a coming of age story at heart and an epic family saga that takes you for a RIDE through about 7 years time. I loved the characterization in this story, especially Barbara and Tony’s character. I need to continue in the story, hopefully later this year.

[Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm somewhat resentfully giving this book five stars. I don't like the way any of it ended, I'm incredibly sad, and I feel so misled because the summary leads you to believe this will be some sort of sweeping love story (it's not, it's a tragedy in the same way Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy), but despite all that.... it was brilliant. It deserves the highest rating I can give it.

I was skeptical when I saw this book being compared to Gone with the Wind, but after finishing TAGD I completely understand why it reminds people of that classic. I'm going to read the sequel soon, but I need to take a break and read something light and happy before I immerse myself back in this world. I never thought I'd find a novel more depressing than A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, but I was very wrong.

TW: attempted assault, suicide, child abuse, racism

[Annette Summerfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a horrible, nasty book this has been and I couldn't put it down. Now my tissue box is empty and my face is swollen.

The book I have, must be a size 4 font. My eyes are not what they use to be, so I've struggled to read this over the past week or so. As with many long book (755 pages of tiny print) it takes time to figure out who each character is, as there are an abundance of them. The reading can go slowly as I'm figuring out relatives and friends, and each position they hold to the main character.
Diana has me so furious with her greed, when Barbara wanted to marry Roger I almost stopped reading it. Plus, Roger didn't fight for her and no one told Barbara anything.
...But then, we are all sickened by Roger's ways later anyways, accept he continuously holds a place in our hearts due to Barbara's innocence and love for him.

Then, after reading...what, some 600 or so pages of this eye straining type, they start to die off. One by one, after entering their lives and not being able to put down this book each day, I read of their deaths and cursing this infernal book. I have too much to do, I can't be red eyed and weepy, and why must they all die? It's a book, Karleen doesn't have to kill off all these fictional characters I've been living with and getting to know for days now. Yes, I cursed this book a few times.

The Duchess Alice really kept me reading this book. Oh, if each of us could have a Grandmother like that close to us all. How she lived through the death of all those children though... Barbara always means well, but it just doesn't work out well for her and she is continuously hurt. I wish she'd love Tony and marry him, but he loves her, but she doesn't love him, which I find sad. He'd make her a good husband, but he doesn't have the fire she needs.
Hyacinth is a girl's name, not a boys...I think. I really felt for him when he came to work for her and very glad he not only had Barbara but Therese and the pups. Since neither Therese or Barbara had a babe, he sort of filled a spot in their hearts.
I know Charles loves Barbara, but I'm glad he married Mary. I don't believe he was right for her..poor Mary though, she may never have his love.
I actually have about 10 more pages for this book to read. So far today it has exhausted me with emotions though and I'll finish it after I shower and do some dishes. It's made me feel as old as Duchess Alice (oh when Roger talked to her while dying, shredded my heart) with all the loss.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richly Detailed, Slightly Melodramatic...and Spicy
I'm rounding up from 3.5 stars

I found 'Through a Glass Darkly' to be an engaging well paced story with likeable characters woven into a rich fabric of English traditions, mores, fashion and sexual intrigues.

I would have liked Karleen Koen to focus on a few of my favorite characters a little more but over all I thought it was an enjoyable and easy read.

The setting, England and France from 1715 until the early 1720s includes the conflicts between Whigs, Tories and Jacobites as well as the economic devastation of the South Seas Bubble. The history is not the focus of the story but rather a backdrop for the events in the life of the main character Barbara Alderly Devane.

Barbara is a headstrong young girl who's father has disgraced her family by supporting the Jacobites and deserting her mother and his country. Finding a prosperous husband to marry her maybe difficult. Her overbearing mother who is constantly conniving and looking for the best opportunity has begun negotiating a deal for her daughter's future. She nearly secures the marriage contract with Lord Devane, Roger Montgeoffry, a man who has always been close with their family. But as with all things Barbara's mother seems to have pushed too hard.

I enjoyed the relationship between the main characters Roger and Barbara, even though I didn't feel satisfied by the course their lives take. I thought Koen painted a realistic picture of the aftermath of the economic ruin of the South Seas Bubble and how it personally impacted people and their lives.

There were many gardening, harvesting and seasonal traditions woven into the background of the story which I found interesting and I thought added to the story.

The first one hundred pages or so are spent getting to know the cast of characters and the story begins in earnest after that. The ending is an ending obviously made for a sequel. The story in between was enjoyable, interesting and emotionally moving. I think readers who are fans of love stories and historical fictions will enjoy this novel.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon closing this novel I knew, almost immediately, that it had set the bar for every other historical fiction piece I'd read from then on. I was a bit intimidated when I first purchased Through A Glass Darkly because of its size, however once I started reading it I knew I was going to enjoy myself and the length wouldn't be a problem.

I found Koen's writing style in this book to be very much to my liking. She was descriptive without being overbearing and I felt like I could literally see everything and everyone at all times.

The characters were so deep and complex that by the time I was done I felt like I'd journeyed with them all through the years that the book covered, watching them mature and grow right before my eyes. Much like in life I sometimes found myself both loving and hating certain characters at the same time based on their personalities or the decisions they were making.

My only real complaint with the novel was the ending. Koen had, in my opinion, been perfect up until that point. Yet then it just ends, rather abruptly. I was very thankful I already had the sequel when I closed Through A Glass Darkly otherwise I would have been extremely disappointed to have to wait to find out the rest of the story.

I would have liked to have been given a more complete end sequence, something that offered at least a small amount of closure. The way it was written felt like the end of a chapter, not the end of the book itself.

However, I digress. All in all I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction and it will certainly be something I will want to keep in my personal library for forever.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was both very good and very disappointing at the same time. I couldn't put it down, but neither did it give me happy, cheerful feelings.
This is the story of the maturing of a young girl, Barbara, in 18th century England. She has a passionate loving nature and though of the upper class, does not always abide by the typical conventions and standards all the time. All her life she has been distantly in love with a man who served her very famous grandfather, and one day, her very selfish and broke mother promises to marry her to him. Lord Devane only wants to marry her because of a large piece of property that is her dowry. However, our heroine is determined to marry him and to make him love her. The results of her determination bring her both happiness, and mostly, sadness. But her experiences do make her an interesting unique woman.
I recommend this to those who like historical fiction and who don't mind quite a bit of the grittier side of marriage and sex.

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jesus Christ, this book is l o n g and so slow. It felt way too long: I could do with 150 less pages. It also took it’s time getting to The Point. I started to become so annoyed with the characters because they were responsible for my purgatory. And we get all this buildup for a sequel bait ending.

I was the most interested during Part 1. Part 2 is where things took a nose dive for me. 4 years separate the first and second part of the story yet our heroine, Barbara, stayed the same with her childish ennui. I didn’t think she really grew or changed as a character. She just kept making the same mistake over and over again in 6 different variations.

I shall not be reading the sequel but I am open to the possibility of reading the prequel. The Duchess (the grandmother) was my favorite character.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glancing through some of the reviews below, I'm shocked that so many readers are rating this novel low and labeling it as a bodice-ripper. Nothing could be further from the truth. I tend to favor historical novels that feature real historical characters, and this one does not. However, the emotional lives of these characters are so richly realized, that it didn't matter. A reader below commented that the heroine, Barbara Alderley, reminded her somewhat of Scarlett O'Hara. This comparison would never have occurred to me, but I think she has a point. Barbara is a much nicer person than Scarlett: she's beautiful, willful, and lively, but also affectionate, loving, and maternal towards her younger brothers and sisters. However, she has the same problem as Scarlett in that she fixates on a man based on a childish crush and suffers a devastating betrayal because of it.

I do think this novel portrays the shaky politics and financial upheavals of the early Georgian period very well. After the recent financial crisis and recession we've suffered, I actually have a new appreciation for the traumas caused by the South Sea Bubble. But for me, the true strength of Through a Glass Darkly is in its characters: headstrong Barbara, her femme fatale mother Diana, and most of all, her wise and strong old grandmother, the Duchess of Tamworth. The Duchess is truly an amazing creation--and I was thrilled to see a younger version of her character return in Koen's more recent novel Dark Angels.

Other readers are correct when they say that the second half of the novel is sad. The first time I read it, I wept almost continuously during the last hundred pages or so--one of the few times I've been so moved by a work of fiction. Late in the novel, one of the characters suffers the death of a child, and that part is truly heartbreaking. However, I'm one of those people who enjoys a three hanky movie, so the sad and tragic parts actually made me like the novel more not less.

I don't agree at all that the ending is unsatisfying, however. I think it has one of the best endings ever. This book is really about a girl growing up and having to grow beyond the illusions of childhood. One of the things that involves is moving beyond your family of origin, achieving a more adult relationship with that family, and forming a family of your own--whether that means a traditional marriage, or creating a "family" of close friends. By the end of the novel, Barbara's maid Therese and her page, Hyacinthe, are her true family. She is fully an adult and in her strength of character, she is the equal of her grandmother the Duchess or her mother Diana. My favorite part of the ending, though, is the final scene when Barbara's cousin Tony confronts their grandmother the Duchess. When the author reminds us that the rose Tony gives the Duchess is a Duke of Tamworth rose, the significance of that pierces the heart, as you realize that the Duchess enabled Barbara's voyage not only for Barbara's sake, but to preserve the future of the Tamworth family by making sure Tony marries a woman whose dowry can add to the family's wealth and who can give him children to carry the Tamworth legacy into the future.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I would give it 4 stars except the first 150-200pp were plodding. After I got over that hump it was easy reading with lots of great characters. Is this historical fiction romance, that definitely is a part of it but not entirely the focus as the author paints quite the picture of the courtly set's lives in France & England of the early 1700s. This is annotated as the second of a trilogy but it really is the first published of the 3 books.

As the book moves through about 5 years, I had to keep reminding myself that Barbara was so young to take on the life she was thrown into rife with all the machinations of court politics and social alliances. Barbara's father has thrown in his lot with the Jacobites leaving the family in a social and financial pickle, although her grandmother, the widowed Duchess of Tamworth sees to the well-being of her grandchildren. Diana, Barbara's mother, is trying to obtain financial stability & maintain her status by marrying off Barbara to the handsome and wealthy Roger, who has quite the reputation of being a ladies man, and perhaps something else.

The Duchess was my favorite character, as well as a few peripheral characters. There were a few stock characterizations but for some reason it didn't bother me. I felt Roger's secret was pretty easy to spot for the reader, although it transforms Barbara's life when revealed.

This novel is full of descriptions of the luxurious lifestyles of the rich & well-connected of the time & plenty of court intrigue as well as heartbreak that is not necessarily of the romantic kind.

There are a few explicit sex scenes which I could have done without but for a book of almost 700pp, they were easily glossed over.

I do plan to read the sequel to see what awaits Barbara as a new chapter in her life is about to unfold.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ultimately a very sad book chronicling the life of Barbara Aderly of the Tamworth family in early 18th century Britain. Her family is destitute thanks to her parent's misuse of money and her father's traitorous activities. Still, Barbara is a young, enthusiastic girl of 15 at the start of the book and is thrilled when a marriage is arranged to a family friend who she has "loved" since she was an even younger girl...despite the fact that he is 45. Eventually factors all come together - her conniving family, politics, the schemes, her unfaithful husband (with another man) and she becomes as jaded as the rest. After the collapse of the South Sea Company, however, she is ruined. In the hopes of starting over, she sails to Virginia in an attempt to start over.
I kept reading this book hoping for the light...hopeful that there would be some hope...some sort of happy ending. (I'm a sucker for them.) No such luck! Depressing, but a detailed look at like in the upper crust during this time period.

[Heather Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something absorbing and fascinating about this book that I can't put my finger on...I suppose I should discuss what I can! With lean yet vivid prose, Koen whisks the reader away to the 17th century with an expert hand--there's never any doubt about her skill or her knowledge base. The characters are intriguing as well, and I found myself wanting to delve more deeply into their hearts and minds. All except the protagonist, Barbara, that is, whom I found the least developed. Barbara was quite young, however, so some of that is to be expected. I have to admit, I didn't love the turn of events at the end of the story, but the resolution is still quite satisfying as Barbara really comes into her own and makes an incredibly bold choice. I wished the book had continued on after that bold choice was made. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book quite a lot.