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Summary: A must read!!
Review: I am known for only reading very high-end quality romances--and this is about my favorite. Ms. Kohen's descriptions are so vivid, you can practically see the characters and what they are wearing. She really makes you care about them, and it's not just alot of sex, like in alot of romances, the relationship really develops.This is a must read for anyone who loves the victorian era.
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Summary: Simply Amazing
Review: My favorite epic of all time is Gone With the Wind and I tend to compare all epics to that classic. This book is right on par! I couldn't put it down...reading way into the night and even sneaking peeks at work. It is simply that good. You HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! I was so upset when I finished it, because I wanted to still be involved with the character's lives...it was 5 years before I found her sequel and I truly yelped when I found it in the book store. Please read this book. You'll be glad you did!
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Summary: A 'Must' for historical romance fans
Review: I found it hard to put this book down one I got into it. You feel the characters grow and lose yourself in the story. I cannot wait to start on the sequel and see how it concludes.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: This is a classic. this is one book in a million. It made me laugh and cry. This is better than Gone with the Wind. A must read!
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Summary: anyone in love with the 18th century will adore this book.
Review: The characters are rich and the setting divine.I have never cried for a book before this.I have read it 3 times and i'm on my 4th!You will enjoy!!
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Summary: Karleen Koen knows how to capture pure emotion!
Review: Through a Glass Darkly remains one of my all-time favorite books. I read it in a week when I sprained my ankle and I found myself bawling my eyes out in the middle! It is very easy to become attached to the characters and Karleen Koen is an expert at making the reader feel the emotions of the characters. I have also read Now Face to Face. I could hardly wait for it to come out. I hope that Karleen Koen continues to write historical fiction because I would snatch it up in a heartbeat! You must read this book!
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Summary: In my top 10 list of favorite books.
Review: I love books, but only a few more than I love this one. I just reread it for I believe the 6th time since it was first published. Although it no longer makes me cry as it did the first time, I am always misty. The only letter I have ever written to an author was to Karleen Koen begging for a sequal. Unfortunatly, the sequal is no near the triumph that this book is. If you haven't read it, you should. And if you know someone who hasn't read it, it makes a great gift. (everyone I've given it too has also loved it.)
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Summary: The Best Historical I've Ever Read!
Review: I tend to read literary fiction--and I'm quite snobby about it. My mother reads romances, and we are always having mock arguments. When she pressed this heavy, extremely long book by Koen into my hands, I balked. I don't read historicals, I barked. But this isn't your average historical, she said. This was in 1990. Nearly a decade later, I finally picked up THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY (heretofore referred to as TGD) and read it in a week, consciously slowing down as the pages grew thinner and thinner. TGD is a gorgeous book, a tapestry; it evokes the early 18th century in brilliant detail. I loved the grandmother. What a wise woman! My only regret is not listening to my own sweet mother. I wish I'd read this book ten years ago. Unlike some hardcover historical novels, TGD is easy to read but beautifully written. I have ordered Koen's second book, Now Face to Face. I do wish she'd write a little faster! I wish I could read TEN of her novels. She's that good. Also: this book would make an excellent movie. It remiinded me of Gone With the Wind, English style, but with a likeable heroine--and much better developed supporting characters. May the wind be with you, Karleen Koen. You have two fans in Mississippi!
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Summary: This book remains my favorite of all time.
Review: I had the honor of meeting the author, Karleen Koen just after the book was released. Turns out, my brother had been helping her sister haul the manuscript home in boxes as it was being written. My brother wrangled an invitation to the tea the author's sister was throwing in her honor right in my neighborhood of Deer Park, Texas. I thought I loved the wonderful book simply because I had met Ms. Koen and found her to be so warm and gracious. After reading these wonderful reviews, I realize I am not alone in my love for this book. Ms. Koen wrote a work of art that is unsurpassed, and I recommend it to anyone who just wants to completely lose themselves for a few days. Her knowledge of the history of that era is almost as if she lived it. And her understanding of the ups and downs of even true love is unbeatable. I loaned my autographed copy to someone and never got it back. Awesome book.
Rating:
Summary: Rich surprising historical drama
Review: It is almost a misnomer to call "Through a Glass Darkly" a romance. Though the protagonist is a young woman and though much of the plot does center around her on-going involvement with one man, Ms. Koen weaves a deep, rich tapestry of history, family treachery and greed with a surprisingly current theme. I recommend "Through a Glass Darkly" to anyone of either gender who wants to truly experience another way of life in another time.
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