Now Face to Face by Karleen Koen
Reviews Barbara Devane, featured in the author's Through a Glass Darkly (Books on TapeR, 1987), finds herself a widow and her late husband's reputation ruined in England of 1720. Traveling to Virginia, she manages her grandmother's plantation, finding new friends, experiences, and greater maturity. After returning to London, she becomes caught up in Jacobite plots, court politics, and battles to restore her fortunes and take revenge on the men who destroyed her husband. This long production is helped by the narration of Sheila Hart, who handles all the voices well, regardless of the character's age, nationality, or gender. Hart brings expression, warmth, and real emotion to the narrative. Despite her efforts, the story occasionally bogs down in political detail. Nevertheless, fans of the first title should enjoy this sequel.'Melody A. Moxley, Rowan P.L., Salisbury, N.C. Rumpole and the Angel of Death by John Mortimer 7 cassettes. unabridged. 91/2 hrs. Blackstone Audio Bks. 1996. #1751. $45.95. Mortimer's famous barrister (e.g., Rumpole on Trial, Audio Reviews, LJ 7/95) returns in this collection of six tales. Rumpole is his normal crotchety self, and reader Frederick Davidson brings Rumpole and his entire adversarial world to life with an astonishing range of voices that never fail to delight and amuse. Nadia May reads one story as told by Rumpole's long-suffering wife, Hilda, or She Who Must Be Obeyed. This is an interesting collection that is enhanced by the right readers. Recommended for all mystery collections.'Michael T. Fein, Catawba Valley Community Coll., Hickory, N.C. Ten years after Koen introduced heroine Barbara Devane in her bestselling debut novel, Through a Glass Darkly, she brings back the strong-willed young woman to face further challenges among the baroque world of the European and colonial American nobility of the early 18th century. The settling of America and the courtly intrigues of the Jacobite rebellion in England serve as both backdrop and parallel for Lady Devane's path toward her own independence as an aristocrat and as a woman. Having been widowed at age 20, she has embarked for colonial Virginia, determined to develop a plantation there. Spunky and headstrong, she bristles when she is patronizingly described by one of her many admirers as a ``fragile black butterfly''; anything but fragile, she takes lovers across political divides and frees her slaves against all advice. These flamboyant gestures often seem shallow, however, and Lady Devane's dismay at the treatment of the slaves in the New World characteristically seems more picturesque than humane. Koen doesn't hesitate to make her heroine less perfect than conventional characters of this genre; Lady Devane comments in a rare moment of self-reflection that her pity for her favorite servant never led her to seriously consider his feelings. A pervasive tone of gentility grounds the novel in its period, and Koen's smooth prose and nicely integrated background details make this a superior historical romance. Major ad/promo; author tour. (Jan.)
Publication Details
Title:
Author(s):
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Binding: Paperback
Published by: Penguin Random House: , 1996
Edition:
ISBN: 9780712677257 | 0712677259
630 pages.
Book Condition: Good
Cover worn, text tanned,
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