Debra Dean

Debra Dean, bestselling author of The Madonnas of Leningrad, has re-imagined the life of one of Russia’s most beloved holy figures in her stunning new novel The mirrored world. Narrated from the point of view of her younger cousin Dasha, a devoted friend and companion, The mirrored world follows Xenia and Dasha from their younger years in the lower nobility through the tragedy and madness that transforms Xenia into a revered angel of mercy to the poor, and a controversial figure to the upper classes. Set against the unparalleled extravagance and artifice of 18th century St. Petersburg, a world of ice palaces, Italian castrati and cross-dress masquerade balls, The mirrored world is an exploration of the true costs of loving deeply.

Location: Street: 4139 Park Road Additional: Park Road Shopping Center City: Charlotte, Province: North Carolina Postal Code: 28209-2229 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)

LUIS' SALON: WRITERS RAILROAD A LITERARY SALON Join us for a creative new partnership with Naperville's award-winning author Luis Alberto Urrea as he presents Writers Railroad: A Literary Salon. Designed as a way to showcase authors you might not know, Luis's Salon will introduce you to some of his friends: writers who are telling stories he loves through books he thinks you should read. Think of it as a personal recommendation from a best-selling author who lives next door. Luis will launch the Salon with his friend Debra Dean, author of bookclub favorite The Madonnas of Leningrad. Debra will present her new novel, The mirrored world. The book is based on the true story of St. Xenia, whose devotion to the poor during the extravagance of 18th century St. Petersburg brought her into great conflict with the court of Catherine the Great. Luis is the author of The Hummingbird's Daughter and its recent sequel The Queen of America. These novels tell the story of his relative Teresa Urrea, also known as the Mexican Joan of Arc. Luis will lead a discussion with Debra on writing process, the challenges of reconstructing the life of a saint and creating a story to move and inspire today's readers. This should be a fascinating evening with conversation, book signing, and refreshments. MONDAY, OCTOBER 8 at 7:00 p.m. Anderson’s Two Doors East

Location: Street: Anderson's Two-Doors East Additional: 111 W Jefferson Ave City: Naperville, Province: Illinois Postal Code: 60540 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)

Debra Dean, bestselling author of The Madonnas of Leningrad, has re-imagined the life of Russia's most beloved holy figures in her stunning new novel The mirrored world. Narrated from the point of view of her younger cousin Dasha, a devoted friend and companion, The mirrored world follows Xenia and Dasha from their younger years in the lower nobility through the tragedy and madness that transforms Xenia into a revered angel of mercy to the poor, and a controversial figure to the upper classes. Set against the unparalleled extravagance and artifice of 18th century St. Petersburg, a world of ice palaces, Italian castrati and cross-dress masquerade balls, The mirrored world is an exploration of the true costs of loving deeply.

Debra Dean is the author of the novel, The Madonnas of Leningrad (2006), and a collection of short stories, Confessions of a Falling Woman (2008). The Madonnas of Leningrad was a New York Times Editors’ Choice Pick, a Borders Original Voice Selection, a #1 Booksense Pick, a Booklist Top Ten Novel of the Year Pick, an ALA Notable Book of the Year Award winner, was long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and has been published in seventeen languages. Confessions won the Paterson Fiction Prize and a Florida Book Award. A native of Seattle, WA, Debra Dean worked as an actor in the New York theatre for nearly a decade before becoming a writer. She lives in Miami, FL and teaches in the Creative Writing Program at Florida International University.

Location: Street: 1200 11th St City: Bellingham, Province: Washington Postal Code: 98225-7015 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)

Book group favorite and Seattle native Debra Dean (The Madonnas of Leningrad) will join us for a special luncheon to talk about her latest book, The mirrored world. Seating is reserved for this event, so call or stop by the bookstore to save a place!

The bestselling author of the critically acclaimed The Madonnas of Leningrad, returns with a breathtaking historical novel, set against the unparalleled extravagance and artifice of the royal court in eighteenth century St. Petersburg-a world of ice palaces, glittering opera, and lavish balls-that imaginatively reconstructs the life of one of Russia's most revered and mysterious holy figures, St. Xenia.

An evocative, elegantly written tale of love, madness, and devotion, The mirrored world is a moving novel of a remarkable woman and her intriguing and inspiring legacy.

"With evocative, rich prose and deep emotional resonance, Debra Dean delivers a compelling and captivating story that touches the soul. Truly a wonderful read." -- Garth Stein, bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

"Love affairs, rivalries, intrigues, prophecy, crossdressing, madness, sorrow, poverty--The mirrored world is a litany of both the homely and the miraculous. Intimate and richly appointed, Debra Dean's Imperial St. Petersburg is as sumptuous and enchanted as the Winter Palace." -- Stewart O'Nan, author of The Odds: A Love Story

Debra Dean’s best selling debut novel, The Madonnas of Leningrad (Wm. Morrow, 2006), was a New York Times Editors’ Choice, a Borders Original Voice, #1 Booksense Pick, Booklist Top Ten Novel, and an American Library Association Notable Book of the Year. It has been published in seventeen languages. Her collection of short stories, Confessions of a Falling Woman (Harper Perennial, 2008), came out to critical acclaim, winning the Paterson Fiction Prize and a Florida Book Award.

A native of Seattle, Dean worked as an actor in the New York theatre for nearly a decade before opting for the life of a writer. She is currently living in Miami, teaching in the Creative Writing Program at Florida International University

Location: Street: 157 Winslow Way E. City: Bainbridge Island, Province: Washington Postal Code: 98110 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)

Debra Dean, author of The Madonnas of Leningrad, returns with The mirrored world, a breathtaking novel of love and madness set in 18th century Russia. Transporting readers to St. Petersburg during the reign of Catherine the Great, Dean brilliantly reconstructs and reimagines the life of St. Xenia, one of Russia’s most revered and mysterious holy figures, in a richly told and thought-provoking work of historical fiction that recounts the unlikely transformation of a young girl, a child of privilege, into a saint beloved by the poor.

Location: Street: 7834 SW Capitol Hwy City: Portland, Province: Oregon Postal Code: 97219-2466 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)

The critically acclaimed author of The Madonnas of Leningrad (“Elegant and poetic, the rare kind of book that you want to keep but you have to share” —Isabel Allende), Debra Dean returns with The mirrored world (Harper, $25.99), a breathtaking novel of love and madness set in 18th century Russia. Transporting readers to St. Petersburg during the reign of Catherine the Great, Dean brilliantly reconstructs and re-imagines the life of St. Xenia, one of Russia’s most revered and mysterious holy figures, in a richly told and thought-provoking work of historical fiction that recounts the unlikely transformation of a young girl, a child of privilege, into a saint beloved by the poor. Born to a Russian family of lower nobility, Xenia, an eccentric dreamer, falls in love with Andrei, a charismatic soldier and singer in the Empress's Imperial choir. But then a tragic vision comes true, and a shattered Xenia descends into grief, undergoing a profound transformation that alters the course of her life. Then, one day, she mysteriously vanishes. Years later, dressed in the tatters of her husband's military uniform and answering only to his name, Xenia is discovered tending the paupers of St. Petersburg's slums. Revered as a soothsayer and a blessed healer to the downtrodden, she is feared by the royal court and its new Empress, Catherine, who perceives her deeds as a rebuke to their lavish excesses. Presented in collaboration with The Center for Literature and Theatre at Miami Dade College.

Location: Street: 265 Aragon Ave City: Coral Gables, Province: Florida Postal Code: 33134-5008 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)