THE MIRRORED WORLD

Xenia, patron saint of St. Petersburg, was born into the Russian upper classes in the early eighteenth century. Thus, when she gave all her material goods to the poor after being widowed in her early 20s, her family questioned her sanity; undaunted, Xenia devoted her life to helping the unfortunate. Narrator Yelena Shmulenson's subtle native accent signals the setting of the novel without distracting listeners from the well-researched details of life in the Russian court and Xenia's prophecies and deeds. Shmulenson's emotional range easily spans the story, from the excitement of balls to the horror of sudden death. Especially impressive is her performance of Xenia's transformation from courtier to holy fool, which allows listeners to decide whether the saint went mad from grief or was truly called by God. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2012]