Mariana

Name: Mariana
Rating: 8.2 (15 reviews)
ISBN: 9781402258671

"I've loved every one of Susanna's books! She has bedrock research and a butterfly's delicate touch with characters--sure recipe for historical fiction that sucks you in and won't let go!"-- DIANA GABALDON, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Outlander

The next book from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Susanna Kearsley, Mariana is a story of incredible romance traveling in time from modern day England to a haunted Gothic past.

When Julia Beckett moves into a beautiful old farmhouse, she soon discovers she's not alone there. She encounters haunting remnants of a beautiful young woman who lived and loved there centuries ago. Julia finds herself transported into 17th-century England, and into the world of Mariana.

Each time Julia travels back, she becomes more enthralled with the past... until she realizes Mariana's life is eclipsing her own. She must lay the past to rest or risk losing the chance for happiness in her own time.

With heartbreaking romance, escapist fantasy, and powerfully drawn characters, Kearsley takes you on a time-traveling journey you'll never forget.

Also by Susanna Kearsley:

The Winter Sea

The Rose Garden

The Shadowy Horses

The Firebird

The Splendour Falls

Season of Storms

A Desperate Fortune

Named of the Dragon

Bellewether

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Published Apr 1, 2012

453 pages

Average rating: 8.2

15 RATINGS

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jeabot

May 30, 2024

10/10 stars

A love story that spans 300 years

Julia is drawn to this house from the time she was five. And at age 30, she purchases the house. Then she starts seeing a man on a gray stallion in the shadows. She finds herself back in time in the form of Mariana in 1685 when the plague is ravaging London.
This is my new favorite author. I so enjoy historical fiction that gives you a glimpse of what life was like in times past. Susanna Kearsley captures these characters so enchantingly You'll fall in love with Julia and Mariana.

Abudebbie

Jul 16, 2026

8/10 stars

This was a new book by the author of Winter Sea. It is sort of a time travel book, but not exactly. When Julia encounters an old house for the third time in her life, she sees it as destiny that she should buy it. It has always seemed like 'her house.' She is a free-lance illustrator of children's books and can live anywhere, so life in the small village seems perfect. She meets some locals who quickly embrace her into their lives and all is going well until she starts having odd sensations, vivid dreams and hallucinations. She finds herself back in the 1700s living life as Mariana, an orphan. While she is dreaming it feels so real, and when she awakens she finds herself wet if she fell into the river in the dream. What is going on and why fills the book. I like the author's writing style and her characters. There were a few surprises along the way too to keep things interesting.

mandy6488

Mar 30, 2025

6/10 stars

Amazing! Such a great ending.. I'll read this one over and over.

YvetteF

Jun 12, 2024

4/10 stars

It was just ok for me although I had very high hopes. This, unfortunately, didn’t live up to what I was hoping. I started skimming due to boredom. Too many descriptions that I wasn’t interested in and for me, story didn’t move fast enough. So many words, but nothing happening necessarily. I almost didn’t finish this one. Ho hum...

Carol.Ann

Nov 16, 2023

8/10 stars

"You can't cheat fate, Julia. If you don't go looking for the lessons of the past, then the past will come looking for you."

I was surprised by how much I liked this book. Though a bit slow at the start, it gradually builds into a gripping, suspenseful story set in two time periods, current-day and the mid-1700's. Yes, it's time travel, but it's so much more than that.I don't want to spoil the experience for you so I'll just say this: It's two intricately woven stories with intriguing characters and events set in a charming English village. The beautiful language, likable (and some unlikable) characters, surprising twists, and shrewd ending will leave you feeling well rewarded. I'll definitely be reading more books by this author.