Karen Barrow
Historical Fiction Writer
As an avid reader of historical fiction with a passion for research, choosing a genre was not difficult when Karen decided to put pen to paper. The brainwave to use her love of travel to inspire her settings made the process much more enriching. Using elements of mystery and suspense with a sprinkle of romance, Karen crafted three novels, a short story and a travel blog. With the publication of her award winning debut novel, Palmyra, in 2024, a lifelong dream was realized.
Published Spring 2024
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The arrival of a handsome young stranger to a cocoa estate on the island of Trinidad is a catalyst that sets off a tragic train of events with consequences that stretch into the present day. Part coming-of-age story, part Gothic mystery, Palmyra is a historical novel that conjures a world teeming with divided loyalties, family secrets, and ambition.
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Praise & Reviews
for other projects
A rare talent
Dreams of the Alhambra: This was a great pleasure to read; I loved the deja vu and dream premise
T Therien, Editor
Dreams of the Alhambra: Your mix of a present-day travel story with a historic, folkloric romance is really compelling
Aimee Ashcraft, Brower Literary and Management
Praise & Reviews
for PALMYRA
Palmyra is a well-written, intricately plotted and fast-paced novel, definitely a good read, which more than justifies its subtitle
Bridget Brereton, Prof. Emerita of History,
University of the West Indies
A high drama, high atmosphere 19th century novel, Palmyra can best be described as Caribbean Gothic.
Adrienne Kerr, Senior Editor, Simon & Schuster Canada
Praise & Reviews
for other projects
Evocative and transporting
Daughter of Zanzibar: The one author who keeps springing to mind is M.M. Kaye, whose novels were really sweeping and wonderful - a bit like Michener, except with a romantic, female focus and a tighter time frame - and no one's really filled that niche since.
Leslie Wainger, formerly of Mira Imprint, Harlequin
Daughter of Zanzibar: The writing is engaging, the idea is appealing and you write with real energy and imagination.
Felicity Blunt, Agent Curtis Brown
What readers are saying about Palmyra
The tale could easily be made into a period costume drama for British TV! An inspiring novel, to be recommended for all.
The author's pithy writing style lays a trail of clues and red herrings to keep you engaged for that element of surprise.
Palmyra is so different from anything I’ve read before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters, the setting, the local culture, the story… amazing
The richly worded prose, dramatic layers and research details within Palmyra quickly captures your curiosity and builds to a suspenseful crescendo.
I finished reading it in one sitting! The scenery and characters come to life and it hits all the gothic marks.
Other published works
Edge of Reason
A Short Story
A hot summer night. A raging bonfire. A carousing group of drunken teenagers. All fuel for the rage that rips through Miguel's heart as two silhouettes merge against the shadowed rocks. How far will he go to exact his revenge?
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TRAVEL BLOG
Confessions of a Travel Junkie
Too much world, too little time (and money!)
Unveiling the Writer
Growing up on the Caribbean island of Trinidad, Karen's happiest hours were spent with either her head in a book or a pen in her hand. Knowing that the bohemian life of a writer would never receive parental approval, Karen journeyed to Canada to pursue other studies. It was not long before a chance encounter with a geology student ended with raising a family in what at times felt like the far reaches of the country. During several moves, which included a delightful sojourn in Brisbane, Australia before finally settling in the Greater Toronto Area, Karen honed the life of a professional student in search of what she always wanted to be ... a writer. After 16 years in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) during which time she developed her writing skills and wrote two novels, Karen and her husband moved west in 2021 to settle in the beautiful Okanagan region of interior British Columbia. There she finished her 3rd novel, Palmyra, that was begun during the initial disquieting months of the pandemic, which undoubtedly contributed to the brooding nature of the story. With an unrecognizable accent and many a stamp in her passport, Karen considers herself a global citizen.
News
In-flight Magazine Exposure
Palmyra by Karen Barrow (Friesen Press, 330 pp, ISBN 9781039195813)
Lush and craftily constructed, this Gothic suspense novel from Trinidadian-Canadian Karen Barrow marks her as a debut author worth watching. Palmyra is narrated through the gaze of Joe — an ambitious, scholarly young boy living on a cocoa estate on the cusp of the 20th century. The figures in that world, from both genteel and proletariat classes, contend with a rigid social hierarchy, the spectres of slavery, and the cruel impositions respectability places on everyone’s truest dreams. Through a tempestuous tableau, laced with secret assignations and blood-curdling shocks, Barrow governs her prose with a judicious eye for detail — a discerning vantage point that allows the reader satisfying narrative immersions. Intrigue, scandal, and even a sepulchral warning are assembled in this gratifyingly-paced plot. As Joe himself says in a reflective moment: It’s been a house of ghosts drifting past each other.