The School of Mirrors

A Novel

By: Eva Stachniak

Narrated by: Ell Potter

Length: 16 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

“A riveting epic, keenly observed and shining with lush historical detail. You’ll never forget this journey.”--Cara Black, New York Times bestselling author of Three Hours in Paris

“A sweeping tale of tumult and tragedy— intricate, absorbing, and impeccably depicted, The School of Mirrors will linger in your imagination long after you turn the last page.”--Ann Mah, bestselling author of Jacqueline in Paris

A scintillating, gorgeously written historical novel about a mother and a daughter in eighteenth-century France, beginning with decadence and palace intrigue at Versailles and ending in an explosive new era of revolution.

During the reign of Louis XV, impoverished but lovely teenage girls from all over France are sent to a discreet villa in the town of Versailles. Overseen by the King’s favorite mistress, Madame de Pompadour, they will be trained as potential courtesans for the King. When the time is right, each girl is smuggled into the palace of Versailles, with its legendary Hall of Mirrors. There they meet a mysterious but splendidly dressed man who they’re told is merely a Polish count, a cousin of the Queen. Living an indulgent life of silk gowns, delicious meals, and soft beds, the students at this “school of mirrors” rarely ask questions, and when Louis tires of them, they are married off to minor aristocrats or allowed to retire to one of the more luxurious nunneries.

Beautiful and canny Veronique arrives at the school of mirrors and quickly becomes a favorite of the King. But when she discovers her lover’s true identity, she is whisked away, sent to give birth to a daughter in secret, and then to marry a wealthy Breton merchant. There is no return to the School of Mirrors.

This is also the story of the King’s daughter by Veronique—Marie-Louise. Well-provided for in a comfortable home, Marie-Louise has never known her mother, let alone her father. Capable and intelligent, she discovers a passion for healing and science, and becomes an accredited midwife, one of the few reputable careers for women like her. But eventually Veronique comes back into her daughter’s life, bringing with her the secret of Marie-Louise’s birth. But the new King—Louis XVI—is teetering on his throne and it’s a volatile time in France…and those with royal relatives must mind their step very carefully.

©2022 Eva Stachniak (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Fascinating but pedophilia nonetheless.

The first section of the book is about Louis XV’s practice of having sex with children. I found that very hard to take. The remainder of the book is unrelentingly sad. I didn’t know much about this era but this book falls in line with what I did know so it all seems plausible,

I was not emotionally engaged with the characters as they seemed concocted rather than relatable or sympathetic. I did, however, appreciate the view of what the French Revolution must have been like for those unfortunate enough to live in France during the Reign of Terror.

I wish I liked at least a couple of the characters; I found the historical aspects of the novel to be much better than the subjects.

language barrier much

I found it hard to keep up with the characters simply due to the French pronunciation of every name sounding similar. It took me at least 4hours to figure out that 1 character was a woman, & that 2 were really 1-- author flips between just the 1st name or just the last name randomly it seems for a few characters.
never-ending & title-less chapters also made it hard to follow the timeliness initially.
Aside from my personal struggle, that had me rewinding whole chapters due to sudden disoriented feelings of being entirely lost in the story line, I found the story to be captivating. I just had to know what happened & so I listened till the end & I'm glad I did.

Intriguing and revealing

Well researched. A story you will not find in history books. Happy someone took interest.

I found the book very interesting and entertaining

I learned a lot about the French Revolution and the development of midwifery as a profession. It is a wonderful historical novel. Well done!

Enthralling

Just beautifully written and masterfully performed. Oh the joy when a “salacious” historical fiction book is actually a gorgeous novel. This book is about oppression (the starving of France, the sexual exploitation of young girls), generational trauma and healing, and perseverance. Would 1000% recommend to any French Revolution history buff looking for something from the perspective of the “lower” classes while still including some decadent Versailles stuff. Here I go to listen to all her books now…

Interesting Drama

It took a while for me to really be interested son the book. It got better and better as it went on. Interesting story and I enjoyed the history at the end. Overall very good

Fascinating and Heartbreaking

Well crafted (and researched) story that is in turns both fascinating and heartbreaking, with a bittersweet ending. I also enjoyed the era (late 18th century) as it seems that historical fiction is dominated by WWII at the moment, and that’s not my cup of tea. The characters are all well drawn and distinct, which is also something that a lot of historical fiction novelists struggle with. I appreciate that the author included the sad and debauched chapter of Louis XV’s life where he went from being a hero amongst his people to being a middle aged roué and predator, even though young girls matured faster and often married sooner than they do now. Madame Pompadour’s culpability in the scheme is also disturbing—it’s sad to behold what people will do in order to maintain power.

Despite the weighty subject matter, there is triumph over adversity and while the ending is bittersweet, it is fitting and satisfying. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Stachniak’s work.

Can’t finish it

I just can’t get into this book. I find myself constantly needing to go back to try and make sense if it, unable to keep track of characters and at this point feel like I’m just forcing myself to try and finish it. I’ll give it another try maybe when I’m able to give it my full attention, like a plane or train ride.