The School of Mirrors —already published in Germany as Die letzte Tochter von Versailles—is set in the corridors of Versailles at the time of Louis XV and among the midwives of Paris during the French Revolution.
The story was inspired by the following quote in the The Private Memoirs of Madame du Hausset, Lady’s maid to Madame de Pompadour, a lively account of court life at Versailles:
I asked Madame, if the young lady knew that the King was the father of her child? “I do not think she does,” replied she, “but, as he appeared fond of her, there is some reason to fear that those about her might be too ready to tell her; otherwise,” said she, shrugging her shoulders, “she, and all the others are told, that he is a Polish nobleman, a relation of the Queen, who has apartments in the palace.” This story was contrived on account of the cordon bleu, which the King has not always time to lay aside, because, to do that, he must change his coat, and in order to account for his having a lodging in the palace so near the King.
The “young lady” in this passage refers to one of Louis XV young lower class mistresses, known as the Deer Park girls, kept in ignorance of their lover’s identity. This is all I had to begin ..
I will be sharing more posts about the writing of The School of Mirrors, soon, but for now, here is the picture of the board which kept me company for the last three years. You may recognize the portrait of Queen Marie Leszczyńska, Louis XV’s wife and some of the interiors of the Versailles Palace where many of the novel’s scenes took place.
Polish Language Site