Canadian National Bestseller
From the back cover:
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.
Veronique is one such girl. She 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.
Eva Stachniak’s new novel, The School of Mirrors, boldly sweeps the reader to 18th century France. Exquisitely realized, Stachniak’s women—courtesans, midwives and revolutionary citizens—mirror a country’s anguish as they bear royal betrayal and heartbreaking secrets. Haunting, illuminating.
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Beth Powning, bestselling author of The Sister’s Tale
The School of Mirrors, by Eva Stachniak, a riveting epic shining with lush historical detail, pulled me into her keenly observed and richly drawn historical novel. Stachniak’s riveting story of a young woman’s life struggle and journey is set against the Versailles court intrigue and French Revolution. The School of Mirrors illuminates the early feminism of midwives through the guillotine to the New World. You’ll never forget this journey.
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Cara Black-the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 19 books in the Private Investigator Aimée Leduc series, which is set in Paris.
With beautiful prose, Eva Stachniak brings to life the lush detail of Versailles, weaving together the stories of women who dare to step out against their fate against the backdrop of the French Revolution. I was captivated by this book.
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Shilpi Gowda–the New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Daughter.
“A sweeping tale of tumult and tragedy set against the backdrop of revolutionary France — intricate, absorbing, and impeccably depicted, The School of Mirrors will linger in your imagination long after you turn the last page.”
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Ann Mah, bestselling author of The Lost Vintage and Jacqueline in Paris
Riveting and sincere. The School of Mirrors is historical fiction at its finest. By not shying away from the realities of life in Versailles in the late 1700s, Eva Stachniak gives agency to women who lived in the shadow of the king, showing us the true nature of their bravery and strength.
~~~Allison Larkin, author of The People We Keep
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