The School of Mirrors: A Novel

Written by Eva Stachniak

Narrated by Ell Potter

“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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Feb 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063119635

Eva Stachniak

Eva Stachniak was born in Wroclaw, Poland. She moved to Canada in 1981 and has worked for Radio Canada International and Sheridan College, where she taught English and humanities. Her first novel of Catherine the Great, The Winter Palace was a #1 international bestseller and was followed by another Catherine the Great novel Empress of the Night, also a bestseller. She lives in Toronto.

Reviews for The School of Mirrors

[janarose1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

When beautiful young Veronique is noticed by King Louis XV's procurer, she is taken from her life of toil and hardship to live in relatively luxury. Pampered and well fed, she is introduced to the "Polish Count," who is really Louis. Louis finds her naivety and youth to be charming and quickly seduces her. When Veronique becomes pregnant, she is no longer of use and is taken away. The book then shifts to her daughter, Marie-Louise's point of view. Marie-Louise is fostered to a couple whose only interest is greed.The shift from Veronique's point of view to her daughter's point of view was very jolting. I did not enjoy reading from the pov of a young child and found those chapters tedious and hard to get through. I wish the author had focused solely on Veronique and found another way to incorporate Marie-Louise. Due to this criticisms, I would not reread or recommend this book.

[cariola_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It has been a while since I read a novel set in 18th-century France. This one was good overall. It begins in the reign of Louis XV. Véronique Roux is only 14 when she is selected to become a "student" at Deer Park. When she is told that he job will be to please the owner, a Polish Count who is related to the queen, she naively believes she is going to be train as a servant--although her mother, who is well paid to turn her over, knows otherwise. The girls, chosen for their youth, beauty, and pliability, are patronized by the king's mistress, Madame de Pompadour, and are nothing more than sexual fodder for the count--who in actuality is the king himself. Girls who resist are stripped of all gifts and sent back home. But Véronique is eager to please and fancies herself in love with the count. Alas, the end comes for her when she dares to question her master, and her fate is sealed when she finds herself pregnant.The rest of the novel focuses on her daughter, Marie-Louise, who is sent first to a wet nurse and then to live with guardians on the outer grounds of Versailles. She knows neither her mother nor her father, and her guardians are less than kind. She has only one friend, the lumpy, awkward grandson of the king, the future Louis XVI. When their friendship is discovered, her life is again turned upside down.I don't like to give too many details, so I will just say that the novel follows Marie-Louise as she acquires a respectable profession and a family of her own, moving into the era of the French Revolution and the repressive Republic that came after. Stachniak creates interesting characters, and the novel takes a number of unexpected turns. She has based her story in part on two real persons, a Polish count and an innovative French midwife, both mentioned in a diary from the period.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel explores some of the less glamorous aspects of 18th-century Versailles and the infamous affairs of the royalty who inhabited that palace. Veronique is only fourteen when she is recruit to "serve" in a luxurious manor house not too far from the palace of Versailles, in the employ of "a Polish count". In reality, she is groomed as a mistress for Louis XV, along with other young girls. Veronique doesn't know the identity of her lover until he has already discarded her and left her pregnant with his child. Her child, a daughter named Marie-Louise, is taken away at birth, but both mother and daughter are determined to find their way back to each other. This novel is focused more on the ways the powerful abuse those with less than other novels I've read with the same setting (18th-century France) and I appreciated the change in perspective. Overall, a good book with a more nuanced view of the French Revolution than is typically presented in historical fiction.