The School of Mirrors

January 31, 2022
Stachniak (The Winter Palace) offers an impressive if schematic story of Versailles and Paris in the years leading up to and following the French Revolution. In 1755, 13-year-old Véronique Roux is surrendered by her widowed mother to an aide of King Louis XVI, who transports her to Deer Park, where underage girls are groomed to sexually service the king. After Véronique gives birth to the king’s daughter, Marie-Louise, the newborn is taken away and Véronique is married off to a wealthy merchant. As a girl, Marie-Louise is shuffled from household to household into the care of various guardians, first in Versailles and then in Paris, always wondering about her origins. She trains as a midwife, marries, watches the dissolution of the monarchy and, eventually, learns about her lineage. Stachniak has clearly done her research on life both in the royal court and on the streets of Paris, and though the fictional characters often seem too passive, the author smoothly integrates their stories with those of historical members of the royal family, as well as revolutionary George Danton. Overall, Stachniak successfully immerses readers in a tumultuous era of French history. Agent: Helen Heller, Helen Heller Agency.

June 1, 2022

At 13, Veronique Roux is sold into service by her impoverished mother. Veronique believes that she is destined for a life of domestic service in a grand Parisian home, but she and other young women are being groomed to serve as mistresses to King Louis XV. When Veronique becomes pregnant, she is banished--but not before she realizes the identity of her child's father. When her daughter, Marie-Louise, is born, she is taken away and Veronique is married to a wealthy merchant. Years later, revolutionary fervor seizes France, and Marie-Louise, now a midwife, knows nothing of her parentage. When the dangerous secret of Marie-Louise's birth comes to light, it threatens her family's safety. Ell Potter's crisp narration complements Stachniak's (The Winter Palace) lush, detailed story. Potter handles the French names fluidly, embodying the various characters and their struggles and passions. It can be difficult to follow the point-of-view changes during the book's early part, when perspective shifts frequently, as there is no extended pause or other indication that listeners are entering a different thread of the story, but this is a minor distraction in an otherwise excellent production. VERDICT Listeners who enjoy descriptive, immersive historical fiction will be drawn into Veronique and Marie-Louise's world.--Nanette Donohue

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