Review: The School of Mirrors

The School of Mirrors was the first book I’ve read by Eva Stachniak. She was born in Poland but moved to Canada in the 1980s so we’ve kind of claimed her as our own. She’s been writing for years so when I was intrigued by her latest release, I thought it was time to give her books a try. Um. It did not go well. I finished the book but…probably shouldn’t have. The history – Versailles! – wasn’t enough and the characters and the way the story was written really didn’t work for me.

Here’s the book’s description:

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.

I had read and loved a series about the mistresses of King Louis XV a few years ago (they’re by Sally Christie and I HIGHLY recommend them) so my hopes were high that I would enjoy the historical part of this story. I did feel like I was in France during that tumultuous time but it wasn’t enough to hold my interest. Especially because there was such a huge amount of time covered in this book. It starts with the opulence of Versailles when the King was still in his prime and ends with the French Revolution and his grandson (and many, many others) being beheaded by the guillotine. Yeah, there was a lot going on.

The way this story was written was really strange. Veronique’s sections (there are no real chapters in this book – I didn’t mind but I know others found it really irritating) were in the first person. But there were third person sections from a few other characters, such as Madame de Pompadour. And then there’s another part and all of a sudden Veronique is gone and we’re following Marie-Louise around, also in third person. It was odd.

The strongest part of the story for me was the history about midwifery that Stachniak includes. There’s a scene when Angélique du Coudray arrives at Versailles to teach Louis XV and his fans about birthing with the help of The Machine she had invented (look her up – it’s fascinating and amazing what she did throughout her lifetime). Then, Marie-Louise is raised by a midwife and eventually learns the trade herself. The reader gets to learn about the process of apprenticing and testing which I quite enjoyed.

I can’t say I’d recommend The School of Mirrors by Eva Stachniak. I didn’t enjoy my time reading the book – even with the interest I had in the time period and the surprising tidbits about midwifery – but maybe I’m an anomaly. It’s a shame, though, as this cover is absolutely stunning!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Doubleday Canada (Penguin Random House of Canada), via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*