The School of Mirrors
Eva Stachniak
The School of Mirrors by Polish-Canadian historical novelist Eva Stachniak sits well alongside the Liées par le sangtrilogy because it takes place directly within Madame de Pompadour’s world. The story of impoverished but stunning teenage girls who are schooled by the Marquise to become “companions” of Louis XV, The School of Mirrorsexplicitly explores the process of their training, and what happens to these young women once the King tires of them. The experiences of one such “little bird,” the young, impressionable Véronique, are told from her perspective, alongside the stories of Dominique-Guillaume Lebel, premier valet de chambre du roi, and others.
When Véronique becomes pregnant and gives birth to a child she cannot raise, the story becomes more complex, as we follow the life of Marie-Louise, Véronique’s daughter and the path she chooses. Their eventual reunion recalls the genealogical research and discovery undertaken by Lou in Blood Bound. Stachniak’s historical research also includes Angélique Marguerite Le Boursier du Coudray, the King’s midwife, who revolutionized the practice and teaching of midwifery in France—and on whose story Marie-Louise’s is based.
For more information about The School of Mirrors and its author, Eva Stachniak, please visit: https://www.evastachniak.com/.
