Eva Stachniak

Gebundenes Buch

The School of Mirrors

Beschreibung

NATIONAL BESTSELLER From #1 internationally bestselling author Eva Stachniak comes this rich, engrossing tale of love, deception and scandal in eighteenth-century France. 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 favourite 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, andwhen Louis tires of them, they are married off to minor aristocrats or allowed to retire to one of the more luxurious nunneries. Beautiful and impressionable Véronique arrives and quickly becomes a favourite 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. This is also the story of the King's daughter by Véronique--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. Eventually Véronique comes back into her daughter's life, bringing with her the secret of Marie-Louise's birth. But it's a volatile time in France . . . and those with royal relatives must mind their step very carefully. Gorgeously written and with a breathless pace, this is the story of a mother and a daughter--at the centre of cataclysmic personal and public turmoil.

Autor

EVA STACHNIAK is an award-winning and internationally bestselling author of six novels, including The Winter Palace, Empress of the Night and The Chosen Maiden. She holds a PhD in literature from McGill University. Born and raised in Poland, she moved to Canada in 1981, and lives in Toronto.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Gale, a Cengage Company
• Seitenzahl: 723
• Erscheinungstermin: 7. September 2022
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 216mm x 140mm x 34mm
• Gewicht: 771g
• ISBN-13: 9798885781701
• Artikelnr.: 64140346

Rezensionen

"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." - Shipli Somaya Gowda, author of The Shape of Family

"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." - Ann Mah, bestselling author of The Lost Vintage and Jacqueline in Paris

"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

"Riveting! The School of Mirrors is historical fiction at its finest. 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

"A riveting story of two incredible women living in a tumultuous, dynamic era of revolution...a scintillating and vibrant addition to literature on the French Revolution, and a reminder that women --- even when silenced and hidden --- have always been brave, powerful and important parts of history." - Bookreporter.com

"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."
- Beth Powning, bestselling author of The Sister's Tale

"At the same time baroque and intimate, worldly and domestic, wildly strange and soulfully familiar, The Winter Palace offers a flickering glimpse of history through the gauze of deft entertainment." - Washington Post

"A thrilling point of view . . . Readers are treated to a firsthand account of the young princess's slow ascent to the throne, a path deliciously strewn with discarded lovers and sanguine court intrigues." - Minneapolis Star-Tribune on The Winter Palace

"[A] brilliant, bold historical novel . . . This superb biographical epic proves the Tudors don't have a monopoly on marital scandal, royal intrigue, or feminine triumph." - Booklist (starred review) on The Winter Palace