The School of Mirrors

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A scintillating historical novel set in eighteenth-century France, it follows the intertwined lives of a mother and daughter against a backdrop of decadence and revolution. During Louis XV's reign, impoverished teenage girls are sent to a discreet villa in Versailles, overseen by Madame de Pompadour, to be trained as potential courtesans. Each girl is eventually smuggled into the opulent palace, where they meet a mysterious man presented as a Polish count. Living indulgently, they rarely question their fates, often ending up married to minor aristocrats or retiring to luxurious nunneries. Veronique, a beautiful and clever girl, quickly becomes a favorite of the King. However, upon discovering her lover's true identity, she is sent away to give birth to a daughter in secret and later marries a wealthy Breton merchant, leaving the School of Mirrors behind. Marie-Louise, Veronique's daughter, grows up in comfort, unaware of her mother's identity. Intelligent and capable, she pursues a career as a midwife, one of the few respectable paths for women like her. When Veronique reenters her life, she reveals the truth about Marie-Louise's origins. As France faces political upheaval under Louis XVI, the stakes rise for those with royal connections, forcing them to navigate a treacherous landscape.