The School of Mirrors

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

It‘s time for our discussion, #LiteraryCrew !

I posted 8 questions as spoilers. You can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or searching the group hashtag.

Thanks for joining me for this #BuddyRead ! Next month‘s book is A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes, and I will post a reminder graphic about it tomorrow.

LaraReads, mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Crazeedi, tpixie, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, Sace, Bluebird, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Sargar114, Singout, KristiAhlers, PageShifter, julieclair, AllDebooks, BookWrym

kspenmoll I really loved this bookš’• 7mo

julieclair Still listening. Loving it so far! 7mo

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Librarybelle

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

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8. Consider the mothers and daughters in this book: Veronique and Marie-Louise; Veronique and her mother, Danielle; the queen and her daughters; and Madame du Pompadour and Alexandrine. What are the common threads in all those relationships? Which ones did you most identify with? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

kspenmoll One common thread is that there was physical distance between them all.Also in most cases the daughters were taken from their mothers at birth or at a young age & raised separately.The mothers had to deal with the agony of that loss.The mothers either did not have a choice in this because they were under their husbands rule or as in Veronique‘s case,her mother believed what she was told that her daughter‘s life would be much richer. (edited) 7mo

julieclair @kspenmoll is correct, in that all of the daughters were separated from their mothers, one way or another . It is hard for me to imagine that. I really don‘t identify with any of them. 7mo

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Librarybelle

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

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7. What do you think becomes of Marie-Louise, Veronique, and Jean-Louis in the years after the novel ends? How do you envision their future? ~adapted from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

mcctrish I hope Jean-Louis lived a good life and stayed in touch with his mom. 7mo

kspenmoll I loved that fact that Marie-Louise was going to join her son in the New World. 7mo

julieclair It‘s so fascinating to think that the daughter and grandson of the French king could be living like ordinary people in the new world. Imagine tracing your genealogy nowadays and discovering that! 7mo

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Librarybelle

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

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6. How might Marie-Louise's life had differed had she known the truth of her mother and father, rather than learning years later? ~adapted from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

mcctrish If her guardians had told her I think it might have crushed her and if it had been public knowledge I think she‘d have been killed in the uprisings (edited) 7mo

kspenmoll I agree with @mcctrish in that she was protected during the Revolution while her husband ultimately was not because he took her dowry money that was traced to the crown. 7mo

julieclair I think she would have been happier overall if she had known the truth, rather than just thinking that her parents didn‘t care about her. But I agree that not knowing probably did save her life during the Revolution. 7mo

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Librarybelle

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

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5. Why does Marie-Louise become a midwife? What about her history may have made her uniquely qualified for this calling? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

mcctrish I think she needed to do something, have a role, not be disposable ( worthless) and midwifery was just what was presented to her as a viable vocation. She was smart and capable and being a midwife was seemingly the best job a woman at that time could have and keep after marriage and children 7mo

kspenmoll She was interested in & studying science- she knew she could not be a doctor in the society she lives in. She did not want to be a nurse, assisting doctors. She observed how independent, in charge, respected & knowledgeable her mentor was & she wanted that life. 7mo

julieclair She just found herself in that situation, and ran with it. She really didn‘t have many options. 7mo

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Librarybelle

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

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4. Why is it so hard for Veronique to move on after the king spurns her, despite knowing that her future has been assured if she's willing to go along with the plan? Why does she continue to insist that the king is the father of her child? Would you have done the same? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

mcctrish She was young and thought the relationship was a two way street. The trauma of a sexual relationship so young, the lack of education and then the consequences ( pregnancy and dismissal) broke her heart and her mind. I think realizing how absolutely disposable I was would break me 7mo

kspenmoll @mcctrish I agree- she believed all he had told her about being his love- just a child & he was all she had. She insists he is the father of her child because he is the only man she had sex with during that time. It is beyond her ability to grasp that he is done with her. (edited) 7mo

julieclair Poor Veronique was completely under the control of others. First her mother ā€soldā€¯ her, then Mme. Pompadour and Lebel controlled every aspect of her life. Insisting that the king is her baby‘s father is the only thing she can control. 7mo

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Librarybelle

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

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3. At the start of the novel, we are told that the king's mistress, Madame du Pompadour, ā€. . .knows that the world is not run by those who trust but by those who foresee trouble well before it is conceived.ā€ Do you agree? Which other characters in this novel share that approach to life? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

kspenmoll I am at work- will respond later in the day. 7mo

Jerdencon The kings main helper (can‘t remember his name right now) definitely lived his life trying to anticipate the next step before the king. 7mo

mcctrish @Jerdencon I listened to this so I can‘t look it up but you are absolutely right. I think we all live this way to some extent ( savings, life insurance, looking both ways before we cross the street ) some people have to next level it - body guards 7mo

kspenmoll @Jerdencon I think his name is Lebel. He served the king so long that he knew him inside & out - he tells the king he is always ā€ sniffing for deceitā€¯ unlike the king who Lebel tells him he ā€only sees goodness and innocence around you.ā€¯ His job is to know what the king needs next. 7mo

julieclair I think there‘s a lot of truth in that statement. If someone has anticipated problems and is prepared to handle them, then they can have the luxury of trusting people. If their trust turns out to be misplaced, they‘re ready to deal with it. 7mo

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Librarybelle

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

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2. Before diving into the book, I also wanted to highlight King Louis XV, who is one of the main characters in the novel, and Deer Park. Stachniak includes in her author's note that Deer Park did exist. I was astounded while reading about this!

Here's a little bit more information about Louis XV and Deer Park: https://www.geriwalton.com/parc-aux-cerfs-and-tales-of-louis-xvs-harem/

#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

kspenmoll Thanks! This article is better than what I found on the internet! I learned so much through this book- I had no knowledge of the Kings use of young girls. 7mo

Jerdencon While I had never heard of deer park before, I can‘t say I was surprised it was going onā€¦ these kings thought they could do whatever they wanted and found an excuse to make it seem ok. 7mo

mcctrish I had no idea before this book ( but it makes perfect sense) your link is fantastic. This is the best kind of historical fiction 7mo

julieclair That link is so interesting. I had never heard of Deer Park before reading this book. As @mcctrish says, this is the best kind of historical fiction. Books like this are why it‘s my favorite genre. 7mo

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Librarybelle

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

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1. We are at Versailles this month! Have you ever visited Versailles? Have you read anything prior to this book set in or about Versailles?

To get us fully immersed, this is the Versailles official website: https://en.chateauversailles.fr/

#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

kspenmoll I visited Versailles during my honeymoon- we spent a week in Paris & a week in Italy. The opulence is so striking. It makes you understand why the revolution occurred. 7mo

tpixie Versailles is golden opulence! One crazy thing- people would come into the bedrooms of the queen to watch her sleep & get dressed- like a zoo animal !! And whenever a queen would deliver a baby there would be multiple people there watching her to document that it really was a royal birth. 7mo

Jerdencon I visited Versailles many years ago - it was beautifulā€¦ I have so many pictures of the hall of mirrors! 7mo

mcctrish @kspenmoll I went on my honeymoon too ā¯¤ļø¸ā¯¤ļø¸ and again with my boys 15 years later ( watering rationing was very event the second time with only a few fountains running in the gardens on the official water days ā¹ļø¸) I loved that I could imagine where the characters were when they walked the ground 7mo

julieclair Versailles was so opulent that it was hard to comprehend. Such unbelievable wealth. 7mo

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kspenmoll

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

Late afternoon coffee and cookie break after a full day: a hike,a family get together, & a visit to the Pacific Ocean. Note to self:Just relax and breathe. #literarycrew

Librarybelle

Librarybelle Sounds so lovely! 7mo

Singout I'm enjoying this one too! Alhough I'm trying to alternate it with Doppelganger... š¤” 7mo

MemoirsForMe Keeping enjoying CA! I‘m waving to you from Oceanside šš‘‹š¸» 7mo

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Librarybelle

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

#LiteraryCrew : We are about halfway through the month, so time for a #buddyread check-in! I know a few have finished and others are waiting for their copy from the library, but for those who have read or who are readingā€¦any thoughts to share?

Discussion May 31st!

mcctrish I loved it! Some things really blew my mind like the Deer Park girls, and not just the girls which was š³ but the effort behind the business of the Deer Park girls 7mo

Librarybelle @mcctrish I hope to get this soon! 7mo

Jerdencon I‘m zipping through this and really liking it! 7mo

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Librarybelle That‘s wonderful, @Jerdencon ! 7mo

julieclair Looking forward to starting this! 7mo

Librarybelle Yay, @julieclair ! 7mo

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mcctrish

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

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Loved this! Another audio that had me talking out loud further cementing my crazy status with the neighbours š‘¸š¸»š‘¸š¸» I can‘t wait to chat it up at the end of the month with #literarycrew #buddyread the midwifery component was really fascinating ā¯¤ļø¸ the disparaging/disposable way men treated women in the past š¤¬ they should be happy we want to be equal and not vindictive

Librarybelle So glad you liked this!! 7mo

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mcctrish

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

It doesn‘t look like much but I have gardened like a maniac all afternoon. I weeded, edged a giant swath of garden and planted all my new for the backyard plants. Thank heavens for audio books š™¸š¸»ā¯¤ļø¸ I was so engrossed in this story I didn‘t care that I was exhausted and I have to work tomorrow š¤£š¤£ this book was a ā€Top 5 Books With Buzzā€¯on an Amazon list I saw and my library had it šˇ‰ it‘s interesting to pair with Wolf Hall #literarycrew

Librarybelle What a great recommendation! It‘s going to read a lot different than Wolf Hall š‚ 7mo

mcctrish @Librarybelle it is SO DIFFERENT š†š± 7mo

PurpleyPumpkin Great job on the gardening! I still have a lot of garden cleanup to do. š… As this book is next on my list, maybe I‘ll follow your lead and start listening to it while digging in the dirt this weekend!š‘¨š¸½ 7mo

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dabbe š¤©š¤©š¤© 7mo

mcctrish @PurpleyPumpkin I am afraid the gardening will never be done š¤£š¤£ I still have another side to edge and weed ( not as bad as the 2 I did today) plus plant the plants still waiting to go in one of my front gardens that I ripped a dead burning bush out of a few weeks ago THEN I need to get my veggie garden up and running 7mo

mcctrish @Librarybelle and it‘s the May read š¤¦š¸»ā€¨ā™€ļø¸ 7mo

Librarybelle š I just got my copy from the library! 7mo

mcctrish @Librarybelle it‘s 17 hours on audio so it must be a chunkster! I love it even if I‘m screaming inside at how women and children are treated 7mo

Librarybelle The edition I got from the library, paperback, is a little over 400 pages. 7mo

Suet624 Nice work on the garden. I need to do this and I‘m dreading it. 7mo

mcctrish @Librarybelle obviously I‘m not a good job of text to audio š¤£š¤£ 7mo

mcctrish @Suet624 the start of the season is WORK 7mo

Librarybelle I wouldn‘t say that. I think a lot depends too on the reader‘s speed and the language used. I didn‘t look at the print size, either, so it may be small. In comparison, the Outlander series - which is at least 800 pages for most of them - is 40-48 hours long. So, I think you‘re fine in your estimation! Also, cozy mysteries are about 300 pages, and some of these are read in about 8 hoursā€¦it‘s fun to figure these things out! 7mo

PurpleyPumpkin Wow that‘s a lot of gardening! š³ And then when you finally complete it, you‘ll probably have to go back to the beginning and start weeding all over again! At least that‘s what I end up doing. You‘re right, it never really ends. š 7mo

Tamra Despite the work, it looks lovely! I am so envious you can have such a pretty garden. We have too many deer & rabbits ā€¦ā€¦ chomp chompā€¦.. 7mo

mcctrish @PurpleyPumpkin oh absolutely!! There‘s a lot of rainy days in the forecast for the next week so the weeds will be popping as fast as I pull them š« 7mo

Ruthiella It looks beautiful. I spent four hours last Sunday attacking the backyard with a weed eater and made sure to take a before and after picture because it doesn‘t look that great until you compare it to how it looked before! š† 7mo

mcctrish @Ruthiella before and after pics are important for mental health š¤£š¤£ 7mo

julieclair It looks lovely! And I can‘t wait to start this book! 7mo

mcctrish @julieclair despite feeling broken this morning from my garden work out š† I‘m so sad I have to go to work and I can‘t listen all day again 7mo

julieclair @mcctrish I hope you can haul your broken body home at the end of the day, plug in your headphones, and do some serious audio-resting. š¤˛š 7mo

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LitsyEvents

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

repost for @Librarybelle:

For Mayā€s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead , we will be visiting the court of the French king Louis XV and Versailles.

Read at your own pace. I will post periodic checkins, and discussion questions will be posted on May 31st.

All are welcome! If you would also like to be added to the tag list, comment on the original post:
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2730063

Librarybelle Thanks for reposting! 8mo

kspenmoll Just got the book! 7mo

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Librarybelle

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

For May‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead , we will be visiting the court of the French king Louis XV and Versailles.

Read at your own pace. I will post periodic checkins, and discussion questions will be posted on May 31st.

All are welcome! If you would also like to be added to the tag list, comment below!

Librarybelle @LitsyEvents 8mo

mcctrish My hold came in š‘¸š¸»š‘¸š¸»š‘¸š¸» 8mo

Librarybelle @mcctrish Hooray!! 8mo

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Mollyanna Unfortunately there is only one copy in my library system, and I‘m on a hold list. Hoping it comes in before the end of the month. 8mo

Librarybelle Crossing fingers, @Mollyanna ! 8mo

Deblovestoread I‘m in for this one! 8mo

Librarybelle Hooray, @Deblovestoread ! 8mo

julieclair Yay! 8mo

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LitsyEvents

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

Via @Librarybelle
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2727270

May's #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead is the tagged book. Read at your own pace throughout the month, and discussion questions will be posted on
May 31st.
The graphic is a reminder of our yearlong list. If you would to be added or removed from the tag list, let her know!

Librarybelle Thanks for reposting! 8mo

Singout @Librarybelle Can you add me to the list too, please? Thanks! 8mo

Librarybelle Of course, @Singout ! 8mo

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Librarybelle

The School of Mirrors: A Novel | Eva Stachniak

May‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead is the tagged book. Read at your own pace throughout the month, and discussion questions will be posted on May 31st.

The graphic is a reminder of our yearlong list. If you would to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know!

LaraReads, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Crazeedi, tpixie, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, Bluebird, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Sargar114, KristiAhlers, PageShifter, julieclair, AllDebooks

Librarybelle @LitsyEvents 8mo

CatLass007 Thank you. š’• 8mo

Librarybelle @CatLass007 š 8mo

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CatLass007 I just want you to know that you‘re doing an awesome job. If you ever start to doubt that, don‘t! 8mo

Librarybelle Thank you so much, @CatLass007 ! ā¯¤ļø¸ I really appreciate that. 8mo

mcctrish I‘m shopping the book outlet for future reads 8mo

Librarybelle @mcctrish Good idea! Let me know if you would like to be tagged for any of the months! 8mo

mcctrish Tag me please 8mo

Librarybelle @mcctrish Will do! 8mo

Jerdencon Just downloaded it! 8mo

Librarybelle Yay, @Jerdencon ! 8mo

julieclair These are all such good books! I just love being a part of #LiteraryCrew! 8mo

Librarybelle @julieclair Yay!! ā¯¤ļø¸ā¯¤ļø¸ā¯¤ļø¸ 8mo

BookWrym Can you add me to the tag list please 8mo

Librarybelle Of course, @BookWrym ! 8mo

Sace Have I been asked to be added to the tag list? I can‘t remember. 8mo

Librarybelle @Sace No, but I will add you to the list! š 8mo

Sace Thank you! 8mo

Sace PS: I might not be able to jump in immediately, but I‘m definitely interested in the lady Macbeth book. The Direction of the Wind was free for me because it was an Amazon Prime reads title. 8mo

Librarybelle @Sace That‘s fine! Jump in whenever you are able! 8mo

Sace @Librarybelle thanks! I still have fond memories of reading The Last Hours with the crew. š

The Last Hours

8mo

Librarybelle @Sace Such a good book!! š 8mo

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