I picked up this little book on the strength of its title and was pleasantly surprised by its content. This is the story of Marie-Louise Murphy, a daughter of poor Irish immigrants, whose portrait is noticed by Louis XV; she becomes his mistress during the years before the Revolution. The style is mostly narrative with very little dialogue, yet Mr. Sprott manages to convey vivid images of the physical surroundings, social context and personalities of his characters without the lengthy descriptions that are often found in period novels. The humorous tone softens the otherwise harsh, although convincingly conveyed, reality of extreme poverty in pre-revolutionary France, as well as the huge contrast with its ruling class. The book spans the life of Marie-Louise as well as her parents and children, while keeping under 300 pages. There is never a boring moment since we only witness the "interesting" events. Not for the faint of heart or for those who enjoy watered-down romance novels. You will know the grime, filth, indifference, violence, superstitions, injustices and inequalities of the period, alongside the gilt, riches and excesses. I will probably read this book at least once a year for a long, long time.