Nikki Carrington has lost everything. Her husband of 18
years left her for a younger woman, her daughter lives with
them and the house Nikki asked for in the divorce
settlement has just gone up in smoke—literally. All she has
left is a laptop and her precious perfume case, full of
fragrance absolutes and essential oils. Now she's thrust
into a life she never wanted, forced to make a new start as
a 40-something ex-housewife with no savings. The answer? A
job waiting tables at a local organic restaurant, a rented
apartment at a complex filled with divorcees and regular
walks in the gorgeous mountains surrounding her little
Colorado town.
One shuffling step at a time, Nikki moves forward, trying
desperately to untangle herself from her shock and rage at
the sudden turn her life has taken. New friends help, and a
charming, seductive man steps in to remind her of the joys
of life after divorce. There's even a dilapidated
storefront near the restaurant that would make a perfect
perfume shop—with a lot of elbow grease and a serious leap
of faith. And through the rediscovery of her lifelong love
of perfume, Nikki catches the scent of her future.
Although the title MADAME MIRABOU'S SCHOOL OF LOVE turns
out to be misleading (Madame Mirabou's School of Bitterness
would perhaps be more accurate), Ms. Samuels shows a true
sense of the deep tragedy inherent in divorce. The action
unfolds slowly, almost ploddingly, as Nikki reluctantly
makes an effort to get her groove back. There are some
complex emotional issues at play: Nikki's ex-husband is
black, while she's as white as can be, with blue eyes and
pale blond hair. Nikki gave up custody of their 15-year-old
daughter partly because she wanted her to have access to
the African-American community. Samuels explores the race
question delicately, but her interests clearly lie
elsewhere. The story doesn't really come to life until
Nikki focuses on her unique talents with perfume. The
writing vibrates with Nikki's passion for scent and the
memories it so effortlessly evokes. You'll never smell a
bottle of perfume the same way.
When Nicole Carrington accidentally burns down the house
that was meant to be her portion of the divorce settlement,
she is forced out of her old neighborhood and into a life
she doesn't recognize and never wanted. Then, to her
delight, Nikki finds an empty storefront in the small town
of Manitou Springs, Colorado, a shop she plans to make into
a perfumery and call "Madame Mirabou's Elixirs of the
Hours." All she has to do is be ready for the first weekend
of the tourist season which gives her three months to clear
out the junk in the old shop--three months to scrub the
floors, collect her shelving, and get the perfume samples
ready. Piece of cake.
As she starts to rebuild her life, she falls in love again,
makes new friends and new enemies. Nikki also begins to
discover who she really as she learns how to blend the notes
of her old self with the notes of her new life, and to claim
the perfume of these days for herself.
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