The Clockwork Girl, Anna Mazzola

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and buy I will receive a percentage commission at no extra cost to you.

It’s 1750 and the people of Paris are experiencing a freezing winter. Madeleine lives with her mother, nephew, and sister in the Rue Thévenot, an insalubrious area of the city. Their father having died some years before, their mother set up a brothel, using her daughters’ innocence to tempt early customers. Véronique has just returned to Paris from a convent in which she was deeply unhappy. She is struggling to adjust to life back in the city and to re-connect with her father, Doctor Reinhart, who she desperately wants to impress so that he will train her to be a clockmaker, a career not widely considered acceptable for a woman. When Madeleine is coerced into becoming a police spy at the Reinhart household the two young women connect. They may have been born into very situations but there is shared pain and an understanding of the limitations they live under because of their sex. When children start disappearing from the streets, rumours abound that they are being taken for nefarious uses. Riots break out on the streets but the police seem to have very little interest. Will Madeleine get to the bottom of it, and does Reinhart’s secret commission for the King have something to do with it? A dark tale unfolds with many twists and turns along the way, leaving you feeling as Madeleine does, that you’re never quite sure of who you can trust.

Mazzola carefully builds the world of the novel, transporting the reader to the dark, cold world of eighteenth century Paris. Even the halls of Versailles, held up as a place of extravagance and luxury, are given a realistic portrayal - the smells, the intrigue, and boredom of those who inhabit it. The Reinhart household feels unwelcoming, the master having been alone with his experiments for too long. It offers the hope of escape for Madeleine but she’s uncomfortable in her role and unsure of what she’ll find. Her home has long been dangerous, her mother seeing all her daughters as a means to an end rather than showing them affection and concern. It is clear that experience has shown Madeleine that money will always come first and she wants desperately to take her nephew away from such a dangerous, cold environment.

Véronique is an interesting character. Her mother died in childbirth and she was sent to a convent for schooling. The scars from that time continue to haunt her, but she is intelligent and strong-willed although slightly unsure of herself. When she hears of the vanishing children she is keen to help discover what is causing the disappearances. Madeleine begins to show her the darker parts of Paris and she does not shy away from them, willing to look beyond her own experiences and understand that not everyone has been born with the privileges she has. They begin to feel genuine friendship kindle, but will it be able to survive Madeleine’s deceit, and Véronique’s secrets?

A recurring theme throughout is the class divide and power imbalances. The police prove themselves to be untrustworthy and willing to do anything to get what they want, even if it means destroying innocent lives. They are corrupt and not above intimidation, as Madeleine soon discovers, but the levels of depravity are shocking. The missing children also highlight how the poorer members of society are viewed, the police not considering their loss worth investigating, making them easy targets for criminals as they know they’re unlikely to be investigated. The Reinharts also own an enslaved person, Joseph, who appears to be treated fairly well by the Doctor, but who makes it clear to Madeleine that he and his loved ones have suffered a great deal. One of the first children to go missing is an enslaved boy, and it is made abundantly clear that this was not a coincidence, that the perpetrator knew the authorities wouldn’t bat an eyelid. On the flip side, we see in Madame de Pompadour the effort required to leave behind any slight stains on the family history, and how much work it takes to maintain a position of privilege. There are always those out to benefit from your downfall, and even being the King’s mistress is an incredibly uncertain position. 

This is a book which keeps you turning the pages. Mazzola seamlessly combines real characters from history, and uses, for example, Louis XV’s interest in clockwork to build a story which is appropriate to the time and believable. The atmosphere of the novel is often dark and unsettling but with intriguing characters and a mystery that keeps you guessing, it is an enjoyable reading experience. Fans of The Doll Factory or The Winter Garden will love this.

Pick up a copy:

Bookshop

Waterstones

Walking the West Highland Way, Part Three - Inveroran to Fort William

 A new day dawned, and after a beautiful, delicious breakfast, we were ready to leave Inveroran and head across Rannoch Moor, one of Europe’s largest remaining wildernesses. From descriptions I’d read and anecdotes I'd heard, it sounded like a bleak place where you could easily end up wading through bog. I didn’t find it desolate, and with a clearly defined path and dry weather didn’t stumble into any bogs by accident. There were even hillocks on which to stop for a snack. We were traversing it in relatively fine weather, I imagine it would be a different experience in the pelting rain. As with many sections of the Way there wasn’t much in the way of shelter. 

Leaving Rannoch Moor behind

On a clear day you can see quite some distance with mountains receding from view behind you, and new panoramas appearing ahead. The day starts with a steady incline before flattening out and gently descending before a further climb which gives your first views of Glen Coe and the iconic Buachaille Etive Mòr, menacingly standing guard. From above you can see the road that runs through the valley, and it was here that I realised how noisy motorbikes are, their roars reaching us from quite a distance across which sounds from the rest of the traffic did not pass.

Buachaille Etive Mòr and some of the local wildlife

It was our shortest day on the Way, arriving in time to lunch at the on-site pub at Kingshouse while we waited for our beds in the bunkhouse to be ready. The location of the hotel is undoubtedly stunning and you’re likely to encounter deer in the immediate surrounds. We were also treated to a colourful sunset which made Buachaille Etive Mòr appear as an erupting volcano.

Glorious sunshine to bid farewell to Glen Coe

The next day began with a disappointing breakfast but improved exponentially as the walk continued with some of the best panoramas of the trip. We were fortunate to have beautiful sunshine for this leg, one of my favourites. Leaving Kingshouse behind, you follow the valley floor to begin with. The road is visible (and audible at times) but I didn’t find it as oppressive as some guidebooks suggest. Regardless, the incredible views more than make up for having to share them with vehicles. You get a real sense of the scale of the mountains as you walk toward the base of the Devil’s Staircase, a busier section of the Way due to its popularity as a stand-alone walk.

On our way up the Devil's Staircase

There seems to be some disagreement of exactly when the name dates from but it seems to derive either from the numbers who lost their lives climbing it in inclement weather before the construction of the modern road, or in the dislike felt by many who had to carry building equipment up and down. Either way, it’s not as bad climbing it today, at least not in good weather during daylight hours. It is steep and you’ll likely need to stop to catch your breath, but the main difficulty was in the loose rocks slipping underfoot. Walking poles were helpful once again in staying upright. I’m not sure I’d fancy doing the route in reverse here.

Mountains as far as the eye can see

Reaching the summit you are rewarded with breathtaking views on all sides, and your first glimpse of Ben Nevis, reminding you how far you still have to go. Much of the remainder of the day’s walk stays at height, and seemed very popular with mountain bikers. I think we had one of the best lunch break spots this day, sitting on the side of the mountain, enjoying the views across the valley.

The descent in to Kinlochleven

The descent into Kinlochleven felt long and can be a bit hard on the knees, especially if they’re already feeling the strain, but it is a pleasant walk surrounded by trees. The village itself is very pretty with River Leven running through it.  We were lucky to be staying right next to the river with views of the mountains rising up behind it.

The view from the day's first ascent

The final day on the trail was a long one and we set off early, with slightly heavy hearts knowing it was almost over. After a short walk along the road you turn into a wooded area and follow a rocky path upward. Passing small waterfalls and streams, it’s a beautiful but brutal start to the day as you climb steeply out of the valley. There are glimpses of the view as you go but it is when you reach the top that it really opens up, and quite a view it is whether looking back over Kinlochleven or ahead along the length of the loch.

Miles of path ahead

Mercifully there’s no more intense ascents for a while and you enjoy an undulating route through the hills. It’s quite an open sections with streams frequently crossing the path. Sheep and ruined, abandoned farmhouses dot the route, giving a sense of the history of the place. The openness of the landscape means you can see the path snaking off into the distance more than most other sections of the Way.

The re-appearance of trees

After a couple of hours you reach a shift in the landscape, clumps of trees around but not crowding the view. Some splashes of colour appear in the form of purple and yellow flowers, and small bodies of water can be seen in the distance. It’s a very pleasant landscape to be walking through. At one point there is the option to leave the Way and take a shorter route along the road to Fort William. You would miss out on some stunning views by taking it.

The path continues with quite a few more inclines between you and the finish line. It was a sunny, relatively hot day when we did it and there had been very little shade to speak of. The trees offer occasional shelter but for the most part it’s quite an exposed section.

Approaching Ben Nevis from the south

Views of Ben Nevis and neighbouring mountains appear from the flower-lined path making for a pleasant backdrop, albeit one that makes you realise you’ve still got several hours of walking ahead of you. One final push uphill and you can see the town of Fort William in the distance. A wide gravel road takes you on a winding route down to the valley floor. 

Views toward the finish line

It having been a hot day, and one with no facilities en route, we’d been looking forward to reaching the Glen Nevis visitor centre in the hopes of finding a cold drink. Alas, thanks to a break by a stream on the descent we arrived shortly after 4pm and found it closed, the external toilet block locked. 

The remainder of the route follows the road into the town, and although we took detours to stay in the trees as much as possible there’s no denying it’s an anti-climactic end to an absolutely stunning walk. Arriving at the finish line having walked the length of the high street feels strange, surrounded by shoppers going about their day.

Final waymarkers

Despite the underwhelming final miles, the preceding 94 more than made up for it. It was an incredibly special experience spending my days walking side by side with my husband, sharing spectacular, ever-changing views. There were a few fellow walkers we’d seen regularly throughout who we were sad not to bump into on the final day, but hope they made it to the finish line. Before heading back to the daily grind we spent some time exploring Scotland’s cities, an adjustment to being surrounded by people and buildings once more. It felt strange no longer measuring our days in hours of walking, and worse still, when back at work, spending our days staring at screens away from each other. Talking to locals made it clear that life in the highlands is not easy, but the experience certainly opened our eyes to different ways of life, and showed us the benefits of living a slower life, more connected to nature. Now just to work out how to incorporate those lessons into daily life.

West Highland Way complete