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.

Book Summary

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.