Queen of the jesters, and her strange adventures in old Paris

In the bustling streets of pre‑revolutionary Paris, a remarkable woman known simply as Mademoiselle de Montesson has turned the city’s hidden corners into her own stage. With a razor‑sharp wit, striking beauty, and a heart for the outcasts, she gathers a motley band of scientists, adventurers and thieves at her Rue Saint‑Paul residence, where miracles are performed and rumored witchcraft whispers through the alleys. When a starving newcomer, Ferdinand Dauberval, arrives seeking her aid, the clash of pride, hunger and the city’s rough hospitality launches a series of daring rescues that blur the line between charity and rebellion.

As word of her exploits spreads, the royal court grows both curious and covetous, granting her audience with the king while the police and a stern abbey demand her confinement. Yet her influence over Paris’s vagabonds proves irresistible, and her storefront becomes a crossroads where the lofty and the lowly meet, setting the scene for further escapades that will test her wit, her courage, and the very fabric of the city she loves.