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cate_with_a_c's review
I don’t know how to review this book what so ever. I’m glad it was a fast paced unlike a lot of the historical fiction I’ve read and the page length was perfectly appropriate. And I’m glad that Chen stayed with a single character’s point of view. The story is really sad, as is Joan’s fate but I enjoyed the story for the most part I just didn’t see the plot going anywhere.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Death and Child death
jackiemcguire's review
adventurous
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Had a graphic dog death that I didn't see coming. Looking past that, this was an exceptionally well-research and poignant read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Animal cruelty, and Confinement
chloebrown13's review
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Misogyny
Minor: Rape
joann_l's review against another edition
dark
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
With such a well-known historical figure as the eponymous character, a reader has to wonder, "What is Chen going to bring to the story that we don't already know? What's going to be unique about this version?" In other words, why read this when Joan of Arc's biography can be so easily accessed elsewhere. The answer is apparent almost immediately, but -- in all honesty -- didn't fully hook me until Part Two.
Chen's "Joan" unfolds in four parts, the longest are the first two, which are focused on Joan's childhood and early life. Here, a word of warning on the content is warranted: I won't spoil it for you, just know that there are prolonged episodes of abuse and gendered violence. However, these are critical parts of both Joan's story and Chen's commentary on medieval gender; it is in these initial sections of the novel that the thread of feminist commentary on late Medieval injustice against the female sex and gender begin -- and is continually woven throughout the remainder. Parts three and four are shorter, though no less powerful or impactful. These sections cover the part of the Historical Joan's life that we know: her military victories and defeats, her incredible and rapid rise in the French court and royal favor, and her violent, tragic death.
Given that she was aged nineteen when she was executed, Chen's emphasis on the early and historically unknown years of Joan's life immediately signals Chen's intention. This is not a novel of SAINT Joan of Arc, not a novel about the Maid of Orleans, but -- as the title should amply hint -- is a novel about the girl, the woman, the person, Joan.
There are other ways Chen immediately announces this is a fictional take on the non-Historical Joan: the novel is written in 3rd person, present tense, which suggests to the reader that none of the events unfolding should be taken as a foregone conclusion; they are happening right now, the reader is a witness. Since historical scholarship is always written in the past tense (as a rule), Chen is clear that this should not be read as a piece of creative non-fiction.
Speaking of history, it is worth noting that Chen's novel is also not about Joan at all. While Joan is a fictional protagonist, Chen's novel is grounded in solid history. And I do not mean merely the dates and outcomes of the battles or the names of the characters who inhabit this world. Chen has clearly immersed themselves in the medieval French world and successfully does the same for the reader through their prose. Descriptions of characters and scenes convey not only the image of the person or the place, but reveal the rigid class hierarchies, influence of religion, gendered expectations, and cultural milieu of this period. Chen not only gives us a biography of Joan, but also texturizes her world for the reader so that the reader walks away with an almost tactile, palpable sense of this world. For example, in describing one character, Chen writes of how Joan notices their hands are smooth and absent of callouses, a clear signal of their status and lifestyle. "Joan", the novel, is a vivid landscape of medieval France and its culture. This is arguably Chen's strongest answer to the question I posed above, the special "thing" Chen brings to an already famous, somewhat overdone historical narrative.
A final and related note to this praise: Chen does not romanticize medieval European history and the effect of injecting medieval elements into her prose is (thankfully) not pedantic. It is informative and necessary, serving to achieve that cultural immersion I spoke of above. For example, religion is a major element of this period of history and in Chen's novel, but Chen does not pose secular, material concerns and ambitions in opposition to religion or divine will; Chen understands history and its nuances, framing the events of Joan's transformation in much more human and earthly terms. The effect is refreshing. Too much historical fiction assumes a presentist perspective; the characters are contemporary people, holding contemporary worldviews and values plonked down in some other era in time. Chen successfully avoids this annoying anachronism.
All in all, Chen's Joan is a fantastic novel: I personally dislike present tense narratives and Joan of Arc is not a historical figure that appeals, so my rating of four stars is not indicative of the merits of the novel itself. It's worth reading. Read it if you love medieval history, women's history, or Joan of Arc!
Chen's "Joan" unfolds in four parts, the longest are the first two, which are focused on Joan's childhood and early life. Here, a word of warning on the content is warranted: I won't spoil it for you, just know that there are prolonged episodes of abuse and gendered violence. However, these are critical parts of both Joan's story and Chen's commentary on medieval gender; it is in these initial sections of the novel that the thread of feminist commentary on late Medieval injustice against the female sex and gender begin -- and is continually woven throughout the remainder. Parts three and four are shorter, though no less powerful or impactful. These sections cover the part of the Historical Joan's life that we know: her military victories and defeats, her incredible and rapid rise in the French court and royal favor, and her violent, tragic death.
Given that she was aged nineteen when she was executed, Chen's emphasis on the early and historically unknown years of Joan's life immediately signals Chen's intention. This is not a novel of SAINT Joan of Arc, not a novel about the Maid of Orleans, but -- as the title should amply hint -- is a novel about the girl, the woman, the person, Joan.
There are other ways Chen immediately announces this is a fictional take on the non-Historical Joan: the novel is written in 3rd person, present tense, which suggests to the reader that none of the events unfolding should be taken as a foregone conclusion; they are happening right now, the reader is a witness. Since historical scholarship is always written in the past tense (as a rule), Chen is clear that this should not be read as a piece of creative non-fiction.
Speaking of history, it is worth noting that Chen's novel is also not about Joan at all. While Joan is a fictional protagonist, Chen's novel is grounded in solid history. And I do not mean merely the dates and outcomes of the battles or the names of the characters who inhabit this world. Chen has clearly immersed themselves in the medieval French world and successfully does the same for the reader through their prose. Descriptions of characters and scenes convey not only the image of the person or the place, but reveal the rigid class hierarchies, influence of religion, gendered expectations, and cultural milieu of this period. Chen not only gives us a biography of Joan, but also texturizes her world for the reader so that the reader walks away with an almost tactile, palpable sense of this world. For example, in describing one character, Chen writes of how Joan notices their hands are smooth and absent of callouses, a clear signal of their status and lifestyle. "Joan", the novel, is a vivid landscape of medieval France and its culture. This is arguably Chen's strongest answer to the question I posed above, the special "thing" Chen brings to an already famous, somewhat overdone historical narrative.
A final and related note to this praise: Chen does not romanticize medieval European history and the effect of injecting medieval elements into her prose is (thankfully) not pedantic. It is informative and necessary, serving to achieve that cultural immersion I spoke of above. For example, religion is a major element of this period of history and in Chen's novel, but Chen does not pose secular, material concerns and ambitions in opposition to religion or divine will; Chen understands history and its nuances, framing the events of Joan's transformation in much more human and earthly terms. The effect is refreshing. Too much historical fiction assumes a presentist perspective; the characters are contemporary people, holding contemporary worldviews and values plonked down in some other era in time. Chen successfully avoids this annoying anachronism.
All in all, Chen's Joan is a fantastic novel: I personally dislike present tense narratives and Joan of Arc is not a historical figure that appeals, so my rating of four stars is not indicative of the merits of the novel itself. It's worth reading. Read it if you love medieval history, women's history, or Joan of Arc!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual violence
sharrivel's review
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Chen fleshes out the historical Joan of Arc in this novel. I don’t have a huge understanding about the 100 Years War, but I felt like the author did a good job on giving the basics of what you needed to know.
I liked how the story focuses on Joan’s background and took an alternative view that depicts her as a young woman that wanted to fight and not an overly religious woman experiencing hallucinations that is the common belief.
I was afraid that the battle scenes in the book would be overly gory and dragged out, but they weren’t. I really liked how the author provided us with the historical figures that would be involved at the beginning so you would have something to reference throughout the novel.
I liked how the story focuses on Joan’s background and took an alternative view that depicts her as a young woman that wanted to fight and not an overly religious woman experiencing hallucinations that is the common belief.
I was afraid that the battle scenes in the book would be overly gory and dragged out, but they weren’t. I really liked how the author provided us with the historical figures that would be involved at the beginning so you would have something to reference throughout the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Child death
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
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