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just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
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? No
5.0
Fun fact about me: I was obsessed with the story of Joan of Arc when I was in elementary school. I went to Catholic School through 6th grade and honestly, there were not a lot of actively inspiring women in the religious mythology of Catholicism. Like, men who were saints had stories about fighting dragons and shit, but women who were saints were mostly the victims of terrible societal violence in some way, or otherwise "pure" in an inaccessible way (impossible standards and not really anything one would want to live up to). Anyways, enter Joan of Arc. Definitely a victim of horrific end of life violence, and some weird purity stuff, BUT she also had armour and a sword and fought in wars and generally just seemed really badass. I have very distinct memories of my dad helping me make a spear out of a dowel and some cardstock for a class presentation I was doing about her. Needless to say, this historical fiction of her life was an absolute "must read" for me.
In this retelling of the mythology of Joan of Arc's epic story, Chen breathes life into the women (girl, really), in an incredibly vibrant way. Starting with historical context about the contemporary state of the seemingly endless war between France and England, the reader is dropped right into rural France in the 1400s. Joan's childhood is described with a detailed and realistic touch, from the proxy wars fought between village children to the brutality of her relationship with her father, from her vagabond uncle's influence in her life to the closeness between her and her sister, and finally the tragedy that ensues when English soldiers overrun their village and how that starts Joan down the path of of becoming one of the most famous warriors not only of the Hundred Years War, but also of the entirety of France's history, at only 17 years old. Facing violence of the physical sort on the battlefield and of the political sort at court, she fights for her country, her sister, and to prove to everyone that women deserve power, glory, and respect.
Well, I admit that I am fully biased, but I absolutely loved this novel. From the beginning, Chen brings it with the sense of time and place. Just a really evocative historical setting, from the physical/location to the social-political to the characterization (in ways both fictional and nonfictional). The opening chapter takes the reader through a gorgeously horrible portrayal of the senselessness of war within the context of a youthful "game." And the violence and terror of that first scene sets up the themes of the rest of the story perfectly. That attention to detail in the experiences of Joan's childhood, so that the reader can reference back to the individual and specific lessons learned, as they are applied throughout her later life, are woven together so smoothly.
War plays a major role in Joan's story, literally and thematically, of course, and Chen explored the violence and upheavals of it, in both peasant and high society lifestyles, in clear and central ways. The visceral portrayal of the effects of war, specific to this historical moment, is incredibly affecting, especially in Joan’s “normal" [female] person perspective. Considering the look at both the short and long term tragedies and sorrows that war brings the toll it takes and what it leaves behind, it really makes you understand and empathize with so many of the choices she makes (in general and in particular at her young age). There’s a few page section where Joan describes to the Dauphin "what she knows of war” and the greed for wealth/power that inspires it, and it is…phew, intense. I felt that it was an unexpected crux of the novel, as it was really just a reflective, if pointed, conversation, and not the action itself.
Another overarching theme, or really more of an exploration, was how Joan's folklore was created. I loved this more secular take, in the retelling, on how a small group took advantage of belief and faith to manipulate the people. This effort was led in no small part, by women, because those tactics and tools were the only ones at hand to use the gifts they had in order to make their cause successful. And Chen did a great job keeping belief deeply intertwined with the story, addressing the faith and religious fervor that made Joan the figurehead she became, as well as a more introspective dive into Joan's own religious questioning and philosophy. I felt like this was such an important consideration, as Joan grapples with how she is "blessed" with such a terrible strength/skill (can being great at killing really be a gift from God?) and how to compromise her own faith with the horrors allowed by that God, the one that is supposedly so involved in so many aspects of war. But seriously, to bring it back around, the way storytelling makes a reputation, a legend, grow (and later how similar tactics were used by political enemies to bring her down again) was enthralling to follow.
A few other things I want to mention. First, the positive or observational. I love (*sarcasm*) that a big strong woman with skill in fighting and weapons can’t be natural... she must be a miracle or gift from god (*eye roll*). The passage where Joan first shoots the bow, the way she sinks into the experience and is carried away by it, by the transcendence of the moment, was written so gorgeously; it was so moving. I don't know if this was intentional or not, but I was here for the ace coding on Joan's purity/virginity - a fantastic reclaiming of sexuality and reframing of this ridiculous patriarchal religious BS part of her mythos. Next, the less positive. The only real "complaint" I have is that there was some unevenness in the pacing of the story, with the end wrapping up quickly in comparison to the depth of exposition earlier on. However, I partly understand the choice because that is what builds the Joan we then feel we understand, when we get to the later stages of her life. And being left with extensive details of Joan's losses and failures and (horrific) death is perhaps not the legacy that Chen wants the reader to remember most or be left with. I respect that. It just felt a little unevenly handled. Also, and this often frustrates me in fiction about women, there is no mention of menstruation ever... Now, maybe the lack of nutrition or (with all the commentary on her size, etc.) maybe a hormone situation *could* explain her not having one. And yet, I would have liked some recognition/discussion of that part of her female-ness and how it might have been handled within the context of her atypical life.
And now, back to how much I loved this book. I love where it ended. This story of Joan in her own perspective, closing out with her belief in herself and her impact on the future, was just right. We all know the gruesome ending, and it’s insinuated, but it is not the image of her we are left with and that is beautiful to me. The narrative style and tone are just right for this work. Chen takes a figure who has since been…purified…into something that cannot have been the "truth" recreating her humanity to make her something real. Joan was charismatic but flawed, proud and angry but with a focus on making things better for French people and women. She was perhaps blessed, and faith gave her strength, but that would have been nothing without her own courage and leadership and personality to make things happen. Joan just comes alive in Chen’s hands; what an honor, an homage, to the memory of a strong, inspiring, unbelievable woman.
“There are no happy stories, just stories that make you feel grateful you weren't born somewhere else…”
“You must make your own map of the world. Search out your own piece of sky and patch of earth, your own awning to sleep under when it is raining and it feels the sun may never shine again, for there will certainly be such days. No one can walk this path for you. You cannot simply follow in another's footsteps, as though life were a complicated dance, every turn and twist memorized and prepared for ahead of time. There are many things in the world one can inherit: money, land, power, a crown. But an adventure is not one of them; you must make your own journey.”
“How can compassion, temperance, mercy, which are all features of the Virgin, serve you against men such as these? The answer is, they can’t.”
“But I will tell you something I have learned in my forty--eight years. Either a woman must be raised high, higher than the heads of men, or she will be crushed beneath their feet. So, we must raise you high. We must raise you to the height of the heavens themselves. We must dress you in the very mantle of God. Do you understand, Joan?”
“But one must fight for what one loves [...] Or else it will not be heard for others to take it from you.”
“She learns: It's not always armies that win a battle. Sometimes it’s fear.”
“War is like a box. Once you open it, there is no way to close it again, to unsee what you have seen.”
“She can understand how God would inspire poets and artists. She can picture angels breathing sweet music into the ears of the dozing troubadour. But does a talent for slaughter count as a heavenly gift, too?”
“Pain is like this. You endure it, and if you live through it, eventually it becomes something else.”
“Those who do nothing, who stand by and watch as chaos unravels, who feel that as long as they are alive and in good health, it does not matter what else is happening in front of them, why should they be innocent? They are guilty, too.”
“Goodness is just as capable of torment; it thaws the heart and fills up the soul, then leaves in its wake a pit so deep it can never be whole again.”
“I am the greatest warrior alive. [...] I am the performer of miracles. [...] What are you, other than a king?”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Excrement, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
kamreadsandrecs's review against another edition
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’m familiar with Saint Joan of Arc, mostly thanks to a Catholic school education and a general curiosity about the lives of these people whom the Church seemed to think were pretty damn important, if they were powerful enough to bend God’s ear on behalf of us mere mortals. Like most Catholics I’m familiar with the general outline of her life story: how as a girl she had visions encouraging her to save France; how she spoke to the Dauphin and convinced him to give her an army; how she succeeded in battle until she didn’t; and then was burnt at the stake by the English for heresy. However, the memory of her victories continued to live in the memory of the French people (not least because her achievements were crucial to France winning the Hundred Years’ War), and almost five hundred years after her execution she’d be canonized as a saint, thus cementing her legendary status.
It’s a good story - a VERY good story. It’s why Joan is one of the most memorable saints in the Church’s immense roster, and why even non-religious folk know who she is and the general outline of her life and eventual death. It also helps that there are PLENTY of fictionalized depictions of her, both in print and in film, and there are almost as many non-fictional accounts of her life too. If you want to go down a rabbit hole of everything Saint Joan, you can easily do that and get lost down there for a good long while.
So: with all of these books and movies already out there, many of which are considered to be quite good, what makes Chen’s novel, in particular, stand out? Personally, I think it’s that her take on Joan is, firstly, very human, and secondly, there’s little of the divine to be seen anywhere in this story. Those two things are tied together: throughout the novel Joan’s perspective on her achievements is that SHE has accomplished them, no one else. Oh, sure, she’s aware that her talents are likely God-given, (and there’s a brief moment in the novel where she contemplates God taking those talents away and gets really scared), but more in the manner of a seed being planted in her - a seed that was nurtured under the abusive hand of her father Jacques d’Arc, and which she then found use for as she grew older.
This doesn’t mean she’s an atheist, of course, nor even an agnostic. No: Joan believes in God, but her relationship with God is different. Instead of begging and pleading to him when she prays, she bargains with him. There’s a couple scenes in the novel where she talks about how her prayers to God go, and it’s generally her talking about all these things she has done and wants to do, and then telling God “So: what do you think? Maybe we can help each other out here.” This is very different from the other depictions of Joan that I’ve seen, which have portrayed her as completely devoted to God and moving only as he (through her visions) commands her to.
Speaking of visions: there’s none of that to be seen here. Oh sure, Joan has dreams, but not the visions (or hallucinations) of the saints that a lot of material out there says she had. Instead, Joan’s motivations are entirely - and heartbreakingly - human. I won’t go into the details because that way lie spoilers, but suffice to say that what gets Joan out of her home and to the court of the Dauphin has very, VERY little to do with divine inspiration, but A LOT MORE to do with entirely human (and, therefore, probably more relatable) motivations.
But that raises the question: where DID all those stories of visions and divine inspiration come from in the first place? In Chen’s novel, those are all part of a propaganda push, orchestrated by certain members of the Dauphin’s court, in order to get the Dauphin off his butt and moving in fighting back against the English and the Burgundians, and then later, after her initial victories, rumors and stories concocted by people who had encountered her and were looking for something hopeful to hang onto in the face of the despair and tragedy of the war. Again I won’t get into that too much because spoilers, but it soon becomes clear to the reader that in the novel, the legend of Joan was something other people created, and that she herself didn’t have much to do with its creation except through her actions - actions which were then taken by others and spun this way and that for their own purposes. In the novel, Joan is entirely aware of these stories, and how she deals with them is interesting to read about too. Interesting, too, is how she is aware she is being used, but decides to take that in stride and find her own way of using others in turn to achieve her own ends.
Overall, this is a very good read, largely because I like this take on Joan: not a saint, and not a madwoman, but someone thoroughly human, who wanted to do what she could with what she had - and accomplished a great deal, even as she went against the grain of what was expected of her as a woman. However, just as her own motivations and desires were entirely human, so too were the challenges that stood in her way - and while some she could overcome, there were more that she could not, like systemic misogyny and political maneuvering. Despite knowing the end of her story even before the novel begins, reading about this particular take on a familiar figure was quite fun, and I think other people will enjoy it too.
It’s a good story - a VERY good story. It’s why Joan is one of the most memorable saints in the Church’s immense roster, and why even non-religious folk know who she is and the general outline of her life and eventual death. It also helps that there are PLENTY of fictionalized depictions of her, both in print and in film, and there are almost as many non-fictional accounts of her life too. If you want to go down a rabbit hole of everything Saint Joan, you can easily do that and get lost down there for a good long while.
So: with all of these books and movies already out there, many of which are considered to be quite good, what makes Chen’s novel, in particular, stand out? Personally, I think it’s that her take on Joan is, firstly, very human, and secondly, there’s little of the divine to be seen anywhere in this story. Those two things are tied together: throughout the novel Joan’s perspective on her achievements is that SHE has accomplished them, no one else. Oh, sure, she’s aware that her talents are likely God-given, (and there’s a brief moment in the novel where she contemplates God taking those talents away and gets really scared), but more in the manner of a seed being planted in her - a seed that was nurtured under the abusive hand of her father Jacques d’Arc, and which she then found use for as she grew older.
This doesn’t mean she’s an atheist, of course, nor even an agnostic. No: Joan believes in God, but her relationship with God is different. Instead of begging and pleading to him when she prays, she bargains with him. There’s a couple scenes in the novel where she talks about how her prayers to God go, and it’s generally her talking about all these things she has done and wants to do, and then telling God “So: what do you think? Maybe we can help each other out here.” This is very different from the other depictions of Joan that I’ve seen, which have portrayed her as completely devoted to God and moving only as he (through her visions) commands her to.
Speaking of visions: there’s none of that to be seen here. Oh sure, Joan has dreams, but not the visions (or hallucinations) of the saints that a lot of material out there says she had. Instead, Joan’s motivations are entirely - and heartbreakingly - human. I won’t go into the details because that way lie spoilers, but suffice to say that what gets Joan out of her home and to the court of the Dauphin has very, VERY little to do with divine inspiration, but A LOT MORE to do with entirely human (and, therefore, probably more relatable) motivations.
But that raises the question: where DID all those stories of visions and divine inspiration come from in the first place? In Chen’s novel, those are all part of a propaganda push, orchestrated by certain members of the Dauphin’s court, in order to get the Dauphin off his butt and moving in fighting back against the English and the Burgundians, and then later, after her initial victories, rumors and stories concocted by people who had encountered her and were looking for something hopeful to hang onto in the face of the despair and tragedy of the war. Again I won’t get into that too much because spoilers, but it soon becomes clear to the reader that in the novel, the legend of Joan was something other people created, and that she herself didn’t have much to do with its creation except through her actions - actions which were then taken by others and spun this way and that for their own purposes. In the novel, Joan is entirely aware of these stories, and how she deals with them is interesting to read about too. Interesting, too, is how she is aware she is being used, but decides to take that in stride and find her own way of using others in turn to achieve her own ends.
Overall, this is a very good read, largely because I like this take on Joan: not a saint, and not a madwoman, but someone thoroughly human, who wanted to do what she could with what she had - and accomplished a great deal, even as she went against the grain of what was expected of her as a woman. However, just as her own motivations and desires were entirely human, so too were the challenges that stood in her way - and while some she could overcome, there were more that she could not, like systemic misogyny and political maneuvering. Despite knowing the end of her story even before the novel begins, reading about this particular take on a familiar figure was quite fun, and I think other people will enjoy it too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, and War
bessmonet's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and War
cate_with_a_c's review against another edition
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: Child death and Death
jackiemcguire's review against another edition
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: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, and Confinement
careinthelibrary's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Joan is a stunning piece of writing. This character study is nearly unparalleled. Full of grim violence and dirt. But also, the aroma of luxurious cinnamon.
I suppose I should give a disclaimer that I've always loved Jeanne d'Arc and this version is the best I've ever encountered. This Joan is transgressive, and Chen has done away with the 'religious fervour' narrative for the better. Yes, she's a historical figure but there's scarce information that's reliably true and relatively unbiased about her and much is apocryphal. This version of Joan of Arc resonated most with my atheist nonbinary self. She is whole here. She's a literary and folkloric figure as well as a historical person.
This novel was perfect. I think of it (a month later) still so often. The memory evokes a tightness in my chest. It's special.
Highly recommend for fans of Wolf Hall and books that take political figures and make them personal and intimate.
Below are quotes that I transposed which reading because they captured the tone, voice, and emotion of the book. Potential spoilers below.
"She lays her hand on her sister's head, the movement like a blessing. What need do we have for holy women, Joan wonders, when we have sisters like Catherine? The saint for whom Catherine is named was a virgin of exceptional beauty, a scholar who spent the duration of her short, martyred life in the city of Alexandira, in the land of Egypt. But, Joan thinks, my sister must be more beautiful than even this saint, and I would climb the highest pole to heaven to dress her in the jewels she deserves, though my hands should be rubbed raw, though every finger of mine should bleed."
"She kneels, takes Catherine's hand, and presses it flat to the space over her heart. If you die, she thinks, all of my goodness dies with you, and this, here, this heart will become as hard as stone. I am afraid of what I will become. You hold my heart in your hand."
"He turns from her, chewing on that wafer. It is his last lesson to Joan: how you should approach life when its fists are pummeling you. Head up. Shoulders back. Your heart may be breaking, but you don't let it show, not on your face or in your eyes. You walk with a spring in your step toward a destination yet unknown. And your next warm meal may be hours or days away, your next bed in an inn or in a wet ditch, but in your mouth is the taste of cinnamon. The past is the past, and the dead, buried in their shrouds, must always be left behind."
"She thinks, I have become more than just myself. I am here, in this cage. But I have another body, which is unseen. I am the battle cry, the roar of spears, pikes, and poleaxes rattling. I am the sound of a hundred horses thundering down a hill and the wind that ripples through banners, the swing of a catapult, the deafening blast and explosion of cannonry. Every soldier, young and old, who goes to war shall think of me and carry me in his soul. A hundred years from now, the sound of name will still make the English shake, though my own people will look upon me tenderly, with pride and with love. Before each battle, the foot soldiers, artillerymen, and sappers will bend their heads and call my name. They will say, Joan, give me strength and courage, and I shall hear them, wherever I am. I can never die. Here is God, in the sky and the rosy mist, ready to strike a bargain. In the roar of the waves she hears the cheers of the people — her people. She hears her sister's laughter and knows it comes from Paradise. God is listening. Into His ear, she prays. That is, she tells him: I, Joan, will return. All prayers are wishes, but this is not a wish. It is a promise."
I suppose I should give a disclaimer that I've always loved Jeanne d'Arc and this version is the best I've ever encountered. This Joan is transgressive, and Chen has done away with the 'religious fervour' narrative for the better. Yes, she's a historical figure but there's scarce information that's reliably true and relatively unbiased about her and much is apocryphal. This version of Joan of Arc resonated most with my atheist nonbinary self. She is whole here. She's a literary and folkloric figure as well as a historical person.
This novel was perfect. I think of it (a month later) still so often. The memory evokes a tightness in my chest. It's special.
Highly recommend for fans of Wolf Hall and books that take political figures and make them personal and intimate.
Below are quotes that I transposed which reading because they captured the tone, voice, and emotion of the book. Potential spoilers below.
"She lays her hand on her sister's head, the movement like a blessing. What need do we have for holy women, Joan wonders, when we have sisters like Catherine? The saint for whom Catherine is named was a virgin of exceptional beauty, a scholar who spent the duration of her short, martyred life in the city of Alexandira, in the land of Egypt. But, Joan thinks, my sister must be more beautiful than even this saint, and I would climb the highest pole to heaven to dress her in the jewels she deserves, though my hands should be rubbed raw, though every finger of mine should bleed."
"She kneels, takes Catherine's hand, and presses it flat to the space over her heart. If you die, she thinks, all of my goodness dies with you, and this, here, this heart will become as hard as stone. I am afraid of what I will become. You hold my heart in your hand."
"He turns from her, chewing on that wafer. It is his last lesson to Joan: how you should approach life when its fists are pummeling you. Head up. Shoulders back. Your heart may be breaking, but you don't let it show, not on your face or in your eyes. You walk with a spring in your step toward a destination yet unknown. And your next warm meal may be hours or days away, your next bed in an inn or in a wet ditch, but in your mouth is the taste of cinnamon. The past is the past, and the dead, buried in their shrouds, must always be left behind."
"She thinks, I have become more than just myself. I am here, in this cage. But I have another body, which is unseen. I am the battle cry, the roar of spears, pikes, and poleaxes rattling. I am the sound of a hundred horses thundering down a hill and the wind that ripples through banners, the swing of a catapult, the deafening blast and explosion of cannonry. Every soldier, young and old, who goes to war shall think of me and carry me in his soul. A hundred years from now, the sound of name will still make the English shake, though my own people will look upon me tenderly, with pride and with love. Before each battle, the foot soldiers, artillerymen, and sappers will bend their heads and call my name. They will say, Joan, give me strength and courage, and I shall hear them, wherever I am. I can never die. Here is God, in the sky and the rosy mist, ready to strike a bargain. In the roar of the waves she hears the cheers of the people — her people. She hears her sister's laughter and knows it comes from Paradise. God is listening. Into His ear, she prays. That is, she tells him: I, Joan, will return. All prayers are wishes, but this is not a wish. It is a promise."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Graphic scene of an animal tortured/killed, unwanted pregnancy via sexual assaultchloebrown13's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Misogyny
Minor: Rape
sharrivel's review against another edition
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