Joan : a Novel

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Chen, Katherine, Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Chen, Katherine J.
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Chen, Katherine	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Chen, Katherine J.	4-week checkout	On Shelf

"1412. France is mired in a losing war against England. Its people are starving. Its king is in hiding. From this chaos emerges a teenage girl who will turn the tide of battle and lead the French to victory, an unlikely hero whose name will echo across the centuries. In Katherine J. Chen's hands, the myth and legend of Joan of Arc is transformed into a flesh-and-blood young woman: reckless, steel-willed, and brilliant. This stunningly-researched novel is a sweeping narrative of her life, from a childhood steeped in both joy and violence, to her meteoric rise to fame at the head of the French army, where she must navigate both the dangers of the battlefield and the equally treacherous politics of the royal court. For there are many who are threatened by a woman who leads, and Joan draws wrath and suspicion from all corners, even while her first tastes of fame, wealth, and glory leave her vulnerable to her own powerful ambition"-- Provided by publisher.

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Wonderful, realistic portrayal of Joan of Arc submitted by vickik on July 29, 2022, 11:04am Joan tells the story of Joan of Arc in a very realistic way. She doesn't have visions in Katherine Chen's version of the story. The novel begins by telling the story of Joan's childhood. She is abused by her father, and those scenes can be very hard to take. But her experiences led to her becoming strong. There are two defining incidents in her childhood: the death of a village boy in a fight with children from a neighboring village, and the suicide of her sister, the person Joan loved most in the world, after being raped by English soldiers. Joan discovers she has a gift for fighting, as well as incredible physical strength. By a remarkable set of circumstances, she ends up at the Dauphin's court, where the Dauphin (the uncrowned King Charles VII) gives her an army to retake the city of Orléans, which has been under siege by the English. Her victory at Orléans, followed by several other battles, make her enormously popular. But certain factions at the French court are jealous, and these people have influence with the Dauphin. Joan must struggle to survive with her enemies at court gaining more and more power. Katherine Chen paints an unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary woman.