欧宝娱乐

"Joan" is an ambitious retelling into the life of the famed Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc), with a focus on her childhood and upbringing, and how these experiences would shape her in the future. Joan is born in a small town in France called Domremy, where tensions between France and England pervade, even amongst the children. We get to see the love and adoration she has for her older sister Catherine, which is countered with the violence and abuse she tolerates from her father. It is in this environment where Joan is forced to protect herself on a regular basis that she grows up, and her physical strength is one of many attributes that is reinforced throughout this novel.

From there, we follow Joan as she is forced out of her family and eventually winds up in front of Charles VII in Chinon where her physical prowess is tested. She's given the chance to lead an army to the siege at Orleans and after being successful, is admitted into Charles' circle. Her subsequent failures, however, end to her eventual demise - a story that most of know through our history classes.

Chen's retelling of this heroine is masterfully done; instead of focusing on the religious backstory, she crafts Joan as an individual molded by her own experiences and willpower. While there are subtle inclusions of visions Joan sees, these are not at the forefront of her story and her accomplishments. In the later chapters of the book after Joan earns Charles VII's trust, she lays out the political complexities of the court and how they placed her in an impossible situation - one where Joan was forced to take the fall. I enjoyed her descriptive and poignant prose throughout the novel as well, as it truly transports readers to France in the 15th century.

Thank you Random House Press for the advance copy of this novel!