Author: Kathryn Harrison
Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ (4)
I was first introduced to the story of Joan of Arc in CCD
class by a lovely religious sister (For those who aren't Catholic, a sister could
be considered an un-cloistered nun.) who was visiting our church. I remember
that she was wearing a plain navy blue dress, and being a young child, I
wondered why she wasn't wearing black robes and a wimple like the nuns did on
TV. She was visiting our class that evening because she felt it was important
for us to learn about the remarkable girl our church was named for, Joan of Arc.
Since that day I have been fascinated by the paradox of this peasant girl,
warrior and savior of France.
Probably one of the most well-known of the Catholic Saints,
there are a lot of books written about her life as a warrior. But most of these
books are written for children or are carefully cultivated to emphasize her
Saintly status. So I was really excited to have the chance to read a more
academic and factual version of her life.
Kathryn Harrison begins with the traditional story of our
Saintly virgin and how God told her to leave her home and save France from the
English. Joan of Arc was carefully researched and Harrison does her best to
strip away the myths surrounding Joan, a task that is made difficult because of
how short her public life was and the infamous nature of her death. She also
delves into the political and social climate of France and England during the
Hundred Years War (1337-1453) and how Joan fit into this tumultuous period in
history. This adds more insight into how truly incredible it was for this
unknown girl to gain the respect and admiration of veteran soldiers and then
lead them into battle – and win.
I really enjoyed this; for the most part Harrison maintained
a good flow, although there are some parts that were bogged down by excess
information. That aside, this is the best Joan of Arc biography I have read
(and I've read quite a few) and is a good example of how biographies of female
historical figures should be done.
**NetGalley provided me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
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