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A Novel
by Allegra Goodman
Book Reviewed by:A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this breathtaking saga, an epic story of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam.
Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. Isolated and afraid, Marguerite befriends her guardian's servant and the two develop an intense attraction. But when their relationship is discovered, they are brutally punished and abandoned on a small island with no hope for rescue.
Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she'd never before needed.
Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival.
Based on the book's jacket, readers might expect an epic survival adventure replete with close calls and creative solutions to what seem like insurmountable problems. This is not some high-octane thriller, however, but a thoughtful and well-imagined work of historical fiction. Goodman paints a remarkably vivid portrait of Marguerite as a wealthy orphan of noble birth, filling in the many unknowns with realistic details about what her daily life may have entailed. Later, as she tries to return to her former holdings, Goodman once again renders her experiences convincingly. It's a complete picture of her heroine's life; it includes her exile, but that's only part of what makes Marguerite memorable...continued
Full Review
(715 words)
(Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).
Allegra Goodman's novel Isola concerns Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval (born c. 1515), a French noblewoman who was marooned on a deserted island with her lover while on a voyage to New France (Canada). Marguerite was eventually rescued and upon her return to France was treated as a celebrity; her tale became widely known very quickly. Two versions of her ordeal were recorded: one by French priest André Thevet, which is said to be based on an interview with the young lady; and a second gleaned from stories passed around the French court. A romanticized version of this latter account was written down by Queen Marguerite of Navarre (1492-1549), the sister of King Francis I of France and the grandmother of King Henry IV of France. ...
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What a gift this novel is: vast, lush, feminist, and brilliantly crafted. Allegra Goodman is one of our finest writers.
