Summary and Reviews of Isola by Allegra Goodman

Media Reviews

Literary Hub Resilience! Surviving the elements! Polar bears! But one of the best parts of Goodman's writing is her insistence that all young girls have stories and lives worth sharing, even if this one is particularly exceptional.

New York Times Book Review A work of tremendous imagination that draws on harrowing historical records to spin a story of self-determination, courage and faith.

Paste Isola is a tale of struggle, strength, and survival that's both timely and timeless.

People Lushly painted ... a perfect read for cozying up by a roaring fire—and feeling thankful you're not the sixteenth-century heroine the story is based on.

Time Magazine Allegra Goodman's latest novel is a feminist castaway tale about love, faith, and self-actualization.

Vogue A new generation of survival story: a tale that distills larger themes of power, ownership, tenacity, and colonialism into intimate, vulnerable narratives.

Washington Post Blazing action on each page—Marguerite's shrewd deploying of tactics for her own salvation—reminds readers to place our money on the power of human female ingenuity.

BookPage "An exciting, imagined narrative ... As a novel of adventure and redemption and as a story of a woman coming into her own, [Isola] is a rewarding read.

Booklist (starred review) A bravura departure...Goodman's lush and enthralling castaway tale of betrayal and love, suffering and strength is magnificent in its beauty, mystery, fury, and redemption.

Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Goodman writes with fluid beauty, deep empathy, and an emotional undertow that pulls you in and holds you from the first page to the last. [This] sweeping page turner is at once historical and modern, intimate and epic, personal and powerful.

Publishers Weekly Though the story drags in places and the ending is a bit too pat, Goodman brilliantly depicts Marguerite's courage...It's a rousing portrait of an undaunted woman.

 Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful What a gift this novel is: vast, lush, feminist, and brilliantly crafted. Allegra Goodman is one of our finest writers.

 Jodi Picoult, author of By Any Other Name A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history.