An amazing retelling of Joan of Arc’s life, starting with how her childhood shapes the person she becomes, where her strength and determination are formed, her strategic thinking and her love.
A perfect example of how faith, not only in God and angels, but in yourself and your mission can lead to great things, but a singular determination to fore fill your promises can prevent you from seeing other people determination to destroy you.
A great feminist piece of writing, but one that shows that whether you are male or female, if people see you getting too powerful, they will cut you down.

Highly recommended book!!!

There have been so many great retellings in recent years - Circe and The Song of Achilles to name but a few - and Joan is up there with the best of them.

The premise is simple enough: take a historical icon and make them human. Chen does this perfectly - Joan is impressive, to say the least, but she is also kind, determined, unendingly resilient. The evocation of Joan's world is equally well-managed, and 15th century France leaps off the page. This book is a balance of a very human but also military and political story, all tinged with the tragedy of very much knowing how things end for our heroine.

This was my first experience of Chen's writing, and I will certainly be back for more.

"Joan" is an interesting reimagining of the life of Jean d'Arc and I really enjoyed reading it: Joan is a great protagonist, I liked her development, and how her development from a simple village girl to the nation's hero and her subsequent downfall were portrayed.

The way she developed her martial skills felt a little rushed, but apart from that this was a fascinating retelling I would definitely recommend.

Girl. Warrior. Heretic. Saint?

The story of Joan of Arc is well documented, but never has there ever been such a unique feminist reimagining of her life as in this novel.

So, who was Joan of Arc? Well, in a very potted history, she was born circa 1412 in Domrémy, France, during the hundred years war. She had visions of saints from about age 13. At 17, she presented herself to the Dauphin’s court at Chinon and, based on her God-sent visions, persuaded him she could save France. Wearing armour, with hair cut short, she led the French to several victories over the English and their allies until she was captured, imprisoned, condemned as a heretic, and burned at the stake at the age of 19. Since then, she has been brandished as a symbol by various ideologues.

But how could this peasant girl achieve such status?

Chen tells the story of Joan in the present tense, leading the reader to feel we are with her in medieval France.

She seems to spend most of her time dodging conflict, particularly with her father, who, like most of the males in her life, seems to be constantly on the verge of violent rage. Joan, rather than meekening under this barrage of assault, grows into a powerful figure with an astonishing capacity to heal from injury. By her mid-teens, she outmatches any man in the region: unbreakable, unbeatable.

Chen helps the reader suspend disbelief by presenting Joan as a beguiling, fully human character with a mix of wariness and confidence while fiercely protecting those she loves.

Joan, motivated by personal loss, decides to pick up the sword and fight for her country after the English attack her small village. She does not glory in the act of war like the other soldiers but is almost painted as an ‘avenging angel’ by Chen, which feels somewhat contrived.

For a sainted woman, I expected piety galore, but Joan is not pious in any sense except in her belief that her strength and combat abilities are gifts from God, which gives her fear that He may take them away.

This is a well thought out book, evidently well researched, that touches all the emotions.

I so wanted to love this novel as Joan of Arc is a fascinating character of history I much admire. If I was rating Joan solely on style and beauty of writing, I would give five stars, easy. It is genuinely poetic and wonderfully crafted wordplay. But, sadly, I need to rate the story, too, which didn't survive contact, for me.

I know a fair bit of Joan and she is not the character represented in these pages. This is fiction, I grant you, but by the end I was ready to hasten Joan on her way to English hands so the constant lecturing and pontificating would end. One would not expect an illiterate peasant girl from the 1400s to ramble so to all and sundry, mostly scolding the reigning monarch of France, no less. Well crafted as it was, it wore thin.

Her early years and rough childhood were well covered and I keenly felt the pain of her difficult start in life. Full marks there. But, as I understand it, Joan was solidly built on a tiny frame of 5'2", not a huge oxen of endless strength requiring men to stand on tiptoe to whisper in her ear. She also didn't go wading into battle with bloodlust dispatching all in her path but was more of a sideline cheerleader, or mascot, giving the fighting men a morale boost. And, the most troubling for me of all, no visions from God? This is the core of Joan's existence, her guiding light, and this text does not go there. As I said before, this is fiction and creative license is permissible, but to change a historically important character so irrevocably just smacks of wokery. Revisionist history, so common these days, changing the events and people of the past to suit modern views and sensibilities.

This is a really good novel beautifully written and if it was based on a fictional character I would have given it five stars. But I feel Joan deserves more than this. Sometime the truth, no matter how inconvenient, simply must be told. The Joan of this novel would agree with me.

I really really wanted to love this one, and I'm not sure why I didn't but it was a bit of a slog. The premise and the writing are fantastic - I love a historical retelling - however I really struggled to connect with it and it took me a long time to finish. I sometimes struggle with the layout of Netgalley books (and the lack of structure in the paragraphing/layout of the page as it is a proof copy) and I feel like this may be why I was unable to connect. Overall for me, an average read but I would like to purchase the book and reread at some point - to see whether the breaks and flow of the finished, published copy makes a difference for me.

This is an imagined account of the life of Joan d’Arc. It is very poetic, equally informative, and written with a force that cannot deny the author’s love for her main character.

Joan’s life is fictional, but she lives it within the cornerstones of the real historical setting of the Hundred Year War the English waged against the French and the reader can’t help but getting a decent overview of relevant historical figures and events. Chen does this cleverly by providing lists of names and their relationships at the beginning of her novel and then by breathing life into them through imaginative storytelling.

The Joan of this book is not a saint or religious fanatic but a soldier, warrior and natural leader. She is a woman who lives her life unafraid and against all conventions to the fullest. She is proud, sometimes arrogant and hot tempered but also full of humility – very humane. Her motivation to fight is personal, she seeks to avenge her sister’s death, but it is also a calling, she knows she is good in the battle field, in fact better than all the men around her. It is hard not to like this Joan.
Her relationships with family, especially her father, and those with the royals she represents in battle are nothing but complex – this is what makes this book such a compelling read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Hachette UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A stunning fictionalized biography of Joan of Arc. Her portrayal is often chaste, quiet, saintly, with no real connection to how, or more important why she achieved what she did. Who WAS she?

Enter Katherine J Chen. She builds a picture of strength out of a traumatic childhood, a smart skilled young woman, with mission in male dominated world. Was her defeat man-made, self-induced or God delivered? We journey the length of Joan's short life in such a compelling written way. Sentences are eloquently composed, the plot fresh (despite being 600 years old) and there is no pacing issues - no section is padding.

One tiny quibble that whole her ennoblement (after the defeat of Paris, before Compiègne) is mentioned, this doesn't extend to her family. Completely understand the omission/change in terms of trajectory, but it would have been interesting to see how fictional Joan would have dealt with fictional Jacques - it would have been cathartic to see her cast them off as "undeserved" as the real Joan did in her trial.

An absolute delight from an author that has come in to her own - and one I will be keeping an eye out for in future!

A very interesting interpretation of the subject. Not something I knew much about, so I learned as well as being entertained.

“Perhaps we were both foolish to expect any other conclusion than this. You have been permitted to do so much. You were the exception to every rule. But how could you overturn a game that is as old as time itself? I think now you were always meant to fail.”……

JOAN by Katherine J Chen is a highly fictional retelling of the life of the French heroin Joan of Arc. Set in the midst of The Hundred Years War between England and France, Chen’s character is in hard opposition to the Joan of Arc you might recognise from your history books. This Joan is not a holy woman but a warrior, a skilled war strategist and a commendable leader of men.

While the lack of historical accuracy might put some people off, personally I found this story to be an expansive epic that was excellently well written. Chen’s JOAN was compelling and her story captivated me from the very start. The writing style is gorgeous and so heartfelt that it is clear the author has a great tenderness for our heroine.

The story follows the life of JOAN, from childhood to infamy. Raised by an abusive father, Joan’s hardships shape her into The Maid of Orleans that she will be so revered for. But in a story as old as time itself, Joan will be betrayed by the very people she spends her short life defending.

As far as Historical Fiction goes, this is pretty heavy on the fiction with only loose historical referencing but, I felt this kept the story fluid and Joan, as a feminist resonated with me. She was gutsy and brave but also clever, an astute student always asking the right questions.

The story ends before what is famously known of the burning of Joan for heresy and witchcraft, and we’re left not with a defeated heroine at the hands of the men who’s egos she threatened, but with a sense of hope for strong women everywhere.

Thank you @Netgalley and @Hodderbooks for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review. It was a pleasure to read.

To me, Joan of Arc has always been a feminist, so I admit I was skeptical about a retelling billed as such.

I’m happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised. In Joan we are presented with a true heroine. Strong, determined and arrogant. Similar perhaps to heroes of Greek mythology, her childhood shows us a downtrodden girl who does not cower, but instead helps others and supports her family.

Her childhood chapters perhaps take too long, and are much slower in nature. They’re helpful for sure, but leave the adult Joan’s story feeling slightly neglected and rushed. There’s a gap of almost ten years between when we meet Joan and when the story moves to her adult life. I would have liked a little more to help me understand her better.

It’s very well done, although her rash, arrogant behaviour is irritating. Perhaps it’s true, but who knows? What I liked was that Joan wasn’t a miracle, wasn’t addressed by God. Chen has made her real, more relatable and believable as a heroine. She leaps off the page and we see her clearly standing before us, determined to fight for what she believes.

Other characters receive very little time. The Dauphin is despicable. Weak, spoilt and whiny, we despise him immediately, knowing that Joan is his latest ‘plaything’ but - as often happens - as soon as she fails, she will fade into insignificance, due to her lowly, female status.

It’s not a sad story though. True, there are tragedies and it’s not a ‘nice’ tale. But at its core is a message of resilience, overcoming the odds and triumphing in the face of adversity.

However, it also reminds us that pride comes before a fall, and that nothing lasts forever.

I'm not a massive fan of historical fiction, depends very much on the subject matter, but I was intrigued to know more about Joan of Arc and this being a 'stunning feminist retelling' of her story. I trudged through half the book over a fair few days before giving up - this felt like someone had tried to rewrite an actual history book in the third person, without any real character development, nuance or intrigue.

It's been ages since I read some historical fiction and this book was brilliant and made me realise what I'm missing out on! A fictionalised retelling of Joan of Arc, I particularly enjoyed the first half telling the hard and brutal life Joan had as a child. It was unflinchingly raw and devastating, and shapes the Joan who we see in the second half - strong, independent, assertive and only 17 years old. The second half, whilst not as enjoyable, was more political and battle based, and had a real focus on how Joan stood up for herself around all the high powered men of influence around her. I would highly recommend this.

A fantastic retelling of the story of Joan of Arc, the places history in Joan's hands and gives her an agenda of her own - this retelling is feminist, powerful, and truly moving - breathing new life to a figure misunderstood by history

Congratulations to Katherine on this epic novel.

Joan is brought alive having been moulded by her bullying, controlling and unpleasant father.Unfortunately the two dearest things in her life her sister and dog are lost to her and she leaves home.

She rapidly emerges as a talented leader and warrior of France driving back the English invaders wrecking her country. Sadly this creates jealousy and intrigue.

Put not your trust in princes.

Brilliant !

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me early access to this book in return for an honest review.
This is Katherine Chen’s story of Joan d’Arc. It starts from when Jean is a little girl in a french village, leading a tough life, but loving her uncle’s visits and his distracting stories. She has an unloving and violent father which moulds her into the strong woman she becomes.
I enjoyed the story but struggled with the documentary style writing.
I enjoyed that the main character was a historical person who I know about but don’t know too much about. As Kathrerine Chen says in her epilogue, she used artistic license in the description of Joan’s life, so enjoy the story as historical fiction, with a bit of real history thrown in for good measure.

This was an engrossing novel of such an iconic historical figure. It took me by surprise how much I ended up sympathising with the titular heroine, so much so that I desperately wanted to rewrite history. Due to her relentless determination, Joan was easy to root. She was fearless and retained her resilient spark in spite of the terrible way her father treated her. Even knowing the repercussions, Joan would go against him to stand up for what was right. This inspiring bravery did not lessen as she grew into a young woman. Joan became more confident in her abilities but was never cocky with it. Instead, her actions were led with integrity and kindness. Joan even managed to inject humour in some of her darkest moments, showing off the human side to a historical figure who could easily be over-idolised. She also had vulnerabilities and insecurities that helped to ground her character. All of these qualities made Joan someone to feel sorry for, cheer on and ultimately admire.

The most beautiful aspect of the novel was Joan’s relationship with her sister, Catherine. Joan so obviously adored her sister, and in turn Catherine showed her love by being one of the very few to genuinely care for and accept Joan. Luckily, once she set off down her path to war, she gradually came to be surrounded by people who similarly supported her.

One of my only gripes was that I wished the battles were described in real time and expanded on a little bit. There never really seemed to be any jeopardy during the fighting sequences, making the novel slightly veer into idealistic territory.

Nevertheless, I did appreciate that the book didn’t emphasise the religious side of Joan’s story. This made this version feel more tangible. Likewise, I liked how Joan didn’t see her strength as detracting from her womanhood. Instead, it was just another important part of her identity. I'm also glad the book didn’t wallow in tragedy and wrapped up its story in a fitting way for its fearless heroine.

OVERALL: This novel painted an inspiring picture of the historical icon. It surprisingly managed to make her easy to sympathise with due to her admirable resilience, kindness and bravery.

This is a wonderful expansive historical novel in the Hilary Mantel style. An era not touched on as much by novelists gave it an added edge of interest. Well written, very readable, and highly recommended.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC

It wasn’t until I started reading this impressive new novel by Katherine J. Chen that I realised how little I know about Joan of Arc; she’s someone I’ve always been aware of, obviously, and I knew a few basic facts but apart from where she has appeared in the background in other historical novels, I’ve never read anything where Joan is the main focus of the book.

After a brief description of the political situation in France in the early 15th century, the novel opens in Domrémy, the small French village where Joan was born. It’s 1422 and France is currently engaged in the Hundred Years’ War, a conflict with England over the succession to the French throne. In quiet Domrémy, Joan grows up far away from the fighting, but faces conflict of her own – with her father, Jacques d’Arc, a violent and abusive bully who has never got over his disappointment that Joan was born a girl and not a boy. Then, one day, the village is attacked and burned by the English, Joan’s sister is raped, and Joan is left swearing revenge on the men she now sees as her enemies: the future Henry VI of England, his regent the Duke of Bedford and Philip, Duke of Burgundy.

A lot of time is devoted to these early years of Joan’s life and I did wonder when we would leave the child Joan behind and meet the warrior Joan, leading her troops into battle – but I can see why it was necessary to cover Joan’s childhood in so much detail. Only by reading about her treatment at the hands of her father, the stories told to her by her beloved uncle, her anger at the fate of her sister and her desire for revenge can we understand what made Joan the strong, determined and inspirational young woman she became. And eventually, of course, we do see Joan meeting the Dauphin of France and riding off with his army to lift the siege of Orléans.

What we don’t see at any point in this novel are miracles, visions or any other religious phenomena of any sort. Katherine J. Chen explains in her author’s note that this was a deliberate decision; her portrayal of Joan is a personal one rather than a traditional one and is a ‘reimagining’ of her life. Removing the religious aspects from Joan’s story makes her feel human, flawed and real, but at the same time the 15th century was a period in which religion was an important part of most people’s daily lives and taking this away from the story of a woman who has been declared a saint seems a bit odd.

This is a beautifully written novel and although I wish authors would stop using the present tense, it does work quite well here, as it did in Annie Garthwaite’s "Cecily" (a book this one is being compared with – and I would definitely agree with that comparison). It was good to have the opportunity to learn a bit more about Joan of Arc; even if this is only one author’s interpretation and a largely fictional one, I did enjoy it.

Beautiful cover and beautifully written. I’m amazed at how it brought Joan to life, how it captured her so authentically.