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Learn moreBookseller recommendation
“Historical fiction at its finest. Marguerite is a heroine everyone should know about. Well researched and beautifully told. ”
— Jaime • Plenty
Bookseller recommendation
“Isola, based on the true story of Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval, is above all a story of one strong woman’s survival. Marguerite, orphaned in 1515, survives a childhood dependent on the whims of her adult cousin and guardian. She survives a treacherous journey across the Atlantic to New France, and she survives being cast from the ship by her ruthless cousin onto a deserted island with her lover and her nursemaid. Goodman is adept at creating both the courtly world of 16th century France and the desolate black granite island filled with wonders and dangers. Hardingham gives voice to this woman who had little voice of her own, but achieved more than many men of her age. ”
— Claire D. • Honest Dog Books
An epic saga about a French noblewoman deserted on an island where her survival depends on the power of her faith and love—from the New York Times bestselling author of Sam.
Heir to a chateau with its own village and lands, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and Jean Francois de la Rocque de Roberval—an enigmatic and volatile man Marguerite has never met—becomes her guardian, controlling her future. He sells her property to pay his debts, leaving her destitute, and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. Isolated and afraid, Marguerite befriends Roberval’s servant and the two develop an intense attraction. But when Roberval discovers Marguerite's deception, his rage is all consuming. As punishment, he maroons her and her lover on a small island.
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, survival becomes nearly impossible. She despairs; has everyone and everything she once held dear abandoned her?
A riveting portrait inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, and a gorgeous celebration of the power of the natural world, Isola is the timeless story of a woman realizing her true strength.
*This audiobook contains a PDF with a map and recommendations for further reading from the book.
Allegra Goodman is the author of six novels, including the national bestseller Sam, which was a Read with Jenna selection; two short story collections; and a novel for young readers. Her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker and elsewhere, and has been anthologized in The O. Henry Awards and Best American Short Stories. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Allegra Goodman is the author of six novels, including the national bestseller Sam, which was a Read with Jenna selection; two short story collections; and a novel for young readers. Her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker and elsewhere, and has been anthologized in The O. Henry Awards and Best American Short Stories. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Reviews
“A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history, Isola is an immersive journey through the eyes of Marguerite de la Rocque, who redefines what makes one a woman of worth and what the difference is between having a life and truly living.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author“What a gift this novel is: vast, lush, feminist, and brilliantly crafted. Allegra Goodman is one of our finest writers.”—Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful
“Isola is a finely drawn and gripping novel of survival and faith. It succeeds in making the past strange and real and maddening—and is all the more memorable for that.”—Joanna Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Whalebone Theatre
“This book made me cry but it was worth it! I am grateful to Allegra Goodman for writing such a luscious, rich, and moving novel. . . . A beautiful, careful, and profound book about survival and hope.”—Alice Winn, author of In Memoriam
“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.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review Expand reviews