In the midst of The Hundred Years' War, France is still
suffering from the humiliating defeat at Agincourt. The
kingdom of France continues to be ravaged by the English
and the Burgundians. While the French people are starving
and homes and crops destroyed, King Charles VI continues to
sink deeper into madness. After his death, Queen Isabeau
declares their son and only heir a bastard and sells the
kingdom of France to the English. The fate of France seems
sealed, however, the legend of the Maid of France, who will
drive the English out of France, continues to be believed
by many. In the small village of Domremy, a young peasant
girl endures her father's brutal abuse, but is delivered
from her suffering by a message from heaven.
Jehanne d' Arc saw her first vision in the family garden.
The beautiful image of Saint Michael revealed God's plan
for Jehanne: She must ride to Chinon, have the rightful
heir of France crowned, and deliver the people of France
from the English. After Jehanne's father beats her when
she refuses an offer of marriage, Jehanne escapes her
family home with the help of her uncle, Durand. Jehanne's
mission is to seek an audience with Sir Robert de
Baudricourt in Vaucouleurs. Only the Sir Robert can write
a letter of introduction allowing Jehanne to meet with
Charles VII, the rightful King of France.
Sir Robert's soldiers however, taunt and ridicule Jehanne
when she reveals her divine mission. But Jehanne finds
unexpected support in one of the soldiers who agrees to
accompany Jehanne to Chinon. After Jehanne's mission
becomes public knowledge, many begin to think of her as a
saint who can cure illnesses. Jehanne's only concern,
however, is reaching Charles VII. But her popularity gains
her thousands of believers. The girl from Domremy is
believed to be the long awaited Maid of France.
When Jehanne finally reaches Chinon and meets Charles VII,
she is greeted with a poorly groomed, weak shadow of a man.
But the heavenly voices continue to instruct Jehanne on
when to fight the English. Under Jehanne's guidance,
Charles enjoys glorious victories, but when his personal
counselors grow jealous of Jehanne's growing influence,
Jehanne is betrayed by the man she risked everything to
place on the throne. Only her faith in God can save her
from the horrible fate that awaits her.
Based mostly on facts, THE MAID: A NOVEL OF JOAN OF ARC,
brings to life a young girl who died the death of a
heathen, only to be canonized years later. Whether Jehanne
actually received divine guidance or was mentally ill can
never be proven, but she was, in fact, a remarkable young
woman who valiantly fought for her country at a time when
France was slowly disintegrating at the hands of the
English.
THE MAID: A NOVEL OF JOAN OF ARC beautifully
depicts Jehanne's unshakable faith in Frances' deliverance
and her devotion to the saints who transformed her from an
insignificant peasant girl, into a savior who thousands
followed into battle. This is a novel history buffs will
want to read over and over again.
The girl who led an army, the peasant who crowned a king,
the maid who became a legend
It is the fifteenth
century, and the tumultuous Hundred Years’ War rages on.
France is under siege, English soldiers tear through the
countryside destroying all who cross their path, and Charles
VII, the uncrowned king, has neither the strength nor the
will to rally his army. And in the quiet of her parents’
garden in Domrémy, a peasant girl sees a spangle of light
and hears a powerful voice speak her name. Jehanne
.
The story of Jehanne d’Arc, the visionary and saint
who believed she had been chosen by God, who led an army and
saved her country, has captivated our imagination for
centuries. But the story of Jehanne—the girl—whose sister
was murdered by the English, who sought an escape from a
violent father and a forced marriage, who taught herself to
ride and fight, and who somehow found the courage and
tenacity to persuade first one, then two, then thousands to
follow her, is at once thrilling, unexpected, and
heartbreaking. Rich with unspoken love and battlefield
valor, The Maid is a novel about the power and
uncertainty of faith, and the exhilarating and devastating
consequences of fame.
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