Joan of Arc: A Life

by Mary Gordon

Overview

"A master of the story form" (The New York Times) offers a fresh, revealing portrait of the legendary saint

Celebrated novelist Mary Gordon brings Joan of Arc alive as a complex figure full of contradictions and desires, as well as spiritual devotion. A humble peasant girl, Joan transformed herself into the legendary Maid of Orléans, knight, martyr, and saint. Following the voice of God, she led an army to victory and crowned the king of France, only to be captured and burned at the stake as a heretic—all by the age of nineteen. Gordon does more than tell this gripping story—she explores Joan's mystery and the many facets of her inspiring life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440632730
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	07/29/2008
Series:	Penguin Lives
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	182 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Mary Gordon, Professor of English at Barnard College, is the bestselling author of five novels, three collections of short stories, and a memoir. Her books include The Rest of Life, The Other Side and Spending. She lives in New York City.

Hometown:

New York, New York

Date of Birth:

December 8, 1949

Place of Birth:

New York, New York

Education:

A.B., Barnard College, 1971; M.A., Syracuse University, 1973

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     vii
Chronological Table     xi
Introduction     xiii
Of Her Time and Place     1
Approaching the Throne     28
Triumphant in Battle, the King's Anointer     47
What Kind of Warrior, What Kind of Defeat?     72
Accused     96
Virgin Body     136
Food for the Feast     148
Saint Joan     166
Notes     175

Editorial Reviews

A large part of the enjoyment here is the highly personal intelligence of Gordon's prose style.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

[A] compelling life story and a shrewd analysis of the mythical uses to which it has been put.

New York Times