A stunning feminist reimagining of the life of Joan of Arc - perfect for fans of Cecily, Ariadne and Matrix
''It is as if the author has crept inside a statue and breathed a soul into it, re-creating Joan of Arc as a woman for our time'' Hilary Mantel, twice Booker Prize-winning author of The Mirror & the Light
''A glorious, sweeping novel . . . Richly imagined, poignant and inspiring'' Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne
''Chen earns the comparison [to Mantel] thanks to her vivid, visceral and boldly immediate storytelling . . . a hypnotic heroine for our time'' Telegraph
''Chen''s Joan roars off the page. If you liked Ariadne, then this has to be your next read'' Red Magazine
''Brilliant . . . Chen [presents] Joan as a beguiling, fully human mix of wariness and confidence, and fiercely protective of those she loves'' Guardian
''Chen''s brilliantly imagined novel breathes new life into this famous tale. Her Joan is a riotous tomboy, a hot-headed adolescent and a decidedly unsaintly soldier - and is all the more inspiring for it. A triumph of historical fiction'' Mail on Sunday
*Times Best Historical Novels of July 2022 Pick*
*The Week Best Novels of 2022 Pick*
***
Girl. Warrior. Heretic. Saint?
France is mired in a losing war against England. Its people are starving. Its king is in hiding. Yet out of the chaos, an unlikely heroine emerges.
Reckless, steel-willed and brilliant, Joan has survived a childhood steeped in both joy and violence to claim an extraordinary - and fragile - position at the head of the French army. The battlefield and the royal court are full of dangers and Joan finds herself under suspicion from all sides - as well as under threat from her own ambition.
With unforgettably vivid characters and propulsive storytelling, Joan is a thrilling epic, a t
