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Joan

The stunning new feminist reimagining of Joan of Arc

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Joan

By: Katherine J. Chen
Narrated by: Hannah Morrish
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A stunning feminist reimagining of the life of Joan of Arc - perfect for fans of Cecily, Ariadne and Matrix

Girl. Warrior. Heretic. Saint?

France is mired in a losing war against England. Its people are starving. Its king is in hiding. And out of the chaos, an unlikely heroine is emerging.

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 alike, 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 triumph of historical fiction, as well as a feminist celebration of one remarkable - and remarkably real - woman who left an indelible mark on history.

PRAISE FOR JOAN

'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

'Measured, austere, profoundly physical. I loved it' Jo Baker, author of Longbourn

'In Katherine J. Chen's capable hands, Joan becomes fully flesh and achingly real' Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends

'An epic novel with the mythic power of a fairytale' Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train and The Exiles

'When you look up the term 'historical fiction' in the dictionary it should say, simply, Read Katherine J. Chen' Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Kaiser's Web

'A wholly original novel that inspires one's mind and awakens one's soul. With Joan, Katherine J. Chen has created nothing short of a masterpiece' Alyson Richman, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of The Lost Wife

'Beautifully written and confidently told, this is a story of how feminine strength and will can change the world' Megan Chance, bestselling author of A Splendid Ruin

'This Joan is of the earth - scrappy and strong, resilient and curious. An ambitious, thrilling novel' Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace

'Katherine J. Chen has stunningly summoned another time and place' M.J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Tiara

'Visceral and piercing - I was blown away' Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post

'Every era has a need to recast the French maiden warrior in a manner that renews her relevance. In Chen's transporting prose, you will meet a towering new Joan of Arc, one of amazing physical strength, kindness, loyalty, and endurance' Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab's Wife, Four Spirits, and Abundance

(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2022 Katherine J. Chen
Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Medieval Women's Fiction Middle Ages Royalty Inspiring War

Critic Reviews

A glorious, sweeping novel . . . Richly imagined, poignant and inspiring (Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of ARIADNE)
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, Booker-winning author of THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT)
Measured, austere, profoundly physical. I loved it (Jo Baker, author of LONGBOURN)
In Katherine J. Chen's capable hands, Joan becomes fully flesh and achingly real (Lisa Wingate, No.1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends)
An epic novel with the mythic power of a fairytale (Christina Baker Kline, No.1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train)
A wholly original novel that inspires one's mind and awakens one's soul. With Joan, Katherine J. Chen has created nothing short of a masterpiece (Alyson Richman, bestselling author of The Lost Wife)
Beautifully written and confidently told, this is a story of how feminine strength and will can change the world (Megan Chance, bestselling author of A Splendid Ruin)
This Joan is of the earth - scrappy and strong, resilient and curious. An ambitious, thrilling novel (Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace)
Katherine J. Chen has stunningly summoned another time and place (M.J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Tiara)
When you look up the term 'historical fiction' in the dictionary it should say, simply, Read Katherine J. Chen (Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Kaiser’s Web)
Chen earns the comparison [to Mantel] thanks to her vivid, visceral and boldly immediate storytelling... But it's Joan herself who constantly bounds off the page, a proto-feminist genius born into the wrong age. Thanks to Chen's efforts, she is now a hypnotic heroine for our time
Katherine J Chen's Joan is a scrappy, determined and very real heroine who simply roars off the page. If you liked Ariadne, then this has to be your next read . (Sarra Manning)
Inspired, lyrical . . . makes clear why Joan is still venerated
A vivid and very real slice of historical fiction
All stars
Most relevant
The various British accents and multiple mispronunciations, especially Reims and d'Arc, were unforgivable for a French story. A pity Jeanne d'Arc was written as such a bland character but maybe that was the awful British accent she was given by the narrator

Awful accents and mispronunciation

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Great listen - really draws you in. Loved the fact that the story is based on a historical person, but is made relevant to the here and now - a woman in charge of her own destiny.

Great listen - really draws you in

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If you enjoy historical fiction, this is for you. I knew little of Joan the Arc but this story has brought her to life as a young woman whose biggest desire was to battle it out, against the backdrop of the 100 Years War. Wasn’t expecting to be hooked - but I was!

Joan brought to life!

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New version of Joan as young feminist. Strong women in this telling including Charles ‘ queen & his mother.

Feminist Joan

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I enjoyed this story and I know the story is in English and the narrator was just trying to differentiate different social groups, but I found it irritating that the people who supposedly hated the English the most had Cockney accents.

Good story with annoying accents

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