Readin' and Dreamin'

A decent fiction novel about Joan of Arc (known here as Jehanne d'Arc). The writing flowed easily, and the descriptions were quite nice.

I liked the way 'the voices' that Joan heard were handled. It was conveyed that Joan was not off her rocker, and indeed heard what she thought were voices telling her to take up an army and take back her country. Despite the religious themes, the story wasn't preachy, which I appreciated.

Morbid as it may sound, my favorite part was the end. Thankfully, it doesn't show Joan going to her execution, which I was afraid of because I didn't think I could handle it. What I liked was how Joan handled her interrogators and it was there – not on the battlefield – where she showed her true strength. The injustice she faced was just infuriating and I was amazed at how she kept her cool.

A truly inspiring woman, Joan was. And The Maid is a good historical fiction novel for someone looking for a book about her.