Isola is historical fiction at its finest, the tale of a real woman in 16th century France whose fortune becomes slippery and her tale of perseverance and survival left me nearly breathless with awe.
I am so glad that I went into the story completely blind because I had no idea of what was going to happen or how it would end up. I WAS glad that I had somehow learned that it was based on the story of a real woman, and that made it even more incredible. Marguerite learns so much in this tale that begins in her early life and ends in her adulthood, as she maneuvers her changing circumstances, finds companions she can love and trust, and discovers an inner force that allows her to withstand both treachery and true danger. Her spiritual journey is both interesting and sometimes exhausting, both in the way the world around her requires so much of one's outward spirituality and how one's religiousness can be used to help people get what they want.
Truly, I finished this story marveling at the scope of it, of the heights and depths of this woman's life. The writing is strongly narrated going only forward in time. The start is a little bit slow, but it is necessary to begin at the beginning in this case. There are scenes from Marguerite’s most trying times that will stay with me, I know, as I listened with my hand over my mouth and at other times with actual tears for what she endures. Her strength by the end made me want to cheer for her - and although this is a tale from the time when the job of a noblewoman was literally to be pretty and not cause a fuss, Marguerite's life experiences showed her how much more she is capable of.
I am being vague in what happens to her because for me, finding it out as I listened was such an experience. The audiobook narrator is Fiona Hardingham, one of my very favorites, and she gave a fabulous performance.
If you actually want spoilers, go read someone else’s review ha ha. If you love historical fiction and strong women, this is worth your time, and I highly recommend the audio. Be patient with the slow start, this is a 4.5 star book for me.
I am so glad that I went into the story completely blind because I had no idea of what was going to happen or how it would end up. I WAS glad that I had somehow learned that it was based on the story of a real woman, and that made it even more incredible. Marguerite learns so much in this tale that begins in her early life and ends in her adulthood, as she maneuvers her changing circumstances, finds companions she can love and trust, and discovers an inner force that allows her to withstand both treachery and true danger. Her spiritual journey is both interesting and sometimes exhausting, both in the way the world around her requires so much of one's outward spirituality and how one's religiousness can be used to help people get what they want.
Truly, I finished this story marveling at the scope of it, of the heights and depths of this woman's life. The writing is strongly narrated going only forward in time. The start is a little bit slow, but it is necessary to begin at the beginning in this case. There are scenes from Marguerite’s most trying times that will stay with me, I know, as I listened with my hand over my mouth and at other times with actual tears for what she endures. Her strength by the end made me want to cheer for her - and although this is a tale from the time when the job of a noblewoman was literally to be pretty and not cause a fuss, Marguerite's life experiences showed her how much more she is capable of.
I am being vague in what happens to her because for me, finding it out as I listened was such an experience. The audiobook narrator is Fiona Hardingham, one of my very favorites, and she gave a fabulous performance.
If you actually want spoilers, go read someone else’s review ha ha. If you love historical fiction and strong women, this is worth your time, and I highly recommend the audio. Be patient with the slow start, this is a 4.5 star book for me.
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