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A Novel
by Allegra Goodman
Book Reviewed by:A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this breathtaking saga, an epic story of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam.
Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. Isolated and afraid, Marguerite befriends her guardian's servant and the two develop an intense attraction. But when their relationship is discovered, they are brutally punished and abandoned on a small island with no hope for rescue.
Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she'd never before needed.
Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival.
1
I never knew my mother. She died the night that I was born, and so we passed each other in the dark. She left me her name, Marguerite, and her ruby ring, but no memory of her. I did not know my father either. When I was one year old, he was killed fighting for the King at Pavia. Then I was rich, although I did not know it, and poor, although I did not know it. I was heir to a château in Périgord with its own villages, vineyards, and sunny fields, but I had no parents, aunts, or uncles living. Servants surrounded me, but I had no sisters or brothers, and so I was alone.
My nurse, Damienne, was my first teacher. She was an old woman, at least forty, and her hair, once red, was faded like old brick. Her eyes were shrewd but tired, and all around her mouth her skin was creased in little lines like unpressed linen. My nurse was stout, her stomach soft, her bosom pillowy. When we lay down to sleep, she held me close as though I were her own—and if I was not her child, then ...
Kirkus finalists announced!
That's a good one, @Gabi_J ! One of the interesting things about https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/4993/isola Isola is that while Allegra Goodman has written several books, it's her only work of historical fiction. I've read most of her books, and while her literary fiction...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (09-11-2025)
Just started Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves, a part of her Shetland series. Also finished up listening to Isola by Allegra Goodman, based on a recommendation from someone on BB. Like all historical novels some parts seemed less likely than others, and the last half of the book ha...
-Robin_G
What are you reading this week? (8/28/2025)
I am about halfway through "Mercy" by Joan Silber. (Preparing for the discussion, with thanks to BookBrowse for a copy.) I'm enjoying wondering where she is going to take these strands around one pivotal experience. There's something about it that reminds me of "Half a Life: a memoir" by Darin St...
-Robin_G
What are you reading this week? (7/17/2025)
I just finished Isola by Allegra Goodman. It was an amazing, breathtaking, gripping novel, based on a true story. I saw the great reviews in New York Times.
-Laurie_L
What audience would you recommend Broken Country to? Is there another book or author you’d recommend that you feel has a similar theme or style?
...It is an atmospheric, isolated Island murder mystery with a romance buried in that I'm very much enjoying! I would also recommend for a similar read Isola by Allegra Goodman, another atmospheric mystery with a romance subplot that doesn't distract from the story as a whole.
-Jo_S
BookBrowsers Ask Allegra Goodman
I don't have a favorite book, but I have favorite scenes and chapters within my books. In "Isola" my favorite part to write was the last third when Marguerite returns home. I realize, however, that it was satisfying to write because of the work I'd done earlier to set up that return. Each writing...
-Allegra_G
What was your last 5-star read, and what made you choose it?
Isola by Allegra Goodman, who presents amazing descriptions of faith and contrasts between the social classes during the 1530s - 1540s. Other 5 stars: Time of the Child by Ni...
-Luisa_H
What are you reading this week? (6/19/025)
I'm just about done with Broken Country, and then it'll be Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia Butler. I'll likely start Lolita after that. In audiobook, I'm finishing up The Chalk Artist by Allegra Goodman. It's my third book by this author, and I have to say I'm surprised at her range. I th...
-kim.kovacs
Which books will you take on vacation?
Vacationing at home this year but have my reading stack lined up for next few weeks: Written on the Dark Guy Gavriel Kay Isola . Allegra Goodman In Winter I Get Up At Night . Jane Urquhart Chenneville . Paulette Jiles The Frozen River . Ariel Lawhorn plus a couple of detective fiction books from ...
-MarilynS
What are you reading this week? (6/12/2025)
Finishing Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid for review, then I'm not sure. I've got a few days before I need to start the next discussion book - Broken Country - so I may try to squeeze in something else before I start that. Jury's out! In audiobook format, I'm listening to Kelly Mustian's The Gi...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? (6/5/2025)
Like @Carla_D , I'm reading Before Dorothy for the discussion next week. Then it'll be on to Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid for review. In audiobook format, I'm still working my way through Stephanie Dray's Daughter of Cleopatra series. Next in the queue is Sam by Allegra Goodman. BTW, I want ...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? (4/3/2025)?
Just finishing up Isola by Allegra Goodman ( really enjoying it), then on to The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu. In audiobook format, I just bought Hour of the Witch a...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? (02/20/2025)
Just finished 'Isola' by Allegra Goodman (5 stars from me!) and now reading 'The Other March Sisters' by Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker. (loving this one so far)
-Evonne_Benedict
What book or books are you reading this week? (02/13/2025)
I am currently listening to the Frozen River by Lawhon for the second time, The Wife the Maid and the Mistress–also by Lawhon, and just downloaded Isola by Allegra Goodman.
-Sunny
Based on the book's jacket, readers might expect an epic survival adventure replete with close calls and creative solutions to what seem like insurmountable problems. This is not some high-octane thriller, however, but a thoughtful and well-imagined work of historical fiction. Goodman paints a remarkably vivid portrait of Marguerite as a wealthy orphan of noble birth, filling in the many unknowns with realistic details about what her daily life may have entailed. Later, as she tries to return to her former holdings, Goodman once again renders her experiences convincingly. It's a complete picture of her heroine's life; it includes her exile, but that's only part of what makes Marguerite memorable...continued
Full Review
(715 words)
(Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).
Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful
What a gift this novel is: vast, lush, feminist, and brilliantly crafted. Allegra Goodman is one of our finest writers. Jodi Picoult, author of By Any Other Name
A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history.
Allegra Goodman's novel Isola concerns Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval (born c. 1515), a French noblewoman who was marooned on a deserted island with her lover while on a voyage to New France (Canada). Marguerite was eventually rescued and upon her return to France was treated as a celebrity; her tale became widely known very quickly. Two versions of her ordeal were recorded: one by French priest André Thevet, which is said to be based on an interview with the young lady; and a second gleaned from stories passed around the French court. A romanticized version of this latter account was written down by Queen Marguerite of Navarre (1492-1549), the sister of King Francis I of France and the grandmother of King Henry IV of France. ...
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