Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc

This book won't appeal to everyone, but I thought it was terrific. I loved the various medieval forms of poetry and the fact the there were a range of points of view including Joan; her sword, dress and armour; St Catherine and St Michael; King Charles and the fire at her pyre; just to name a few. While some aspects of Joan's life were glossed over, especially her strong faith, "Voices: the Final Hours of Joan of Arc" was still a beautifully written, compelling read.

I am a poetry fan and a Joan of Arc fan so I am biased in favor of this book. "Voices" uses rhythm and rhyme and quotes from trial transcripts to tell the story of Joan of Arc. The poetry is often visual and always appealing. The author tells the story of Joan from the point of view of many sources: her favorite childhood tree, the road she walked on to go to war, her sword, alms, and many more. He also tells it through her own eyes as she is tied to a stake. The trial quotes and who said them were fascinating. There were quotes from childhood friends and squires and Count de Dunois, the bastard of Orleans. I couldn't put the book down.

I was deeply moved by this book about Joan of Arc’s final hours of life. Using the forms of villanelles, sestinas, and other poetic forms popular during Joan’s lifetime, our author allows people such as Joan’s father and mother, King Charles VII, Robert de Baudricourt and others to tell the reader about Joan. The author also uses these poetic forms to allow Joan’s sewing needle, her sword, her red dress, her tunic, and other inanimate objects to tell the reader about Joan. These particular poems are printed in the shape of the inanimate objects each represents. Also, among these poems are words written as if Joan, too, was telling us about all that had happened to her. In addition, there are direct quotes taken from her trials. show more All of these pieces fit together like a harmonious puzzle to create a very moving and tender account of the prejudices that Joan faced and the truly amazing triumphs that she accomplished as a young woman in a man’s world. I love this book! It is utterly unforgettable!

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. show less

This was so well done. The different voices used in conjunction with different poetic styles is just amazing. A book that makes me hungry to learn is a great book.

In different poetry styles, we have the story of Joan of Arc as she stands tied at the stake, awaiting her death. It is told not only by Joan relaying the memories of her battle, but other key persons such as her father, King Charles, bishops, and the saints who spoke to her. We also hear the voices of inanimate objects such as the tunic she wore, the sword she carried, the arrow that pierced her neck. Melodic poetry that begs to be read/performed aloud; much imagery. In this age of non-binary awareness and non-conforming gender identity, Joan speaks to today’s teens.

Well, the physical book itself is magnificent; it's gorgeously designed and laid out, and the cover artwork is stunning.

The content itself, however, just didn't quite grab me. It felt a little labored and at times awkward, and never quite landed for me. There wasn't enough of an emotional impact or narrative detail to capture my attention. The poems written from the points of view of various inanimate objects or abstract entities were an interesting idea and I was looking forward to that quirkiness, but I felt they didn't really add too much insight into the story. I definitely enjoyed the book most when it was told from Joan's point of view.

After reading in the author's note at the end that all of the poems were written in forms that show more were contemporary to Joan did make me reevaluate my view of the book once I'd finished, and I do think it's quite a commendable technical achievement, but I felt it was almost a little too much form over function.

Perhaps if this information had been included in the "Before you read" section and I knew it up front I'd have enjoyed it more, having gone in with a more receptive mindset and technical curiosity. However, I was looking for a more emotional examination of Joan of Arc and those around her, and that's definitely more to do with my expectations than a fault of the book, so I certainly recommend giving this a go if that concept appeals to you. show less

Their are a couple poems in it I feel could have benefitted from further revisions. That said, the concept and execution of storytelling is amazing. The fact that personal items in Joan's life are written as characters who are aware of her fate, really lends itself to the otherworldly nature of her life.