Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc [Paperback]

Polly Schoyer Brooks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

The king was going mad . . . So begins Polly Schoyer Brooks's account of one of history's most compelling stories and one of the world's most popular heroines-Joan of Arc. Brooks tells us of a fifteenth-century France ravaged by war, plague, and religious conflict; of a king who suffered fits of madness and his weak son who made a disappointing successor; and of a peasant girl from the countryside who accomplished what appeared to be miracles by rallying the dispirited French nation with her desire to see the rightful king rule. Little more than a year after her astounding triumphs-uniting the nation and securing the throne for Charles VII with her victory over the English at Orlean-nineteen-year-old Joan was imprisoned on charges of witchcraft and sorcery, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake. Polly Schoyer Brooks's detailed narrative unveils the spirited young woman who became a patron saint and continues to inspire courage and faith.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

A scholarly, well-written biography of France's great heroine, Beyond the Myth is thorough, interesting, and full of detail about this remarkable woman and the time in which she lived. In addition to an historical introduction, Brooks also discusses various interpretations of Joan's visions, and then makes her own thoughtful analysis. The book also contains a comprehensive, annotated bibliography. The black-and-white illustrations have been carefully selected and are aptly placed within the text; there are also two excellent maps. Brooks' book is a good complement to Williams' classic Joan of Arc (American Heritage, 1963; o.p.) which, while more condensed in its text, effectively relates Joan's story and has superb full-color illustrations. A more recent study, Banfield's Joan of Arc (Chelsea, 1985; o.p.), is skimpy in detail and contains many factual errors; its numerous illustrations are, for the most part, poorly selected and explained. Goodwin's Where the Towers Pierce the Sky (Four Winds, 1989), a recent time-travel fantasy, treats Joan in the simplistic manner typical of popular fiction. In contrast, Brooks writes for serious readers, and her book, although challenging, is richly rewarding. It will certainly become the definitive Joan of Arc biography for young adults. --Ann W. Moore, formerly at Lane Road Library, Columbus, OH
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Joan is pictured as pious, strong-willed, and heroic. Brooks's carefully rendered and moving history focuses on the single year in which Joan led the army of Prince Charles to victory and then fell prey to the jealousy, court intrigue, and superstition that brought about her death. Bibliography, index. -- 1990 Horn Book

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 178 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395981387
• ISBN-13: 978-0395981382
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #539,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Catholicism > Saints
  • #98 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Biographies > Religious

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting beyond the myths about Joan of Arc, February 3, 2004

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc (Paperback)

In "Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc," Polly Schoyer Brooks provides a biography for young adults that makes a point of separating historical facts from popular legends. One of the main strengths of the volume is how Brooks establishes the situation in 15th-century France which involved a king who suffered fits of madness and his weakling son and then tells the story of a peasant girl from the countryside who accomplished what appeared to be miracles in rallying the French to her banner. The result is a book about Joan of Arc that captures her humanity as well as her heroism.

Brooks neatly divides the story of Joan in half, with the first six chapters starting with Joan's life in the village of Domremy and ending with the crowing of Charles the Dauphin as King of France, and the last six depicting Joan's fall from glory, trial, and execution. Brooks emphasizes that the situations that brought about her martyrdom were beyond Joan's control and details the political calculations that ended up putting her in the hands of the English. However, as Brooks emphasizes, though the English burned Joan's body to ashes they could not wipe out the memory of her deeds from the French people. I appreciate that Brooks makes it clear to her readers how the effort's to restore Joan's name and honor after the English left France were just as politically motivated as the trial that condemned her.

This young adult biography is illustrated with historic prints and paintings, including a sketch by a clerk of his idea of Joan drawn in the margin of his report, as well as contemporary photographs of historic sites, such as Joan's stone-and-rubble house in Domremy and the statue on the post were she was burned at the stake in the marketplace at Rouen. Brooks has also written similar biographies of Eleanor of Acquitaine and Cleopatra. However, as Brooks notes, although more books about Joan have been inspired than any other women in history, she remains an enigma. In "Beyond the Myth," Brooks tries to answer the key questions concerning Joan's life and to restore her humanity, which in the final analysis, Brooks sees as being her greatest virtue. For students who are ready to get beyond your basic juvenile biographies of Joan of Arc, this is a thoughtful volume to which to turn next.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed biographical study garnered from intense research., May 3, 2001

By 

"iloveprovence" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc (Paperback)

Like many females, I enjoy learning about female historical figures. I want to know as much truth as I can find. The author does exactly that for the reader. This book is a detailed account of the events that triggered Joan d'Arc's dedication to her country and its rightful king. The author traces the history based on documents and other works that have been carefully researched. She provides the reader with the personality traits and beliefs of the time which drove the events that led to Joan's trial and death. Accusations of witchcraft and sorcery were used by church and secular leaders to destroy the young life of a heroic woman because of jealousy, superstition, and shady business surrounding the church and state. In addition, health and medical issues of the times are revealed that are shocking and entertaining. Read this book to learn about Joan, but also about the way people lived. Just learning about the reasons for the need for all those castles made the read worth the time.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Historical Book Provides Much and Good Information, April 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc (Paperback)

The book Beyond the Myth: the True Story of Joan of Arc gave much information and many facts. For those of you that want to find out who Joan is, what her personality is like, what she did, etc., this book would be perfect for you. I felt like I knew Joan by the time I was finished. The book is very descriptive and adds lots of detail, which is great. This book portrays Joan very well and doesn't leave out anything. It starts from her childhood to the time she died. At the end in the Afterword, the book even goes on to tell a little about what happened after Joan dies. This book is excellent if you want information about Joan. The book is entertaining at most parts, but it did get boring at times, so that is why I gave it a four star rating instead of five. Overall, this book is very good and provides a lot of information, not only on Joan, but on France and that time period. This book is great!