Everyone has heard of Joan of Arc but how many people really know the complete story about this famous person? Perhaps it is the complexity of all that happened to her and the long, hard to read biographies that keep most people from knowing the full story. Ben D. Kennedy solves this problem by delivering an easy to read yet compelling biography that covers the life of Joan of Arc in a way that is both beautiful and inspiring.
The story of Joan of Arc is so remarkable that it is one that everyone should fully know. Called by God to rescue her people from the invading English, she answers the call when she is only sixteen years old. A little over two years later, she is dead but in the brief time she lived, she accomplished as much as anyone in history and became the legendary figure that she remains today.
At first glance, you might wonder how a poem can cover such a story but Kennedy explains: "I can say in a poem in a few lines what it would take pages to say in a regular biography and say it better. In today¿s world, few people have the time or the inclination to read a thousand page biography but Maid of Heaven can be read in less than an hour." The other advantages to the poetic form of writing become apparent as you read Maid of Heaven. The sheer beauty of the easy flowing verse brings to the story a kind of Homeric heroism echoing classic epic poems of the past.
"I was impressed by his clever English prose that was able to combine actual historical fact and the words spoken by Joan herself."
Virginia Frohlick - Founder and Director of the Joan of Arc Center- Albuquerque, NM
"Mr. Kennedy does an amazing job of putting such a lyrical story into capitivating lyrical form. "
Chris Snidow - Author, musician and leader of three Joan of Arc pilgrimages in France.
"Expertly Composed and Highly Recommended"
Midwest Book Review
