Customer Reviews

Maid of Heaven: The Story of Saint Joan of Arc

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In Maid of Heaven, Ben D. Kennedy has created an absolute masterpiece. By combining the beauty of poetry with historical fact, Kennedy brings Joan of Arc to life in a way that no other biography about her ever has for me. I love the way he intertwines actual quotes of Joan of Arc into the poem and the story. I started reading it and could not put it down until I finished. The poem alone is enough, but the pictures are also awesome and they fit in perfect with the story. As I said, it is a MASTERPIECE!!

I love Joan of Arc and read all I can about her but I was a little skeptical when I found out Maid of Heaven was a poem. Boy was I wrong. I started reading it as soon as I got home and opened the package from Amazon and could not put it down until I had devoured the whole book. WOW. I felt like I was right there with her. There is something about it being a poem that makes her story so much more real than a regular biography. I actually cried a little at the end when Joan went to be burned. If you love Joan of Arc you will love Maid of Heaven!!!!!

The symbolism in this poem is awesome! The whole battle of light verses darkness in the life of St. Joan is beautifully portrayed throughout Maid of Heaven. The very first stanza references St. Joan's birth on the Epiphany and from there her great spiritual journey unfolds in a way that make it clear what the focus of her life was: serving God.

If you only read this poem as a history of Joan of Arc you will come away with a good understanding of the major events in her life. BUT if you allow the poem to take you deeper you will transcend beyond the obvious conclusions about St. Joan of Arc and better understand why she truly deserves to be called a saint.

Length:: 2:56 Mins

Great inspiring video about Joan of Arc with historic pictures.

When the smashing Leelee Sobieski film about Joan of Arc came out in 1998, I immediately began searching the hundreds of books about Joan to find the best one portraying her story. Not until this year, with this little book have I succeeded.

Joan was an extraordinary woman who heard the voices of God and His servants singing in her heart from the time she was a devout child. By the time she was a young woman, the Holy voices had strengthened, beckoning her to a deadly, glorious mission she never imagined. She responded to the heart song God gave her and began her journey, turning her life into a living psalm written for His Glory. This book, in turn, is like a song dedicated to her and God; rich with information and melodious in word, this new piece of literature is written in poem form. All the major events of Joan's life, including the locations she visited, the various battles she fought, and the reactions of those around her are recorded here in beautiful lilting print, sometimes rhyming and sometimes not. The educational aspect of the book is as fluid as the poetic one; as you find yourself following Joan's story and rolling the poetry off your tongue, you may not even notice at first how easily all the vital facts about Joan's life are absorbed into memory. With this book, author Ben Kennedy has given us both an essential learning tool (one shorter and far more fun to read than many a textbook) and a moving dedication to God and one of His greatest servants, a woman who reflected her Lord as both a lionheart warrior and a lamb to sacrifice. I highly recommend this book to all!

Everyone knows of the general legend of Joan of Arc - a young and illiterate girl hears voices from God and leads France against the invading English. "Maid of Heaven: The Story of Saint Joan of Arc", however, tells the complete and through story of a sixteen year old girl who rose up to stand against insurmountable odds. Nonfiction, but written and reads like fiction, "Maid of Heaven: The Story of Saint Joan of Arc" is expertly composed and highly recommended to world history shelves and for anyone who wants a complete understanding of this enigmatic teenage girl who was anything but.

Ben Kennedy has written a very beautiful, spiritual piece of work about Saint Joan. Ben has written this in such a way that you can relate to the battle of good vs. evil that is going on in today's world. Saint Joan stepped up to plate and was "crucified" for her fight. It was as if the PC police were alive and well, even way back then. She paid the ultimate price, and was rightfully sainted. Ben lets his readers share this event,
and his words bring her life alive as if it were today. Great, uplifting work.

Beautiful poem, beautiful story, beautiful pictures, everything about this book is beautiful.

I've read many books about France's Partron Saint, Joan of Arc, but never seen one like 'Maid of Heaven' by Ben Kennedy. It is Joan's life portrayed through beautiful poetic form. Mr. Kennedy does an amazing job of putting such a lyrical story into capitivating lyrical form. It is the kind of book that catches your attentiion, and then never lets go. Once I started, I was compelled to continue to the very end. The poetry is lovely and well versed, and the historical perspecties reflect an accurate accounting of Joan's amazing story. Most importantly, Mr. Kennedy doesn't neglect to include the spiritaul perspectives and implications in his work, and we are all the better for it. I highly recommend this lovely and most original approach to Joan's life.

An epic flash back that water my eyes. I had read several books including condemnation files but Ben compiled the historic events in a magnificent poem. I did not expect this breathtaking story.