The Maid: A Novel of Joan of Arc [Hardcover]

Kimberly Cutter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 2011

The girl who led an army, the peasant who crowned a king, the maid who became a legend

It is the fifteenth century, and the tumultuous Hundred Years’ War rages on. France is under siege, English soldiers tear through the countryside destroying all who cross their path, and Charles VII, the uncrowned king, has neither the strength nor the will to rally his army. And in the quiet of her parents’ garden in Domrémy, a peasant girl sees a spangle of light and hears a powerful voice speak her name. Jehanne .

The story of Jehanne d’Arc, the visionary and saint who believed she had been chosen by God, who led an army and saved her country, has captivated our imagination for centuries. But the story of Jehanne—the girl—whose sister was murdered by the English, who sought an escape from a violent father and a forced marriage, who taught herself to ride and fight, and who somehow found the courage and tenacity to persuade first one, then two, then thousands to follow her, is at once thrilling, unexpected, and heartbreaking. Rich with unspoken love and battlefield valor, The Maid is a novel about the power and uncertainty of faith, and the exhilarating and devastating consequences of fame.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The girl who led an army, the peasant who crowned a king, the maid who became a legend

It is the fifteenth century, and the tumultuous Hundred Years’ War rages on. France is under siege, English soldiers tear through the countryside destroying all who cross their path, and Charles VII, the uncrowned king, has neither the strength nor the will to rally his army. And in the quiet of her parents’ garden in Domrémy, a peasant girl sees a spangle of light and hears a powerful voice speak her name. Jehanne .

The story of Jehanne d’Arc, the visionary and saint who believed she had been chosen by God, who led an army and saved her country, has captivated our imagination for centuries. But the story of Jehanne—the girl—whose sister was murdered by the English, who sought an escape from a violent father and a forced marriage, who taught herself to ride and fight, and who somehow found the courage and tenacity to persuade first one, then two, then thousands to follow her, is at once thrilling, unexpected, and heartbreaking. Rich with unspoken love and battlefield valor, The Maid is a novel about the power and uncertainty of faith, and the exhilarating and devastating consequences of fame.

A Note from Kimberly Cutter, Author of The Maid

In the spring of 2008, I had realization. After several years of struggling to write a novel that was rooted more or less in my own experience, it occurred to me one afternoon that I was miserable (hiking "uphill in iron shoes," as Robert Lowell says), and that perhaps this was not the book I was meant to be writing. This, of course, was an incredibly depressing thing to realize, but it was also liberating in the way that admitting something true is always liberating. A few hours later, I was sitting on the floor in my living room, idly staring at a wedge of sunlight and wondering what to do with the rest of my life, when a thought occurred to me: What if you could write any book you wanted? Any book. In the whole world.

It’s hard to describe the kind of excitement that those words knocked free in me then. It was as if the entire snowy Himalayan mountain range had just sprung up behind my sofa. As if a unicorn stood drinking at my kitchen sink.

Hot on the heels of that thought came another: Well, what sort of book would it be? Any book. What would be the most exciting? The most fascinating? The most fun? The answers came thick and fast. It would be a book about someone who had actually existed. A woman. A woman who’d had a big, bold, active, adventurous life--the kind of life we all dream about living. I got up and made a list of candidates. Joan of Arc was on that original list (as were Cleopatra and Isabel Burton, the wife of legendary explorer Sir Richard Burton) but almost as soon as I began reading about Joan’s life, the other candidates drained away like shadows at daybreak. No one else had such conviction. Such faith. Such ferocious courage. Also, unlike so many of history’s great women, who were famous for standing behind great men, Joan stood alone. Behind no one. Her desire was her own; her glory was her own; her downfall was her own.

Up until then, I had never given Joan of Arc much thought before. Like a lot of people of my generation, I could count the things I knew about her on one hand: I knew she was a saint. I knew she was French. I knew she fought in a big war back sometime during the Middle Ages. I knew she was burned at the stake. That was it. For me, she existed as a sort of vague, dusty, sad-eyed figure in a stained glass church window--someone about as real as Snow White or Frankenstein. But as soon as I began reading about her life, I was hooked. Completely, utterly hooked. I wanted to know everything there was to know about her. This was a real girl, I kept thinking. A real flesh-and-blood teenager did all this.

-Kimberly Cutter

Review

"Cutter makes the story of Saint Joan worth retelling by breathing new life into these characters and dramatizing the complex politics of their era in a strikingly engaging way. We see the bloody battles, the relationships formed and destroyed. We are with her when her voices fade, dimmed by stone walls and men's agendas. . . .[The Maid] does what all the best historical novels do: It raises the ongoing questions we need to ask ourselves." -- Brunonia Barry, Washington Post

"No one has ever written a fictional treatment of Joan of Arc that encompasses 'The Maid of Orleans' the way Kimberly Cutter has. From Jehanne's poverty-stricken upbringing, to her peculiar relationship with France's Dauphin, to her bloodthirsty battle actions and finally, to her sad last days, this book brings a misunderstood figure to blazing life." -- Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"A fiery portrait of one of history's most exalted heroines. Cutter's lavish imagery is outstanding and her dynamic characters are truly absorbing. The Maid is a triumphant re-imagining of a courageous, faithful and remarkably resilient woman." — Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana and A World on Fire

"Cutter brings fresh insight to the story of Joan of Arc in this dynamic page-turner...The exhilaration of her many triumphs on the battlefield, the bloody combat, the deadly jealousies and political machinations that begin her undoing, and her tragic end are portrayed with vivid imagination and brio. In this stunning debut, Cutter pays vibrant homage to this legendary woman." — Publishers Weekly, starred review 

"The Maid is a brilliant portrait of Joan of Arc that peels away the layers of myth to reveal the inner world of an astonishing human being. Cutter has given new life to one of the most incredible women of all time." — Danielle Trussoni, author of Angelology

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (October 18, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0547427522
• ISBN-13: 978-0547427522
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kimberly Cutter was born in Palm Beach, Florida, and raised between there and Bronxville, New York. She attended Vanderbilt University and received her MFA from the University of Virginia, where she was a Henry Hoyns Fellow. From 2000-2004, she served as the West Coast Editor for W Magazine. She has written for Elle, W, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, and Marie Claire, where she is currently a Contributing Editor. Her first book, The Maid, a novel of Joan of Arc, will be released on Oct. 20th, 2011 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nicely Written, But Ambivalent, September 29, 2011

By 

M. D. Stern (Orange, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Maid: A Novel of Joan of Arc (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

"The Maid" is a somewhat historical, somewhat fictional account of the life of Joan of Arc (Jehanne D'Arc), the patron saint and vigilant young woman who helped turned the tide of the Hundred Year's War between France and England and secured Charles VII to the French throne. I had not known very much about this figure of history, other than that she was a military figure and she was burned at the stake. So, I looked forward to reading this book for a little more insight into her story.

The author does provide the background: the reader learns Joan's childhood, her family, the beginnings of the voices she hears that she believes are from St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margarent directing to her mission from God. The author does describe the various characters in history, and how they played out, and the roles they assumed. The author describes the battles, to some degree, in startling clarity. However, when it comes to Joan's trial, it is brief and fleeting.

I found the writing to be okay, but this novel just didn't sweep me up and draw me into it. It's not that I "hated" it - but I didn't really find it all that compelling, either. I feel that for Joan to do what she did, she had to have had a tremendous passion. And I simply didn't get that from this book. I felt as though I was reading about what this woman did, and not about what she felt. This was not a strict work of non-fiction, so I felt there was room to interject feelings and emotions into Joan and it wasn't done. At least, I didn't feel it. Although I feel as though I know more about the life of Joan of Arc, I don't feel as though I know any more about why she did what she did.

One other item that I found disappointing in this book, was the use of common vernacular used today instead of the language that would have been used during the middle ages. One example would be the phrase "leaving them in the dust." It just didn't have the feel or sound of something that would be used at that time. Or the term, "religious freak," as opposed to the term "religious zealot." There were too many times where words and phrases used today were inserted into speech patterns, and it had a rather jarring effect on me. This perhaps is what managed to take me out of the story and leave me feeling ambivalent about the novel.

Overall, this novel isn't poorly written, but I just couldn't get all that excited about it. I don't fully regret reading it, as I learned somethings I hadn't known before. But I didn't find it as entertaining as other books I've read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Divinely Human, September 20, 2011

By 

C.E. - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Maid: A Novel of Joan of Arc (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Cutter has crafted an engrossing tale that sheds much needed light on one of the most famous women in history. Just about everyone knows who Joan of Arc was. What she did. What happened to her. How she was cleared and declared a saint. But one thing we will never know, it what it was really like, what really happened, who was there, how it all played out in her head and how many players were really involved in the game. Cutter has tried to give us a facet of the story from that perspective...and in this novel it works very well.

Joan is presented as more human, more doubting in herself, and more conflicted than in previous literary and cinematic offerings. We are given a glimpse into what her world may have been like, what she may have felt, and how it may have affected those around her. Was she called of God? Was she just crazy? We will never know- and this book wisely steers clear of those opinions and instead gives us Joan in her entirety- taking into account the voices and her amazing ability to galvanize and command an army.

The book is well crafted with great dialogue and wonderful imagery. The battles are appropriately gory, the language crude at times, and the outcomes thrilling to think about. We see a woman who is very much human, very much caught up in something bigger than herself, and very much alone. Told as more a series of memories and the like, the book works well and leads us firmly but gently to the somber ending we all know is coming. An absolutely wonderful read!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A humdinger, October 25, 2011

By 

Cecil Bothwell "Author of "Whale Falls: A... (Asheville, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Maid: A Novel of Joan of Arc (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

This isn't my kind of book at all. I loved it. Read it in one swoop. The author retells the well known, near mythic tale in a gripping and intimate way, humanizing a semi-mythic life. I was particularly taken with the back story, the tale of the early years as a misfit girl child in a rural, male-dominated domain. The threat and reality of foreign invasion is all too real, and the near-psychotic obsession of the girl extremely vivid.

Great historical fiction, the sort that makes you want to rebel or sing.