Historical Fiction Continued...

JOAN OF ARC By Diane Stanley

"Does God hate the English?" she was asked. "Of the love or hate which God has for the English...," she replied, "I know nothing; but I do know that they will be driven out of France, except for those who will die here, and that God will send victory to the French over the English."

Stanley, Diane. 1998. Joan of Arc. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN: 0-688-14330-X

She was born into this world a peasant but left it as a saint.  Joan of Arc was raised in a small village in France.  She was illiterate, extremely religious and a hard worker.  When Joan turned 13, she began to hear voices and see visions.  The visions informed her she had been chosen to lead Prince Charles to the cathedral at Reims, where he could be crowned king.  She bravely left her village and began a brief but glorious life as “the Maid.”   Joan was taunted, wounded, and betrayed during her seemingly impossible quest but she rode through it all with courage, dignity and grace.  Diane Stanley’s biography of Joan of Arc is an artistic and literary masterpiece.  Stanley carefully researched the court documents from Joan’s trials to provide readers with accurate facts of Joan’s life. Quotes, such as “ Noble dauphin, do not hold such long council, but go to Reims as soon as possible and receive your worthy crown!” come directly from trial transcripts.   She uses breathtaking acrylic illustrations to vividly illustrate the buildings, clothing and royal grandeur of the medieval time period.  The biography logically flows from Joan's peasant birth to her death on a blazing stake. Stanley never uses words to glorify the young woman; Joan’s actions speak loudly enough. Joan of Arc is a symbol of empowerment for girls across the world.  Purchase one for all the young girls you know!

What the Critics Have to Say... Appealing to the audience's intelligence and imagination, this book stimulates an interest in both its particular subject, Joan of Arc, and history in general - Publishers Weekly From Stanley, a sympathetic biography that is also a straightforward affair, captured in gemlike illustrations that feign a Book of Hours touch—though many are drenched in piety—recounting the story of Joan's life - Kirkus Reviews

JIP: HIS STORY By Katherine Paterson

All those years when he had wondered why no one had bothered to come back for him...God must like bitter jokes. Because someone did come.  His question was answered.  There was no more mystery to be solved. Someone had come back -not to claim his child but to recover his property.

Paterson, Katherine. 1997. Jip: His Story. New York: Scholastic Books. ISBN: 0-590-26328-5

The protagonist in this story is almost too good to be true.  Jip is a little orphan boy who was found on the side of a road in rural Vermont in the year 1847.  He grows up on the town poor farm (a place for outcasts, paupers and strays) and he is soon doing the majority of chores around the place.  He forms strong bonds with the other residents and has a winning way with the animals.  Jip is visited by tragedy, triumph, and terror but his spirit is never crushed.  Jip learns his true identity when a stranger arrives in town to claim his “property.”  Jip escapes captivity with the help of a Quaker family.  He crosses the border into Canada and lives the remainder of his life as a free man. The plot of this story is filled with twists and turns and it keeps the reader actively engaged until the very end.  The setting is cleverly recreated and historical details of this time period are learned from the eyes, thoughts and actions of each character in the book.   Unfortunately, it is difficult to bond with the characters.  The good guys are too saintly and the bad guys are too menacing.  There are times you are tempted to yell, “STOP WORRYING ABOUT PUT!  RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!”  Jip always takes the high road and that IS too good to be true.  The plot is well written, historical details are accurate, the setting is vividly recreated but Katherine Paterson paints each character's morals a tad thick

What the Critics Have to Say... The taut, extremely readable narrative and its tender depictions of friendship and loyalty provide first-rate entertainment - Publishers Weekly What a story. It's not often that the revelations of the plot are so astonishing--and yet so inevitable--that they make you shout and think and shiver and cry - Booklist As usual for Paterson, all the characterizations are penetrating--even the villains are interesting - Kirkus Reviews

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