Behind the girl rides her army of ten thousand warriors, all of them united by the same strange and feverish joy as they crash across the winter fields, through the white land and toward the shadowed stillness of the pines. She is seventeen, a peasant, unschooled, simple as a thumb. But on this morning, she is simply God’s arrow, shot across the winterland, brilliant and savage and divine. Unstoppable.
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 paths, 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 imaginations 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 to 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.
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"Was she a saint or a witch? A visionary or a madwoman? Or an extraordinary peasant girl who, at God's bidding, led an army, saved France and paid the price by burning alive? . . .Kimberly Cutter's portrait of 'Jehanne' as a strange, gritty teenage tomboy and true believer is compelling." -- USA Today
"Cutter brings Jehanne d'Arc to life, complete with the visions, voices, courage, and superpowers she used to persuade thousands to follow her into battle to save her beloved France from the English army. Cutter's Joan is conflicted [and] the battles are gory. . ." -- Daily Candy
"Joan of Arc, the teenage peasant girl who commanded a French army, was burned at the stake, and eventually declared a saint, exists in our collective imagination as more myth than human being. . . Cutter strips away the romanticism in favor of a more complex portrayal that raises some provocative questions." -- O Magazine
"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"Cutter evokes the novel's medieval world with striking details. Wounds are dressed in olive oil and cotton, and stork is eaten for dinner. King Charles appears 'in his white nightdress, hair trailing down his back in thin, oiled tentacles,' and a starving, naked woman stuffs dirt in her mouth 'greedily, as if it were a butter tart.'" -- The New York Times Book Review
"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
About the Author
Kimberly Cutter received her MFA from the University of Virginia. She was the West Coast editor for W Magazine for four years. She has written for Harper's Bazaar, W, Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, and Marie Claire, where she is currently a contributing editor. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Customer Reviews
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.
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!
On another level, as to what drove Joan to do what she did, the book falls short. In truth though, I am not sure that is a question that can be answered. Who knows the source of her visions/voices?
I see this book as a stepping stone to a more detailed work or history. It is NOT a religious tract, I see some reviewers were offended by the grittiness or rather the acknowledging of her sex!
Joan's story is truly one in which truth is stranger than fiction. If someone wrote this story as a fantasy it would be deemed too too fantastical. The amazing thing is that it is real! The author makes a very good attempt at trying to give us a person behind the amazing persona.
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