St. Joan of Arc

St. Joan of Arc from Lives of the Saints by Rev. Alban Butler (1894)

At Domremy, on the Upper Meuse, was born on January 6, 1412, of pious parentage, the illustrious heroine of all time, St. Joan of Arc. Taught by her mother from earliest years to pray each night 'O God, save France,' she could not help but conceive that ardent love for her country which later consumed her life. While the English were overrunning the north of France, their future conqueror, untutored in worldly wisdom, was peacefully tending her flock, and learning the wisdom of God at a wayside shrine. But hearing Voices from heaven and bidden by St. Michael, who appeared to her, to deliver her country from the enemy, she hastened to the King and convinced him of her divine mission. Scarcely did her banner, inscribed 'Jesus, Mary,' appear on the battlefield than she raised the siege of Orleans and led Charles VII to be crowned at Rheims. Later, abandoned by her King, she fell into the hands of the English, who gave her a mock trial and burned her as a heretic.

Joan of Arc

Book cover: Joan of Arc
Author(s): 
Josephine Poole
Illustrator(s): 
Angela Barrett
Number of pages: 
30 pages
Copyright: 
1998
ISBN / ID: 
9780679890416
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Biographies
Saints
Setting: 
High Middle Ages
Grade / Age level: 
Kindergarten
Review: 

This is a beautiful picture book, telling the story of Joan of Arc, from her childhood days to martrydom. The pictures are brilliant, captivating, and evocative. It is an oversized children's book, with the pictures covering two-thirds of the pages, and the text in the remainder. The story is told quite simply, with Joan given positive treatment. The author portrays Joan as a gentle, and yet courageous, religious young woman. Joan of Arc would be suitable for children five years of age, and up. I would highly recommend this book for any family studying the Middle Ages..

While I used Mark Twain's Joan of Arc as a read-aloud, I used Poole's version for the younger children. Also, the pictures and map really complimented Twain's book.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
K.M.
First reviewed: 
1998-99

Joan of Arc

Book cover: Joan of Arc
Author(s): 
Mark Twain
Number of pages: 
452 pages
Copyright: 
1896
ISBN / ID: 
0898702682
Publisher: 
Ignatius Press
Binding: 
Sewn Softcover
Subject(s): 
Biographies
Saints
Setting: 
High Middle Ages
Grade / Age level: 
High School
Adults
Review: 

Saint Joan of Arc is one of the most astonishing saints of all time. Prayerful, as all saints must be, humble, generous, and patient, Joan served God by leading the armies of France to boot the English from their soil in 1431. Not a usual task for a girl in her late teens, saint or not. And afterwards, to make it perfectly clear that the English were engaged in an act of godless aggression, Joan was burned as a witch after a trial that was unjust, illegal and cruel in every detail.

So who is qualified to tell this story? Another saint? A theologian? A soldier? What about just a good American story-teller – indeed the best – but a man with hardly any faith at all?

Mark Twain is most famous for his Mississippi River stories, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. It is not well enough known that his own favorite of all his works was the life of St. Joan of Arc, told from the fictional perspective (but this is the only fiction in the book) of a childhood companion who accompanied her on her wars, and then smuggled himself into her trials as a court reporter and was the last to touch her hand before she died.

Mark Twain really loved Joan and he dedicated the entire fiber of his wonderful talent to telling her story. I see him in the year 1910, knocking at the Pearly Gates, and I see Peter's hesitation, for Twain was after all, something of an unbelieving old cynic. But over Peter's shoulder, I see a slight and mischievous lass tugging his sleeve and saying with a grin, "Let him in, now, let him in!" while a Voice thunders from the Throne, "Any friend of Joan's is a friend of Mine."

Read it yourself, silently or aloud to the family, and see if you don't agree.

Reviewed by: 
Mary Daly
First reviewed: 
1998-99