Karen’s Pick
Isola
Allegra Goodman
Dial Press, February 4, 2025
Isola, a work of historical fiction by Allegra Goodman, draws inspiration for the real-life story of Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval. Goodman’s masterful writing style and vivid descriptions transport readers back to the 16th century.
Amidst the opulence of wealth, status, and a promising future, Marguerite’s life takes a sudden turn when her abusive and volatile guardian cousin, Roberval, betrays her by mismanaging her resources. He leaves her penniless, homeless, and without the means to sustain herself in the life she was destined to occupy .
Due to her lack of a dowry, which would have allowed her to marry, and squandered resources both financial and social, Marguerite is forced to accompany her cousin aboard his ship on a perilous journey . Their destination, New France, is the distant land discovered by Cartier, believed to be a gateway to the riches of the expanding world. A romantic indiscretion by Marguerite enrages her cousin, forcing her and her lover and a companion nurse to disembark the ship. Marooned on an island, their survival in the unforgiving Canadian wilderness is dependent on their limited skills and provisions they possess. The exiled group’s collective ingenuity allows them to survive their harsh environs, but soon Marguerite’s fate and life’s course will change with the death of her companions. Her suffering is magnified by her aloneness, and the reader is consumed by her pain. She not only needs to gather food, but she must learn to hunt to live.
These conditions, which might have led to her demise, appear to have fueled her ability to return home.
Marguerite’s unwavering will to survive and her emotional rebirth paved the way for her return to France. Upon her return, her distressing story reached the Queen, who generously invested in Marguerite’s mission to establish a secure and dedicated school for young girls equipping them with the knowledge necessary to shape their own destinies. Goodman’s incredibly poignant saga weaves a captivating narrative that chronicles Marguerite’s life journey. Isola is an enduring tale of a woman’s self- discovery and remarkable resilience.
I highly recommend this book.