A chilling tale (literally) by Allegra Goodman
The Power of Historical Fiction
Reading brings me joy in all its forms and all its genres, but I have to admit that Historical Fiction is probably my favorite. Storytelling is an art, and it's elevated to the level of "great" when it's based on truth, as in the case of Isola, a novel by Allegra Goodman.
Isola is inspired by the life of Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval, a French noblewoman living in the mid-1500s. In two different places, her life is documented, so Goodman had actual accounts to base the story on. Without these records, Marguerite's story might have been lost forever. Without these records, readers might believe that the tale is too "tall" to be believed.
Grateful to be living now when women have rights
No doubt, in today's world, women don't always receive the same pay as men, the same chances at leadership, or the same treatment as men, but we've come a long way. Reading Isola reminded me once again how lucky I am to be born in the 20th Century instead of the 16th Century!
Marguerite's family was noble and wealthy. She lived on a beautiful estate in France but struggled from the day she was born. In a powerful opening line, Marguerite says,
“I never knew my mother. She died the night I was born, and so we passed each other in the dark.”
Not only did Marguerite not have a mother, but her father was off fighting wars for the king and was eventually killed, leaving Marguerite, three years old, alone except for her loyal servant, Damienne. Damienne becomes one of the most lovable characters in the novel, a devout woman of faith who had served Marguerite's mother and promised to protect her baby, a duty she fulfills to the end of her life.
Marguerite, however, is a woman, and a female CANNOT be in charge of her life. Her wealth is relegated to a cousin, a man focused on getting ahead in the world and making his own money. He cares little for Marguerite, except for creepy encounters when he returns home from sea voyages and inspects her physical and intellectual growth, always demanding proof of her abilities.
The Villainy of Cousin Robervale
The usual course of action for a legal guardian is to find a marriage match for his ward. Marguerite hopes this will be the case, and Roberval would use her estate as a wedding dowry, freeing him of his responsibility. This traditional strategy would ensure a life of relative safety and comfort for Marguerite, the rightful inheritor.
Cousin Roberval, however, is not an honorable guardian. Instead of brokering a marriage for Marguerite, he sells her estate and uses the money to fund his voyages and then forces Marguerite to accompany him on his journey. He's been named the French envoy to "New France," now known as much of Canada and the upper Great Lakes area.
Marguerite has no choice, and she and her loyal servant, Damienne, pack up their possessions and begin the brutal voyage across the ocean.
Enter Auguste, Roberval's Clerk
Auguste is Roberval's clerk. He handles correspondence and accounting and lives at Marguerite's estate while Roberval is at sea. Of course, Marguerite and Auguste meet, and once Auguste witnesses Roberval's cruelty to Marguerite, he becomes more attentive and tries to protect her.
When Roberbal goes to sea, he takes not only Marguerite and Damienne, but also his clerk, Auguste. The proximity of Auguste to Marguerite leads to nights on the dark deck of the ship, getting to know each other better. It's no surprise that they fall in love.
The real trouble starts when Roberval discovers Marguerite is in love with his clerk. His punishment is to leave them on a deserted island near the St. Lawrence River.
Isola
Are you wondering why the novel is titled Isola when the main character's name is Marguerite?
The word, "isola" is an Italian word for island, and much of Marguerite's story takes place on this deserted island in the cold and inhospitable waters off of Canada.
Damienne, Auguste, and Marguerite eke out an existence on the island, salting fish, roasting birds, and poaching eggs from the big white birds that haunt the clifffs. Winter comes on fast in the northern climes, and Auguste finds a cave where they will be sheltered from the weather.
What follows is a desperate grasp for survival. The winter is brutal. Foodstores diminish. Darkness in the cave is continual. Marguerite is pregnant. Polar bears threaten.
I won't tell you what happens because I want you to read it, but let me tell you that the language is powerful. The descriptions of their island and the struggles of these three people who love each other evoke raw emotions. I felt the cold creeping into my limbs and fear flowing into my veins.
Beauties of the book
Faced with real struggles and terrible tragedies, Marguerite struggles with her faith. While the devoted Damienne never loses her ability to pray, Marguerite gets angry and doubts the goodness of God. One of the beauties of this book is that Marguerite never feels like a created character, but like the woman she may have been in real life. (A great tribute to the Allegra Goodman, the author.) In an era where women are expected to be devout, docile, and unquestioning, Marguerite emotes fury, frustration, despair, and confusion.
Another of the beauties of the book is that Marguerite, in the absence of other people and lacking the need to conform to societal rules, learns to appreciate the glorious spectacle of nature on view before her. She finds an inner strength that she would never have found if she had been playing the part of a "lady" that she was expected to play on land. On the island, she is free to be herself and manifest the physical and mental strength that lay dormant in other situations.
What others are saying about Isola
Isola is getting positive press.
“Goodman’s lush and enthralling castaway tale of betrayal and love, suffering and strength is magnificent in its beauty, mystery, fury, and redemption.”—Booklist, starred review
“A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history, Isola is an immersive journey through the eyes of Marguerite de la Rocque, who redefines what makes one a woman of worth and what the difference is between having a life and truly living.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author
and
What may be most wondrous about “Isola” is its seamlessness. All its elements — style, tone, setting, characters, historical accuracy — render a richly real world, graphic and palpable, from aristocratic estate life to most-wretched human suffering. Its language and dialogue — completely plausible for its era — together with relentlessly vivid physical details (lice, tooth extraction, banquet delicacies, wild foraging, dressing habits) cohere to swallow us whole: from Marguerite’s early, tender friendships with two gentle female housemates in their quasi-imprisonment by de Roberval, to the detailed, murderous ordeals of shipboard life, to Marguerite’s desperate, eye-popping survival battles on a remote harsh island. - Washington Post
Romantic notions shot to shreds
For years, I wanted to be a lighthouse keeper on a deserted coast somewhere. The same fantasy in a different format had me living for a year in an isolated cabin in Montana (with hot water, electricity, and WIFI, of course - because it was a fantasy!) On other days, I dreamt of being alone on a faraway tropical island. The writer in me craves solitude and quiet, time to be creative far away from the rest of the world.
But believe me, reading Isola disabused me of all those notions. Being stranded on a deserted isle was a horrifying ordeal that most people wouldn't survive, unless you're a smart, strong, bent-on-living woman named Marguerite de la Rocque de Robervale.
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