When we were taught about Joan of Arc in school, all we were told were the basics: She was a teenage girl who heard the voice of God, led the French armies to victory for the king and then was burned to death at the stake.
Donald Spoto’s new biography, JOAN: THE MYSTERIOUS LIFE OF THE HERETIC WHO BECAME A SAINT, fills in all the gaps. He gives us a detailed history of Joan that raises the bar for all Joan of Arc historians who dare follow. From her early childhood to the aftermath of her controversial trail, Spoto’s writing never talks down to his audience and reads so fluently, unlike other history books so dry, you have to force yourself to finish them.
Formerly a biographer of Alfred Hitchcock and Marilyn Monroe, Spoto paints a vivid portrait of the teenage girl’s life, in a manner that makes one grateful. Not only is she not portrayed as the action hero some people would have you believe, but Spoto leaves it to the reader to decide whether the voices she heard were real or not, since she stuck to her principles to the bitter end.
The author obviously underwent exhaustive research for JOAN, including incorporating new translations of the trial notes, as well as tries to clear up most of the mysteries that still surround her. From her youth, we are told she was nothing but a very pious and generous girl who claimed voices in her head told her to help restore the power of the king of France’s throne. While in battle, Joan was a leader through and through, leading by example – to the point of dressing like a man, which would become her downfall in the trial.
Said trial is probably the biggest eye-opener of the book. You can see how the prosecutors and the judges were determined to paint this girl of only 19 as some sort of a heretic. Personally, I don’t know of any 19-year-olds who could stick to their principles like Joan did, boy or girl. Spoto’s book will be looked upon as the definitive tome of the life of a girl that inspired a nation, but always will remain a puzzle. –Bruce Grossman
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