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Joan

On sale

6th April 2023

Price: £8.99

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Selected: Paperback / ISBN-13: 9781399706155

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A stunning feminist reimagining of the life of Joan of Arc – perfect for fans of Cecily, Ariadne and Matrix

‘It is as if the author has crept inside a statue and breathed a soul into it, re-creating Joan of Arc as a woman for our time’ Hilary Mantel, twice Booker Prize-winning author of The Mirror & the Light

‘A glorious, sweeping novel . . . Richly imagined, poignant and inspiring’ Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne

‘Chen earns the comparison [to Mantel] thanks to her vivid, visceral and boldly immediate storytelling . . . a hypnotic heroine for our time’ Telegraph

‘Chen’s Joan roars off the page. If you liked Ariadne, then this has to be your next read’ Red Magazine

‘Brilliant . . . Chen [presents] Joan as a beguiling, fully human mix of wariness and confidence, and fiercely protective of those she loves’ Guardian

Chen’s brilliantly imagined novel breathes new life into this famous tale. Her Joan is a riotous tomboy, a hot-headed adolescent and a decidedly unsaintly soldier – and is all the more inspiring for it. A triumph of historical fiction’ Mail on Sunday

*Times Best Historical Novels of July 2022 Pick*
*The Week Best Novels of 2022 Pick*

***

Girl. Warrior. Heretic. Saint?

France is mired in a losing war against England. Its people are starving. Its king is in hiding. Yet out of the chaos, an unlikely heroine emerges.

Reckless, steel-willed and brilliant, Joan has survived a childhood steeped in both joy and violence to claim an extraordinary – and fragile – position at the head of the French army. The battlefield and the royal court are full of dangers and Joan finds herself under suspicion from all sides – as well as under threat from her own ambition.

With unforgettably vivid characters and propulsive storytelling, Joan is a thrilling epic, a triumph of historical fiction, and a feminist celebration of one remarkable – and remarkably real – woman who left an indelible mark on history.

PRAISE FOR JOAN

‘Measured, austere, profoundly physical. I loved it’ Jo Baker, author of Longbourn

Pacy but lyrical, which takes great skill . . . Joan possesses a mystical, spiritual quality that gleams within the dirt and brutality of war, while her kindness and compassion shine through. I loved the writing, the imagery, the feeling of authenticity: this novel will stay with me for a long time’ Elizabeth Chadwick, bestselling author

‘This masterly and intense portrait creates a convincing three-dimensional character from the young peasant woman gifted with visions who, in her short life, followed her destiny to fight for the disputed French crown, even at the cost of her life. A highly immersive read’ Anne O’Brien, bestselling author of The Royal Game

‘In Katherine J. Chen’s capable hands, Joan becomes fully flesh and achingly real’ Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends

‘An epic novel with the mythic power of a fairytale’ Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train and The Exiles

‘When you look up the term ‘historical fiction’ in the dictionary it should say, simply, Read Katherine J. Chen’ Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Kaiser’s Web

‘A wholly original novel that inspires one’s mind and awakens one’s soul. With Joan, Katherine J. Chen has created nothing short of a masterpiece’ Alyson Richman, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of The Lost Wife

‘Beautifully written and confidently told, this is a story of how feminine strength and will can change the world’ Megan Chance, bestselling author of A Splendid Ruin

‘This Joan is of the earth – scrappy and strong, resilient and curious. An ambitious, thrilling novel’ Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace

‘Katherine J. Chen has stunningly summoned another time and place’ M.J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Tiara

‘Visceral and piercing – I was blown away’ Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post

‘Every era has a need to recast the French maiden warrior in a manner that renews her relevance. In Chen’s transporting prose, you will meet a towering new Joan of Arc, one of amazing physical strength, kindness, loyalty, and endurance’ Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab’s Wife, Four Spirits, and Abundance

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Reviews

Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace
This Joan is of the earth - scrappy and strong, resilient and curious. An ambitious, thrilling novel
Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of ARIADNE
A glorious, sweeping novel . . . Richly imagined, poignant and inspiring
Hilary Mantel, Booker-winning author of THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT
It is as if the author has crept inside a statue and breathed a soul into it, re-creating Joan of Arc as a woman for our time
Jo Baker, author of LONGBOURN
Measured, austere, profoundly physical. I loved it
Lisa Wingate, No.1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends
In Katherine J. Chen's capable hands, Joan becomes fully flesh and achingly real
Christina Baker Kline, No.1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train
An epic novel with the mythic power of a fairytale
Alyson Richman, bestselling author of The Lost Wife
A wholly original novel that inspires one's mind and awakens one's soul. With Joan, Katherine J. Chen has created nothing short of a masterpiece
Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Kaiser’s Web
When you look up the term 'historical fiction' in the dictionary it should say, simply, Read Katherine J. Chen
Telegraph
Chen earns the comparison [to Mantel] thanks to her vivid, visceral and boldly immediate storytelling... But it's Joan herself who constantly bounds off the page, a proto-feminist genius born into the wrong age. Thanks to Chen's efforts, she is now a hypnotic heroine for our time
Sarra Manning, Red Magazine
Katherine J Chen's Joan is a scrappy, determined and very real heroine who simply roars off the page. If you liked Ariadne, then this has to be your next read .
Woman & Home
Inspired, lyrical . . . makes clear why Joan is still venerated
Good Housekeeping
A vivid and very real slice of historical fiction
Megan Chance, bestselling author of A Splendid Ruin
Beautifully written and confidently told, this is a story of how feminine strength and will can change the world
M.J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Tiara
Katherine J. Chen has stunningly summoned another time and place