Review - The Maid by Kimberly Cutter

Title: The Maid

Author: Kimberly Cutter

Series: Stand Alone

Pages: 304

Published: October 18, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

ISBN: 9780547427522

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

 

Description: It is the fifteenth century and the tumultuous Hundred Years War rages on. France is under siege, English soldiers tear through the countryside destroying all who cross their path, and Charles VII, the uncrowned king, has neither the strength nor the will to rally his army. And in the quiet of her parents’ garden in Lorraine, a peasant girl sees a spangle of light and hears a powerful voice speak her name. Jehanne. 

I Give This ...

 

I confess, I know very little about Joan of Arc.  Which is odd since I consider myself Catholic and the church was very prominent in her life.  But, this book immediately caught my attentions and I was curious to know more about her.

I'm not really sure what to think of this book.  It was not what I was expecting at all.  I was never really captured by Joan's character.   The way she was written didn't seem like a person who could convince thousands to follow her to save France.  In fact, a lot of the time it felt like the men around her were just appeasing her.  I'm not sure how many actually believed in her visions of her quest. I'm wondering if I might be slightly biased considering my psychology background.  Her name is often mentioned in conjunction with schizophrenia in text books, so I'm wondering if I had a hard time convincing myself her visions were divine.

I also disliked the focus on sex.  I get that she was a virgin and by remaining that way she fulfilled the prophecy.   But, I don't think it need to be repeated so often in the story.  And it seemed like the men in the story were so often focusing on that.  I'm sure it wasn't easy for many of them being in such close proximity to her, but I really doubt it was as much of a focus and the book makes it seem.

In the end, I'm left on the fence on this one.  I still feel I don't have a grasp on Joan of Arc's character.  I think I would like to read something else about her.