Review 556: Isola

Isola by Allegra Goodman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An enjoyable historical fiction book taking place in the 16th century, which begins in France. Marguerite is a noblewoman, but an orphan and all alone. She has servants, a large estate, lands and much riches, but no family other than a cousin who is serving as her guardian until she marries, then she will inherit her vast holdings and estate.

Marguerite is being raised by her nursemaid, her mother’s before she died in childbirth. After some time her guardian grants a teacher so Marguerite can learn to read and write, and the teacher brought her young daughter. The two become fast friends, more like sisters.

But Marguerite’s life is ruled by her unscrupulous guardian and before long she is sent to live in a small portion of her house and the rest of the estate has been leased to another family. Her guardian has squandered her riches.

The book is thick with the how Marguerite has no control over her own life. The lives of her teacher and nursemaid, the women, have little options.

It says in the overview that Marguerite is stranded on an island in the New World, but what leads up to that and other aspects is best to be discovered by the reader.

Without giving away any more of the entire plot, I will say this was based on a true story that took place in the 1500s. Maguerite de la Rocque de Roberval’s story was written down by Queen Marguerite of Navarre and a priest. Their stories differ and not much is entirely known, so this is a fictional retelling of what happened and how the circumstances came to be.

Quite an enjoyable writing style. Haven’t read any of Goodman’s other works, but certainly will now.