Wow this was such an interestingly written book! I loved the poetry and the piecing together, it really felt like a historical document! Definitely put it on my classroom bookshelf!

David Elliott’s Voices looks closely into the last few days of Joan of Arc, switching from the final hours before her execution to her earlier life, giving the reader a glimpse into who she was and for what she was fighting. I cannot stress enough how brilliant this book is: from its poetic language (it’s literally written in verse) to being a historical treasure-box, this book introduces its readers to history’s most famous heroines. It’s an easy read, includes multiple perspectives, and is short, something that students will love. As an educator, I will make sure to have this copy in my classroom for anyone who might be interested in reading David Elliott’s work. Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group for this eARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love the presentation within this book, the two perspectives of this historical event told in verse makes for a unique book and keeps the story interesting both visually and through the content.
I will be interested to see the final version of the book as well.
Thank you for the eARC.

#Voices #NetGalley

I love Joan of Arc, and, when done well, novels in verse. This one just didn’t grab me at all. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish it.

From the Publisher:
Told through medieval poetic forms and in the voices of the people and objects in Joan of Arc’s life, (including her family and even the trees, clothes, cows, and candles of her childhood), Voices offers an unforgettable perspective on an extraordinary young woman. Along the way it explores timely issues such as gender, misogyny, and the peril of speaking truth to power. Before Joan of Arc became a saint, she was a girl inspired. It is that girl we come to know in Voices.

My Thoughts:


This was a book I requested this season based on the Fall/Winter Buzz Books for young adults. As always thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced digital copy so I can pass it along. This was published in March, 2019 so it is already available in stores, but let your librarian know that they should buy this.



As an English teacher, this is an exciting possible mentor text for the middle school classroom. What I look for in mentor texts are evidence of intentional craft that seems seamless as well as a play with nontraditional forms. I also look for readability and a way in for student writers (so not too esoteric and cerebral). As a social studies teacher, I am not sure where in the curriculum this might fit as a text, but definitely as an alternative inquiry paper, this is a great mentor text. Mr. Elliott, in this historical fiction in verse offering gives voice to the questions that intrigue him about this young French martyr. Through his play with medieval poetic forms, he gives voice to Joan as well as the men in power who both helped and hindered her. Most powerful, though, are the concrete poems from the point of view of objects (the sword, the red dress, the armor, etc.). My favorite though is the personified fire that pops up repetitively in the book, using loving familiars towards Joan, calling her "my darling, and towards the end seems to get more frantic, more hungry, more yearning.



Covering the last days of Joan, this is a powerful way to make history come alive for students.

Wow! A historical novel about Joan of Arc in verse? It's either a crazy idea or utterly inspired---turns out it's the latter. First off, I highly recommend that you read this book aloud because a lot of the book is written in rhymed and metered verse. I started out reading in my head, and I liked it, but when I started to read aloud the verse truly came alive. You'll have to have an open mind when you read this---some of the poems are told from the perspectives of actual objects in Joan's life, including swords, her dress, etc. (in concrete poems, so they're shaped like the objects). And Elliott often uses forms of poetry that were popular in medieval times, such as villanelles and sestinas. I loved these unique styles, but I love poetry in most of its forms, so...The book recounts Joan of Arc's last days and the events that led to her trial. Basically, in case you're not familiar with the story, it comes down to the fact that she's a woman who acts and dresses like a man. Horror of horrors! (Oh, and the men she led didn't try to take advantage of her, so she was obviously a witch.) We also get the perspectives of some of the other people who knew Joan. Even though the story is obviously tragic, the emotion isn't particularly palpable (this is often the case for me with verse). Still, I thought this account was engrossing and beautifully told. I easily zipped through the book in one sitting.


***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

My knowledge of Joan of Arc was pretty limited so I was interested to read a more in depth exploration of her life. Now, this book doesn't actually explore events in any depth. As a verse novel, we don't get more than an overview of actual events. The focus is rather on emotions and motivations, giving stories to multiple characters and objects.

This was a really unique way of bringing Joan's story to life. Most have heard some variation of it, probably, even if they don't know a lot about what happened. And this gives insight, while sometimes definitely conjecture or unrealistic, into Joan and how she brave and proud and dedicated she was. I just didn't like all the poems from the inanimate/non-people objects or the ones about a specific word, like lust. I don't think they really added to it, and I would've liked more of Joan's POV and the trials themselves. It was definitely worth a read, though!

Although the story is still the same, it’s told with such a refreshed look, almost a lyrical retelling! You really get back into who Joan of Arc was and her story. Very well written and an easy retelling of a story that has been told in several ways. It wa s all well researched so you feel like you are with Joan in her time.

Such an interesting and clever premise. I've always been fascinated with Joan of Arc and this was a wonderfully fun time.

I did not know what to expect from this book since I wasn't sure what age range it is being marketed to, as it is being published by HMH Books for Young Readers. I am 25 years old, and I was looking up words in the dictionary while reading pretty often. I was interested in this one because I was in a play about Joan of Arc which was written as we researched and rehearsed it. It was such an amazing experience, and Joan isn't a historical character that gets written about much, especially for a younger audience. I think the cover of this book is what will draw people in.

The layout of the book with its different forms of poems was so unique. We heard from Joan as well as her family and objects she interacted with, like swords, clothing, and places, and the author included actual excerpts from the two trials regarding her.

Joan remembers her life towards the end of it, and the flow works well even for those who know nothing about Joan of Arc going into the story. I like that the author left the question of whether or not she heard the saints' voices open-ended, as it's true none of us will ever know for sure.

As someone who has also worked creatively with Saint Joan of Arc's Trials, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Those who are not as familiar with the story or source material can appreciate the detail and emotion put into the poetry. I loved how Elliott played with form and shape, but the ebook edition made some of the poems difficult to read. The reoccurring fire's voice was haunting.

An interesting and original work, this novel in verse gives the reader an unexpected look into the life and mind of Joan of Arc, a historic figure that everyone knows and most know very little about aside from her name. The author gives voice not just to Joan herself, but to the people and even objects around her, and does an excellent job of showing how and why this story of a girl who broke boundaries and bucked the system is relevant to young people today. This book will likely be difficult to sell to most teens, but once convinced, readers will likely be moved by the poems and the direct quotes from history.

This books was interesting. Historical fiction is one of my favorite kinds of books to read, especially when famous characters are taken into account. While maybe the author took liberties with his character Joan of Arc, it's still a compelling story about her and a great introduction to her. The writing style might not be what people are use to but it's an interesting take on Joan's and other people's perspectives. A great read for those who like reading history from a fictional view.

This is one of the most unusual books I've had the pleasure to read in a very long time. The tale of Joan Arc, hero and martyr, is one I've heard only in children's history books a very long time ago. I've studied History at university for four years, including a smattering of French history, but never encountered The Maid. I have a sense that this verse novel might set young people on a course of discovery, learning more about the past and the women who inhabited that faraway place. 

In Voices, we follow Joan in her final hours before her execution, as she narrates her journey from countryside maid to heroine (and back down towards her doom). There are interjections from the king and also poems from the perspective of her sword and other vital objects. Some of these additional poems felt a little gratuitous, but overall they added rather than detracted from her story.

The writing was beautiful and I found myself bookmarking many passages within the short book to re-read later. If this had been a paper copy I would have found myself highlighting and folding over pages too.

From an academic perspective, one of the most impressive aspects of this book was something I only encountered upon reading David Elliott's author's note at the close of the book. I had no idea that the poetic forms mirrored those that were actually in use in medieval France and can imagine that was quite tricky to execute.

This short, but perfectly formed, poetic exploration of the Joan of Arc will be published in March 2019. Check it out!
Thanks to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group and David Elliott for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating 4/5

Loved the poetic prose that details her biography through the memories of those who knew her.

This was a really great read! Joan of Arc is a historical figure who’s always fascinated me. It was interesting hearing her story told not just through her eyes, but through the eyes of the people she touched. Even inanimate objects waxing on about her makes sense here.

My only real complaint is the heavy use of repetition here. It’s an effective poetic tool, but I didn’t feel like it added anything here. I know Elliot was emulating the poetry of the time, but it just didn’t work for me.

Overall, this was an amazing read. I gave it four stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Voices tells the story of Joan of Arc in verse. We are with her the final hours before her death and the story recounts from how it all started to where she’s ended up and how. The story jumps back and forth between multiple voices: human, animal and inanimate objects throughout. They offer snippets and insight into things most people probably don’t think about. I really loved the inserts of the trial as it happened being included the story.
Voices is a fairly quick read, the poetry streamlines the story and makes it quite easy to zip through. I enjoyed this as someone who finds Joan a completely fascinating historical figure and while it maybe doesn’t offer anything new by way of information it helps make it a fair bit more accessible to those who get bored by history in general.

While not much was added to the story of Joan of Arc in terms of information or new perspectives, the way this book was written added a lyricism to the story that was really refreshing. What the author did couldn’t have been easy, but he makes it look so. I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting, which is rare for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

What a phenomenal reading experience this book was. I felt so immersed with the storyliine and after ending this book I felt connected to Joan of Arc and I felt like I truly knew her as a person. The best part of this book was the different voices being heard from more than just Joan. I highly recommend everyone give this a read.