Set in the 1500s and based on fact, Isola is a beautifully written novel about a period of upheaval in the life of French woman, Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval. Love and hate, loyalty and betrayal, resilience and despair are recurrent themes throughout, which the protagonist and other richly drawn characters must negotiate their way through, to an interesting conclusion. Highly recommended. Thanks to Allegra Goodman, Dial Press Marketing and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book. This isn't the sort of book I would normally choose but two catalysts propelled this to the top of my list: I was offered an advance by the publisher and I had recently read (and loved) "Sam" by the same author. The premise sounded intriguing - the story of a wealthy orphan named Marguerite in 16th century France whose fortune is held in trust by a guardian - and squandered. In some ways that reminded me of "A Little Princess", a favorite book of my childhood. But there was so much more here: as young Marguerite's fortunes decline, she is at the mercy of her guardian and forced to join him on his travels by sea to Canada. You can find out more by reading the plot summaries online, but it is better enjoyed not knowing more.

I loved the author's note at the end and learned that this is based on a true story - and that the author sees similarities between Marguerite and Sam, the protagonist from her other novel.

I'm grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance read which got me out of my comfort zone - into a true adventure story.

This was an engrossing historical fiction novel. It was emotional and heartbreaking. It showed the struggles of women in the 1500s, including nobility. It is drastically different from her first novel, Sam. The characters were well written and true to the time.

What an unusual and fascinating story set in France and the “new world” in the 1500s. A rich imagining, based on limited historical knowledge of the life of the main character, Marguerite. In her youth, she lives a wealthy, comfortable life with prospects of a good marriage. When she is orphaned, her world starts to shrink as her guardian uses her wealth for his own debts. Suddenly destitute, her life is no longer her own. Abandoned on a desolate island, we follow her struggle to survive. A fascinating read.

“Isola” is an entertaining and informative story based on a woman who survived alone on an island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence for two years during the mid-1500s. Goodman vividly portrays Marguerite's childhood and her time on the island by describing in detail the places she lives, and the people with whom she interacts. Marguerite is a person whose faith is tested by the challenges of winters on the island when she struggles with wild creatures and blizzards.

Goodman writes this story using simple declarative sentences which move the plot with continuing swiftness. But this same style diminishes the emotional impact of the stresses on Marguerite's life.

I loved this one. This isn’t normally a book I’d pick up but i’m so glad I did! This is the story about a young French woman who is in the care of her greedy and awful cousin who sails to explore and colonize new lands. He sells her home and takes her with him on his trip and then abandons her on an island with her nurse and her lover where she is forced to learn to hunt and fish and garden.

Things I loved about this book: it was different than anything i’ve read before/normally pick up. Although a completely different time period, the writing was easy to ready and understand kept me hooked. I flew through 50% of the book in one day to find out what happened to her on the island.

Things I did love: the ending was rushed and random. Once she got off the island and back to her old home, my interest plummeted and the excitement fell.

Thanks to Netgally and Allegra Goodman and the publishers for this ARC. I’d definitely recommend this book and will be checking out other books by this author.

A beautiful story of a young woman, born to a life of wealth and privilege in France during the mid-1500s, who has it all taken from her. She is let to die on on a small island near Canada. The story is engaging, and the writing is beautiful. I highly recommend this book.

I am shocked that I didn’t know Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval’s story before reading this novel. I will certainly be looking up the primary sources provided!
Goodman takes the small account and weaves a marvellous but tragic account of Marguerite’s life. We see how precarious a woman’s position in society could be as well as the grit and determination women had to overcome the obstacles set before them.

4.0. A very interesting historical fiction about Marguerite de La Rocque de Roberval, born a French noblewoman in the mid 16th century. I had never heard of her before but this was a great story of challenges, survival, and the hardships of women living in a world where women had little or no control over their lives, including their inheritances. This story is based on a true story with embellishments. Marguerite was an orphan whose riches and large estate were taken over by a cousin, a seafarer with influence with the King, who used and squandered her wealth for his own benefit. Following in the exploits of Jacques Cartier in Canada, after her wealth was lost, Roberval took Marguerite and others to start new colonies in the New World (French Canada). For a noblewoman who had never had to work to do anything in her life, she and two others were abandoned on a deserted island in eastern Canada, with some provisions, and like Robinson Crusoe,, were subject to vast challenges and struggles to survive—finding food and making shelter for themselves in a very harsh climate.. Although a little slow in the middle, the novel was nicely written, good character development and very well researched.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Woahhhh okay definitely one of my favorites of the year! If you love reading about survival stories or about being alone in the wilderness, this is definitely a book for you! For example, if you liked The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Windswept: Why Women Walk by Annabel Abbs, My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George, Meena's walk from The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne, Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson, or The Word for Woman Is Wilderness by Abi Andrews, etc. then you would love this and vice versa!

I am a huge fan of this type of survival story, so I already expected to like this going in. Especially when the character is a woman, and especially if there are a lot of descriptions of nature. Like, I wanna know exactly how she found food, exactly what she did to make a shelter, exactly how she used her limited provisions, exactly how she (maybe) gets rescued, etc. And boy, did this book provide! A solid half of the book described Margeurite's journey to her isolated island, and what led to her getting abandoned there. It was still interesting to read about the time period, although I found that the story of her survival on the island was definitely the most interesting part. Considering the fact that her island is located in present-day Canada, it is shocking that she was able to survive not one but two winters there. And yes, she does run into a couple polar bears! You can also clearly observe the change in Marguerite as she is forced to take control of her own destiny.

My one complaint with this story was that I wish I had felt a bit more for the other characters. Sure it was sad at some parts (no spoilers) but I wish it had moved me enough to cry or at least tear up a little. I think the relationships Marguerite has to others in her life could be shown on a deeper level.

All in all, this was thrilling and I loved it! And in the author's note in the end I come to find out it is even based on a true story?! Now I love it even more! Would definitely recommend!

I think Isola has the potential to be one of the best books of the year. What an epic story! A great read!

The narrator of this book, Marguerite de la Roque, turns out to have been a real person. At the end of the novel, Allegra Goodman tells us how she discovered her existence and how long she has been thinking about writing this novel. I wish I known that in advance. I wonder why she has chosen to put it at the end of the book instead of the beginning. Very little is known about her. Ms goodman was captivated by what was known and has created a work of fiction around that knowledge.

It is an interesting book and Ms. Goodman creates a believable story. I have read two of earlier books and really liked them, especially SAM. This book I didn't like as much. Marguerite is very wilful and whiney, at the risk of people she cares about. There were a couple of places in the book that I was no longer interested and wanted to jump ahead. The book could have been shorter. The ending was satisfying. This is definitely historical fiction and the main characters are alive in the 1500s when Francois 1 was King of France. And women were property and behaved in certain ways or paid a high price. Ms. Goodman captures the suffocating nature that women lived with very well.

If you’re a fan of Lauren Groff’s THE VASTER WILDS or MATRIX, Katherine J. Chen’s JOAN, or Mary Sharratt’s REVELATIONS, then you must, must, must read ISOLA. The novel is a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl (much like Allegra Goodman’s previous novel SAM), but while SAM was set in modern-day Massachusetts, ISOLA is set in 16th century France. It’s a beautifully drawn portrait of aristocratic Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval, who loses her fortune to her scheming guardian after the death of her parents. The novel explores just how much women and girls were at the mercy of their male “protectors”… and how the men charged with protecting them often did anything but. In Marguerite’s case, after her guardian mortgages her estate and squanders her inheritance, he forces her to join him on an expedition across the sea to New France (i.e. Canada). Over the course of the journey, Marguerite falls in love with her guardian’s secretary (a kind and intelligent young man) and discovers just how vile her guardian is when he banishes them to fight for their lives on a small uninhabited island.

I’d call SAM a contemporary or even new adult novel, so I was surprised to see such a solidly historical fiction endeavor from Allegra Goodman. But I *love* it when writers flex their muscles and write across different genres! If you’re a fan of feminist historical fiction in particular and gorgeous writing in general, I encourage you to pick this one up.

P.S. Astonishingly enough, Goodman's story of Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval is based on a true story (!) from historical records.

This is based on a true story that took place in the 16th century. The main character, Marguerite, initially grows up as an heiress. Her parents died before she could ever have remembered them, but she has a nurse who truly loves her and a houseful of servants in her beautiful home. But here’s the bad news: she has a guardian, a cousin, who apparently controls Marguerite and everything she owns, with no constraints. And he is a man who enjoys power and has no conscience. He’s also a man who has been appointed Lieutenant General of New France, a huge territory in the New World, and he takes her with him on a perilous journey. The most perilous part is how Marguerite’s first crush turns out, and this winds up being a story of survival.

This is well-written, well-researched, and deeply involving. And it’s really a story about how much the patriarchy sucks, which I’m here for. I think it would be a good read-alike for Emma Donoghue’s The Vaster Wilds.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. I am actually very happy this book was given to me, as I thoroughly enjoyed this read. The cover is also quite captivating. Marguerite finds herself beholden to a man who becomes her ward of sorts, once she is orphaned. He sells all of her goods to settle his debts and essentially controls her very existence. Once he discovers that she has become close with one of his servants, he becomes enraged and leaves the two on a deserted island to fend for themselves. This book takes place in the 1500s, and that combined with Marguerite needing to learn to fend for herself (after coming from a life of privilege) is an amazing journey to witness this character embark on. This was such a well-written book with such great character development and growth, and overall a great book to read about survival. Since this character is based off of a true story, I would give many props to the author for her great research, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/The Dial Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 10th book I’ve read by Allegra Goodman. All different; ….I enjoy every one of them.
I love her. I even had an opportunity to hear Allegra speak at Kepler‘s bookstore in Northern California. Such a great evening!
She’s funny - smart - a true gem! And very talented!!!

About Isola …..[Historical fiction & Literary fiction] . . .
Allegra discovered Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval, a sixteenth-century noblewoman nearly twenty years ago while in Montreal on a family trip. While reading an illustrated children’s book to one of her sons about Jacques Cartier, (the French-Breton maritime explorer whose explorations of the Canadian coast and the St. Lawrence river — gave Canada its name),
Allegra read a passage that had her pause.
“In 1542, a nobbmann named
Jean-Francois Roberval sailed separately with colonists to meet Cartier in what is now called Canada.
Roberval brought along his young ward, Marguerite de la Rocque who annoyed him by having an affair aboard ship
Roberval marooned Marguerite and her lover on an island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence where she managed to survive for more than two years while fighting off polar bears”.
I love that Allegra Goodman ‘paused’ (became organically curious about an unknown noblewoman) —
By Allegra being absolutely fascinated with this woman— [“where did Marguerite find her strength? How did she end up on that ship? How did she survive?”] . . .
she gifted us with a phenomenal historical fiction adventure treasure. Page turning storytelling.
Allegra grew up on an island and had always been drawn to novels such as ‘Robinson Crusade’ and ‘Kidnapped’.
For 20 years, Allegra thought about writing this story. She wrote several other books, including ‘Sam’, a contemporary novel about a girl growing up bouldering in Massachusetts.
However, Allegra kept thinking about Marguerite. While she was writing ‘Sam’ in the mornings, she was taking notes about Marguerite in the afternoons.

In her research, Allegra began to think about Marguerite’s journey to self discovery….in order to begin her story.
She read about Cartier and the sailing ships, about the Queen of Navarre and the reign of King Francois I. She studied paintings of the period, clothes, chateaux, and gardens.
I love learning about the ways an author gets inspired to write their books. It inspires me too.
Marguerite — a survivor - had to learn to climb, hunt, and wrestle with despair. She had to fight to live.

Allegra begins her story with:
“I never knew my mother. She died the night that I was born, and so we passed each other in the dark …”

Born in the 1500’s, orphaned, Marguerite shows us what courage, resilience, and fortitude look like … we root for ….and her nurse,
Damienne.
We meet Roberval, who sailed to Canada to capture it for France to being back to the wealthy.
He was a spiteful nasty swindler — a gambler - an investor …. (ha!)…..
He sold Marguerite’s chateau — (the nerve) then takes her and her nurse to live in his house in a port city. (the nerve).
Roberval robbed Marguerite of what was hers — her inheritance. While he profited, she was essentially poverty-stricken. (the nerve)…..
He had mortgaged her estate.

What an amazing survival story this is.
This is definitely a Robinson-Crusoe type adventure novel …. with brilliant descriptions….be it the cold chill in the air, the hunger, nature, animals, religion…..*Isola* is an all- consuming read.
Many suspenseful turns kept on coming …..many heartbreaking….
horrible inhumanity, brutality….yet…..it’s very moving to witness the difference the power of love makes.

I’ll leave others with this one quote…..
“Everything we treasure has a price. And everything we have will slip away”.

Huge congratulations to Allegra ….
Gosh….I have years worth of great memories from her past books…(I’m Jewish … my Rabbi first introduced me to Allegra’s books). She knew I’d fall in love with her writing and storytelling.
I’m a dedicated fan. And this book was so ambitious, educational and enjoyable…..that it makes my heart sing.

An astonishing account of one woman's resilience and courage, Isola is based on the true account of a young noblewoman, Marguerite de la Roque. In order to finance his sea voyages in search of riches and power, her guardian, Roberval plunders her estate and leaves her penniless. Eventually he brings her on one of ships to the new world and outraged that she should form an attachment to one of his men, he abandons them on a rocky, uninhabited island together with Marguerite's nurse, Damienne.

Marguerite narrates her story and we share both the adversities and joys she experienced. This story was fascinating and I had to finish it in one day.

3.5/5

I didn't know what to expect from this book. I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but I was intrigued by a story of lovers marooned on an island by a vengeful master. The writing was beautiful, and it was easy to tell that Goodman did a lot of research into this subject before writing.

However, for a story of love, hardship, survival, and faith, it was a little slow. It was about 30% into the book before the main plot started, and only a small part of the book took place on the island. It seemed the winter wanted to speak of virginals, sewing, and praying more than the actual events of the island. Though the writing itself was pretty, the dialogue felt stilted and repetitive, and I did not have any strong feelings for any characters.

The premise was strong but the execution was lacking. I would try something else from this author though.

(Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this free proof. My review is honest.)

This was a beautifully written, if heartbreaking story of a young girl, Marguerite, born into nobility in the 1500’s, who is orphaned early on. She is placed under the care of her cousin, Roberval, who becomes her guardian, and who has already managed to go through all what fortune he had, and then helps himself to the fortunes her parents had left to her, as well as selling her property, in order to relieve himself of his debts. Once he has accessed all that she was left by her parents, he is determined to force her to go with him on his planned voyage to New France. She has little choice.

During the voyage, Marguerite is befriended by his servant, although it isn’t very long before they become more than friends. It also isn’t very long before their relationship is apparent to Roberval, and so Roberval leaves the two of them marooned, along with Marguerite’s nurse, Damienne.

They are then forced to do whatever they can find to make it through the days and nights ahead. They have little when they arrive there, and less as the days, weeks and months go by. But Marguerite is determined that they will survive, and she spends her days looking for ways to continue living, in hopes someone will eventually rescue them.


Pub Date: 21 Jan 2025


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing - Random House / The Dial Press

Isola, by Allegra Goodman is a gripping, lyrically written historical novel set in both France and the Canadian wilderness in the 1500’s. This story of a noble born woman who loses everything she owns when her cousin sells her estate to pay his gambling debts delves into the theme of power - men’s power over women, the power of nature, the power of prayer and religion, the power of belief in your own abilities, and the power of love.