Jeanne D'arc

Mrs. Oliphant's life of Jeanne d'Arc opens in a France shattered by war, faction, and a weak monarchy, where modern assumptions of peace and order have no place. Against this turbulent medieval world, she presents Joan as a miracle of purity and courage: a peasant girl from Domremy, raised in a humble village on the edge of danger, who grows into the force that answers a nation's despair. The biography lingers over Joan's childhood home, where church bells, river life, family stories, prayer, and practical household labor shape her character. Taught by her mother to pray, sew, and serve with charity, she absorbs both the tenderness of domestic life and the suffering of a country under threat. Her devout imagination, compassion for the sick, and fierce love of France emerge from this simple rural world, making her later mission seem all the more astonishing. The book follows her final sortie at Compiègne, where bold strategy turns to confusion, capture, and tragedy. Dragged from her horse amid the closing gates and ringing bells, Joan remains steadfast even in defeat, then enters Burgundian hands as nobles gather to gloat over the "Maid of France." This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.