Allegra Goodman
Isola: A Novel by Allegra Goodman (Reese's Book Club)
Isola: A Novel by Allegra Goodman (Reese's Book Club)
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RESSES's BOOK CLUB PICK
“A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history.”—Jodi Picoult, author of By Any Other Name
“A new generation of survival story . . . an extraordinary book that reads like a thriller, written with the care of the most delicate psychological and historical fiction.”—Vogue (Best of 2025 Preview)
A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this breathtaking saga, an epic story of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam
“A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history.”—Jodi Picoult, author of By Any Other Name
“What a gift this novel is: vast, lush, feminist, and brilliantly crafted. Allegra Goodman is one of our finest writers.”—Ann Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful
Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. Isolated and afraid, Marguerite befriends her guardian’s servant and the two develop an intense attraction. But when their relationship is discovered, they are brutally punished and abandoned on a small island with no hope for rescue.
Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she’d never before needed.
Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival.
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Allegra Goodman’s novels include The Chalk Artist, Intuition, The Cookbook Collector, Paradise Park, and Kaaterskill Falls (a National Book Award finalist). Her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Commentary, and Ploughshares and has been anthologized in The O. Henry Awards and Best American Short Stories. She has written two collections of short stories, The Family Markowitz and Total Immersion and a novel for younger readers, The Other Side of the Island. Her essays and reviews have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, The New Republic, The Boston Globe, The Jewish Review of Books, and The American Scholar.Raised in Honolulu, Goodman studied English and philosophy at Harvard and received a PhD in English literature from Stanford. She is the recipient of a Whiting Writer’s Award, the Salon Award for Fiction, and a fellowship from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced study. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she is writing a new novel.
Product details
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Publication
The Dial Press
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Author
Allegra Goodman
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Language
English
Lexile:
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Pages
368
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ISBN-13
9780593730089
I couldn’t stop thinking about Marguerite after finishing Isola; her resilience made me feel inspired, humbled, and a little more grateful for the life I have.
had no idea Marguerite de la Rocque’s story was real—a noblewoman abandoned on an island in 16th-century New France. The writing pulled me in immediately, with vivid descriptions and a heroine fighting for survival and independence.
This isn’t a fairytale. It’s a harsh, historically accurate look at life for women in the 1500s—where superstition and religion ruled, and even noblewomen had little power. The depiction of the New World feels raw and wild, adding to the intensity.
Perfect for fans of historical fiction, especially those who loved The Marriage Portrait or Barkskins for their focus on survival and early colonization.
Isola is a beautifully crafted tale based on the true story of Marguerite de la Rocque. Set in the 16th century, it follows Marguerite, a noblewoman orphaned as a child and placed under the care of the cruel Roberval. He squanders her inheritance and forces her on an expedition to New France, where her forbidden love leads to abandonment on a desolate island with little hope of survival.
Goodman’s lyrical writing vividly captures the island’s harshness and Marguerite’s transformation from a sheltered noblewoman to a fierce survivor. The story is both heartbreaking and inspiring, balancing themes of loss, resilience, and strength in the face of overwhelming odds.
Fans of historical fiction will find Isola a powerful and haunting tale of survival and self-discovery.
Isola is a gripping and emotionally charged novel that immerses readers in the raw beauty and brutality of survival. Allegra Goodman masterfully brings to life the tragic yet empowering story of Marguerite de la Rocque, a young woman cast away on a desolate island in the 16th century.
The story follows Marguerite, a noblewoman thrust into a harsh reality when her guardian, Roberval, gambles away her inheritance and drags her on a dangerous expedition to New France. What begins as a tale of loss and betrayal transforms into an intense fight for survival after Marguerite’s love affair with Roberval’s secretary is discovered. Marguerite and her loyal servant, Damienne, are abandoned on a rocky island with minimal supplies and forced to battle hunger, freezing weather, and despair.
Goodman’s writing is both lyrical and haunting, capturing the stark contrast between Marguerite’s former life of privilege and the unrelenting wilderness she must now endure. The relationship between Marguerite and Damienne is tender and complex, offering a glimpse of love and resilience amid overwhelming hardship. The survival scenes are particularly powerful—each moment brimming with tension, grief, and fleeting hope.
What sets Isola apart is its foundation in historical events. Knowing that Marguerite de la Rocque’s story is inspired by true history makes her journey even more poignant. Goodman breathes new life into this nearly forgotten figure, turning Marguerite into a symbol of defiance, strength, and rebirth.
Fans of historical fiction and survival stories will find Isola utterly captivating. It’s a novel about survival in its most literal sense, but also about finding one’s faith, identity, and inner strength when everything else is stripped away. This beautifully written tale will linger in your mind long after you turn the last page.
Highly recommended!