The Last Days of Jeanne d’Arc

Jeanne is a young woman from rural France. She’s a knight who wears men’s clothing. The English call her Joan of Arc. Jeanne has led France to victory in epic battles. She hears ghostly voices and has unspeakable desires. The English want to burn her. Her king has abandoned her. Her heart has been broken. Her heart cannot be burnt. This is her story, and the story of her beloved.

Ali Alizadeh’s novel The Last Days of Jeanne d’Arc is a provocative new portrait of one of history’s most captivating and mysterious figures. Countless books have been written about the young Frenchwoman who claimed to hear the voices of saints, led the armies of France in the war against England in the Middle Ages, and was captured and burnt for heresy by her enemies. Driven by a passion for justice and forbidden desire, her courage changed the course of Western history.

Alizadeh’s innovative storytelling is based on rigorous study of the historical material, and draws on his lifelong fascination with this enigmatic icon. His reimagining of Jeanne’s story weaves together multiple narrative perspectives to illuminate her presence as a figure of history, myth and obsession.