Review of The Language of Fire by Stephanie Hemphill

Read for: Recently Purchased & Tome Topple

Synopsis: "The Language of Fire is a lyrical, dark, and moving look at the life of Joan of Arc, who as a teen girl in the fifteenth century commanded an army and helped crown a king of France.

This extraordinary verse novel from award-winning author Stephanie Hemphill dares to imagine how an ordinary girl became a great leader, and ultimately saved a nation.

Jehanne was an illiterate peasant, never quite at home among her siblings and peers. Until one day, she hears a voice call to her, telling her she is destined for important things. She begins to understand that she has been called by God, chosen for a higher purpose—to save France.

Through sheer determination and incredible courage, Jehanne becomes the unlikeliest of heroes. She runs away from home, dresses in men’s clothes, and convinces an army that she will lead France to victory.

As a girl in a man’s world, at a time when women truly had no power, Jehanne faced constant threats and violence from the men around her. Despite the impossible odds, Jehanne became a fearless warrior who has inspired generations."

My Review: In high school I was completely fascinated by Joan of Arc (referred to as Jehanne in this book), and I am so happy to see a few new books coming out inspired by her. I finally got a chance to pick this book up and it was so worth it. This book was written in verse and tells a story about her life from a young age before she began her journey to liberate France. This book was beautifully written and I found myself unable to put it down. Hemphill did a wonderful job of filling in gaps in the actual history with fiction that is believable and weaves nicely with the truth. While it is a book that is over 500 pages, between the verse style and the engrossing story, the pages flow beautifully. If you are looking for something a little different but beautiful, definitely pick this book up!

My Rating: This book was beyond what I expected, I read Voices last year and didn't expect anything to be able to compete with it, but this one certainly did.  I love how we were able to really follow her journey from before the beginning to after the end. I give it a rating of Four Paws!

Oddly enough, I am finding that so far (even though it is early) I am reading a book in verse or poetry every month. Do you have any great suggestions so I can keep this trend moving along?