Isola: Reese's Book Club - Allegra Goodman

Isola: Reese's Book Club

By Allegra Goodman

  • Release Date: 2025-02-04
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 347 Ratings

Description

REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “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 “lushly painted” (People) historical epic of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam.

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. That journey takes a unexpected turn when Marguerite, accused of betrayal, is brutally punished and abandoned on a small island.

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.

Reviews

  • Isola

    4
    By YayaNetski
    Interesting historical fiction book . Main character is a young French woman of nobility who parents have died and left her and her inheritance in the care of an unscrupulous cousin. After leasing out her property, he takes her on a voyage to the New France Canada. They follow Cartiers vessels. She falls in love with an of aboard the ship . The cruel cousin abandons them on an island. She is forced into a life she never expected. Good read containing lots of adventures.
  • Leib

    4
    By Dogcat@1
    Good, maybe likely historical fiction or fully fabricated to time, great idea of St Lawrence Seaway and survival
  • New favorite.

    5
    By Olivia232
    Loved this story. Definitely one of my new all time favorites.
  • Lacks emotion

    3
    By Crashes immediately
    While the story is dramatic, the language and style mute the drama to a flat retelling.
  • Good writing, less than new or stellar story

    2
    By juliusa
    It read well, I can at that. But the story is not a new theme, even if based on a real incident, and while it has its perilous moments on the island, it doesn’t reach out to delve into the characters very well. Not a high recommendation , I know, but if truly interested get from a library. Don’t waste your money.
  • The story draws you in

    5
    By Roberta8924
    It draws you in and keeps you there, so intriguing is the story of a woman surviving.
  • Isola

    5
    By you are purposely annoying
    This story was mesmerizing! From start to finish a historical tale was written to enchant its reader, bating each page until the story was complete. Every Reese recommendation is a joy! Read this novel and rejoice the triumph of good vs evil’s end. Thank you!