I read Isola by Allegra Goodman because I loved the cover.

That’s usually not a great start to a review…

The story is set in the sixteenth-century, and focuses on Marguerite, a young woman destined for a life of prosperity and gentility, and heir to a fortune. When Marguerite is orphaned, she is left in the care of a guardian and cousin, the volatile Roberval. Roberval is an adventurer, and quickly uses Marguerite’s inheritance to fund his expeditions. Forced to accompany him on his voyage to New France, Marguerite befriends Roberval’s servant, Auguste, and the two soon fall in love. When Roberval discovers their relationship, he abandons them, along with Marguerite’s nurse, Damienne. Left on a remote island with limited supplies, the trio are forced to find shelter, hunt for food, and fight off polar bears.

At the most basic level, this is a survival story – there’s plenty of action and the writing about the voyage and ocean is the best part of the novel.

I felt the boat surging again. We rode upon a wave, high as a mountain, and I glimpsed our sister boat as she began to tip. Her crew cried out in terror.

Faith is also a major theme in the story, as Marguerite’s beliefs are tested. Her reflections about wisdom and purpose, and her interpretation of scripture provide a suitable endpoint to the book.

I wish I had known at the outset that the novel is based on a true story (there’s an author’s note at the end) – I suspect I would have been a little more invested. As it was, I yo-yoed between being a bit bored and a bit exasperated by the over-the-top flashes of drama. The writing is solid and my usual gripes about historical fiction don’t apply, but ultimately, this wasn’t for me.

2.5/5

There had never been a feast more sumptuous, and yet I tasted none of it. The meats, the wines, the sugared almonds, were like paste to me.