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 the life of one of history’s most fascinating
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. Based on a rigorous study of the historical material, The Last Days of Jeanne d’Arc provides the
first serious dramatisation of Jeanne’s sexuality. Alizadeh uses an innovative
storytelling technique that weaves together multiple narrative perspectives to
tell the story of a courageous young woman who, driven by a passion for justice
and forbidden desire, changes the course of Western history.
