Young Joan

"Wise and profoundly moving...Captivating and timeless."

Dana's fictional treatment of the life of Joan before she became legendary gently balances the girl's exceptional devoutness with her human, childlike qualities. This peaceful and comforting telling of an extraordinary story succeeds in giving clear, knowing insight into the seldom treated subject of intense religiosity.

"A beautifully crafted fictional portrait of Joan of Arc...Joan's own revealing narrative voice is the center of interest here."

Dana brilliantly re-creates the daily life of Joan of Arc before she leads the French army.

My life came in two pieces of time. There was the time before I heard the voice, and then there was the time after.

Before she became the legendary Joan of Arc, the child Joan lived the simple life of a farm girl in the village of Domremy in France. Joan saw the work of God all around her, in the tall gnarled grandfather tree, in the small gentle sheep on the family farm, and in the faces of her dear friends and neighbors. Then one day Joan had a dream. She dreamed that three saints came to her and gave her a glorious yet terrible mission: to reunite her war-torn country and restore its rightful king to the throne.

Dutifully, Joan takes up the seemingly impossible task. But how, she wonders, can a simple farm girl accomplish such deeds?