SOCIAL SCIENCES

The Maid and the Queen

The Secret History of Joan of Arc
by Nancy Goldstone
The Maid and the Queen: The Secret History of Joan of Arc. Viking. Apr. 2012. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780670023332. $26.95. HIST
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This fascinating dual biography weaves together the stories of two late medieval women—one highly familiar, the other virtually hidden from history. Goldstone (Four Queens: The Provençal Sisters Who Ruled Europe) presents a new interpretation of events surrounding the life and legend of Joan of Arc, seeking to uncover how and why this illiterate peasant mystic came to influence political and military policy. The backstory involves Yolande of Aragon (1381–1442), queen of Sicily, duchess of Maine and Anjou, countess of Provence, and mother-in-law to the dauphin and future King Charles VII. She had personal and political motives for bringing Joan to the attention of the French court. Relying heavily on medieval French sources as well as the wildly popular medieval Romance of Melusine, Goldstone identifies the powerful Yolande as a woman who used her skill in diplomacy, her wealth, and her love for her family to ensure that the throne of France would be preserved for her daughter Marie and son-in-law Charles.
VERDICT The lack of scholarly citations may cause specialists to question Goldstone's "overwhelming evidence" of Yolande's power and influence, but her entertaining narrative will intrigue general readers interested in the Middle Ages, Joan of Arc (whose 600th birthday is this year), or biographies of royal figures or women in history.
Reviewed by Robert L. Battenfeld , Feb 01, 2012
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