“The stars are words enough. I understood this on the island.”
Based on the purportedly true story of Marguerite de La Rocque de Roberval, "Isola" documents the orphan's privileged young life and its quick descent into abuse. Allegra Goodman's work is captivating from the jump, as Marguerite becomes subject to the whims of a distant cousin who squanders her inherited fortune and imprisons her.
“As for me, I had fine slippers, silk gowns, and more land than I could see. Even my finch lived in a gilt cage, but when I looked at Claire and Madame D’Artois, I felt like a beggar at the door.”
She eventually becomes exiled to a barren Canadian island, where she suffers a series of almost infathomable losses. Marguerite prevails through abandonment in unforgiving environments to ultimately find her spiritual center.
“I considered the waves and thought, You are another riddle. What is constant and ever-changing? Who confines and consoles at the same time?”
The book gets preachy, beholden to sudden whims by key characters, and difficult to conclude satisfyingly, but Goodman's prose and pacing overcome most of the obstacles, making "Isola" an entrancing story.
“I wept for joy because I could escape, and for sorrow I must leave alone.”
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