Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott

Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc. By David Elliott. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. Historical fiction.

This fascinating novel in verse tells the story of the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc. The flame, the sword, and a sewing needle all get their own voices to help tell what happened. Other poems feature each of her parents, the royalty, Saint Michael, and Joan herself, among other voices. Readers may gain a better knowledge of the history and as well as the people of the times. They will certainly have new understandings of the very sad and human nature of Joan's part in history as well as the many different kinds of poems that can be written. Some of the poems such as the arrow are shape poems. It would be interesting to have high schoolers do a readers' theatre with some of the selections. Definitely a good choice in teaching point of view!

"Who can say why some arrive and then depart forgotten while others fashion history?" page 14