She was an unschooled country peasant that lifted the fortunes of her uncrowned King and nation on her shoulders, but when she needed them was abandoned.  Joan of Arc stands alone among Mark Twain’s bibliography as a historical novel about the one person in history he admires above all others.

Twain’s account of Joan of Arc’s life is written from the perspective of a fictional version of Joan’s former secretary and page Sieur Louis de Conte written at the end of his life to his great-nephews and nieces.  The first part of the book focuses on her life in the village of Domremy, essentially where all but the last two years of her life occurred, and the beginning of her visions then quest to fulfill the commission she received.  The second part is her successful meeting with the King, formal acknowledgement of the Church that she wasn’t a witch, then her year-long military campaign—with numerous breaks due to political interference and foot dragging by Charles VII—that saw her mission completed, and finally her capture by the Burgundians.  The final part of the book was of her year in captivity and the long grueling “legal” process that the English-paid French clergy put her through to murder her as a heretic.  The final chapter is of Conte giving a brief account of the feckless Charles VII waiting over two decades to Rehabilitate his benefactor after allowing her to be murdered by not paying her ransom all those years before.

This was a labor of love for Twain to write and it was easy to tell given how professionally researched it was in every detail.  While many 20^th-Century critics and other Twain admirers don’t like this book because it’s not “classic” Twain because of his praise of Joan given that she’s French, Catholic, and a martyr when he disliked or hated all three; they didn’t seem to understand his hero worship of this teenage girl who put a nation on her shoulders to resurrect its existence.  Yet, while this was a straight historical novel there are touches of Twain especially in Conte’s “relating” the adventures of the Domremy boys when they were not in Joan’s presence, especially Paladin.

Joan of Arc is not the typical Mark Twain work, but that doesn’t mean one can not appreciate it for well, if not professionally, researched historical novel that it is.

We CAN! Angelia White’s “Yes Sisters,” written with Erin Keeley Marshall, forms a handbook of sorts for women who are seeking to find or to become Yes Sisters, who encourage, speak truth, and help us become the best Christ-followers that we can be. As the appellation suggests, Yes Sisters should be women who support us and cheer us on while not being afraid to (lovingly) tell us what we need to hear: “Yes Sisters pursue and celebrate the potential in other women. They thoughtfully seek what’s below the surface. They give honor to the special beauty in someone else.” White connects this with our faith walk by delving into the qualities of God, including the yeses and nos that He gives us.

“Yes Sisters” is divided into three parts, with the first comprised of affirmations for women and also about God; the second focusing on moving forward with what God has placed on our hearts; and the third a look into becoming a Yes Sister, forgiving the No Sisters we have encountered on our journey, and learning about Yes Sisters found in the Bible. Each chapter opens with a relevant Scripture verse, and between each chapter is A Word from a Yes Sister, short stories of insight from a variety of Christian women.

The essence of this book may be found within the chapters themselves, as this is where White shares her own personal tragedies and triumphs, making “Yes Sisters” infinitely relatable and inspiring for women of all ages and all walks of life. Chapter 8, Our Faith Will Sustain Us, is one of my favorites. I particularly enjoyed the message regarding trusting God: “Instead of beating ourselves up for not trusting Him more, we need to see that the very act of admitting our need for Him reveals our trust. Something in us knows we need Him first and foremost. That something is faith.”

Whether you are a new Christian or a long-time disciple, “Yes Sisters” will uplift and enlighten you along your walk with the Lord, with faithful sisters by your side.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.