Isola

A Novel

De: Allegra Goodman

Narrado por: Fiona Hardingham, Allegra Goodman

REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • “A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history.”—Jodi Picoult, author of By Any Other Name

“A new generation of survival story . . . an extraordinary book that reads like a thriller, written with the care of the most delicate psychological and historical fiction.”—Vogue (Best of 2025 Preview)

A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this “lushly painted” (People) historical epic of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam.

Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. That journey takes a unexpected turn when Marguerite, accused of betrayal, is brutally punished and abandoned on a small island.

Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she’d never before needed.

Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival.

*This audiobook contains a PDF with a map and recommendations for further reading from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Allegra Goodman (P)2025 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Lushly painted . . . a perfect read for cozying up by a roaring fire—and feeling thankful you’re not the sixteenth-century heroine the story is based on.”—People, “Most Anticipated Books of 2025”

“Allegra Goodman’s latest novel is a feminist castaway tale about love, faith, and self-actualization.”—Time, “Most Anticipated Books of 2025”

“Blazing action on each page—Marguerite’s shrewd deploying of tactics for her own salvation—reminds readers to place our money on the power of human female ingenuity.”—The Washington Post

Keep going

The first half was very hard to read, like watching paint dry, but oh what beautiful paint. Then I found out it was based on a true story, and that kept me going. It does get better.

A Common Story Rarely Told

This novel may challenge your ability to be patient. As a woman of the 21st century, I found it hard not to binge this book. I needed to know the ending, because the beginning and middle parts were so maddening.

Perhaps the modern woman could survive living alone on deserted island as Marguerite did. However, I wonder if we could survive the injustice of having no agency or voice as Marguerite did. Her resilience, patience and innate curiosity are inspiring.

The heart of this story is common throughout human existence. Multitudes before us lived lives full of injustice, hardship, and unbearable loss that could have been avoided if only they had been born to a higher station. It's unfortunate that few accounts of humans who survived and overcame 'life-station-induced' injustice were not documented.

A stunning story of survival against unimaginable odds.

An extraordinary story of love, betrayal, extreme cruelty bordering on madness, abandonment, isolation, unimaginable courage in the face of unbearable loss, despair, and redemption.

The part that takes place on the island is harrowing.

The book starts off slowly, but soon reaches a breathtaking pace.

The narration is exquisite.

Highly recommended.

Good pace, never boring!

Historical insights, believable characters. Interesting plot and rewarding ending. The authors note revealed authenticity of characters and story, always appreciated!

Fantastic!

Excellent novel. Beautiful story, high caliber writing, and impeccable narration! The plot was so engaging and I couldn’t stop reading. One of my favourite books in a long time. Loved it!

Captivating!

This book is very well written and the narration spot on. Somewhat slow in the beginning before drawing the reader or listener in. Please invest the time to enjoy this work!

5 stars, will remember this story.

I don't often give out five stars but this absolutely deserves it. the writing,the characters and a beautiful sometimes hard to hear story. the narration was spot on I will definitely be recommending this book

Isola

This was so well written. The story really comes alive for you. You could relate so intimately with the main character’s plight.

Interesting story

I liked this book! Would like to read more in this vein. Felt a bit like the adult version of the books like Hatchet and Island of the Blue Dolphin that I read when younger.

Amazing read

The writing is so fluid and descriptions are so detailed. You can imagine being on the island with Marguerite. I cannot wait to read the next book by this author. the narration really added to the story. What a brave and beautiful story that was told, and it was based on historical facts.