ISOLA

Fiona Hardingham narrates this fictional memoir of orphaned noblewoman Marguerite de la Roque, ward of her cousin, the adventurer and speculator Jean François de la Roque de Roberval. Hardingham's unemotional tone varies subtly to capture Marguerite's and Roberval's aristocratic status. Telling her story as a flashback, Marguerite painstakingly recounts her life of loss, emotional abuse, and unimaginable hardship. After reducing Marguerite to poverty, Roberval goes on a mission to map New France, dragging her along. In a fit of rage, Roberval maroons Marguerite; her maid, Damienne; and his secretary, Auguste, on a rocky island in Labrador in 1542, where they languish until they're rescued in 1544. Just as Marguerite is challenged in this audiobook, Hardingham's lackluster pacing challenges the listener's patience. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2024]