Isola Summary

Isola Overview

Isola is a historical novel based on the real-life account of 16th century noble woman, Marguerite de la Rocque. Framed as Marguerite’s first-person narrative, the story tells how Marguerite was orphaned in infancy and raised by her devoted nurse, Damienne, who serves as surrogate mother and first teacher. Her inheritance is squandered by her guardian, Roberval, who forces her to travel on a journey to colonize New France (Canada). When Marguerite falls in love with Roberval’s secretary, Auguste; she, Damienne, and Auguste are left on a deserted island. The novel tells how she survived exile and returned to France. Key themes include the ways people can be at the mercy of the powerful, the way religion can be a source of control, the way that religion can be a source of comfort, the way that servants are duty-bound to their employers, and the way that culture is defined by a person's location and state in life.