Isola by Allegra Goodman is historical fiction (based on a real person) about a noblewoman named Marguerite who lived in France in the 16th century. She is orphaned and left under the care of a guardian who treats her cruelly, siphons away her fortune, and forces her to join hin as he sails to the New World (Canada). Ultimately, he maroons her on a bleak, uninhabited island, where she is forced to fend for herself. Isola is an immersive, propulsive story about a woman learning to take care of herself in a world dominated by men in power. Goodman, who usually writes contemporary fiction (like Sam), creates vivid worlds in long-ago France and the rugged Canadian wilderness as she depicts Marguerite’s transformation over the years. While I found this book stressful to read – the book jacket told me what was going to happen, and I spent the first half of the novel dreading it – it’s a memorable, powerful story about cruelty and resilience. We held a book club on Isola at Wonderland Books last week, and there was much here to discuss. This is a book will stay with me long after I’ve read it, with images of danger and survival etched in my mind.