I am not a big fan of Mary Gordon's work, and, although I tried to approach "Joan of Arc" with an open mind, within the first few pages I realized her usual pattern: Fanciful conjectures, strong (and to my mind, incorrect) opinions, generally sloppy thinking. Ironically, Gordon may be a good choice to write this "biography", as Joan is a controversial, poorly understood figure, distant from us in that medieval world so different from our own. In my judgement, Gordon has produced a book that is also controversial and difficult to understand! Two things do come through, though, that even Gordon cannot obscure: Joan's unwavering faith, and her glorious love for the Lord.