'Isola' by Allegra Goodman reimagines Marguerite de la Rocque’s survival story

Allegra Goodman’s novel explores resilience, exile, and faith in a harrowing historical tale.

Illustration by Yifei Fang

By Hayu Andini and Novanka Laras

Isola, by Allegra Goodman

Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval was born into nobility, yet her life was marked by misfortune from the moment she entered the world. In Isola, Allegra Goodman’s richly imagined historical novel, Marguerite narrates her own harrowing story, blending fact and fiction to recount a journey of survival, resilience, and faith.

“I never knew my mother. She died the night I was born, and so we passed each other in the dark,” Marguerite reflects at the start of the novel. This loss sets the tone for a life shaped by forces beyond her control. Orphaned young, she is placed under the guardianship of her ruthless relative, Roberval, a man more interested in exploiting her inheritance than securing her future.

A journey into the unknown

Roberval, a powerful and calculating figure, makes sporadic visits throughout Marguerite’s childhood, each bringing new uncertainties. When she reaches the age of twenty, he reveals a shocking plan—not to arrange a marriage but to take her on a perilous trans-Atlantic voyage to help establish a colony in New France, modern-day Canada.

On the treacherous journey across the Atlantic, Marguerite finds solace in Auguste, Roberval’s secretary. Gentle and intellectual, Auguste harbors doubts about his master’s motives, and his loyalty lies firmly with Marguerite. Their love blossoms in secret amid the filth and dangers of the ship, a fragile bond in a world ruled by brutality. But Roberval’s control is absolute. “As always,” Marguerite recalls, “he allowed me the illusion I was free.”

Abandoned in exile

Roberval’s punishment for Marguerite’s defiance is severe. Upon reaching the Gulf of St. Lawrence, he abandons Marguerite, Auguste, and her devoted nurse, Damienne, on an uninhabited island with only what they can carry. Forced to adapt quickly, they construct a makeshift shelter, fashion a mattress from peat, and rely on the island’s wildlife for sustenance.

At first, exile grants them a strange sense of freedom. Away from Roberval’s grasp, they live as rulers of their own domain, even amid hardship. “This place is a strange lesson,” Marguerite muses. “We ate fresh meat but slept outside, as beggars did at home. We had property and yet we were impoverished. On this island, we were rulers and our own subjects too.”

However, the fragile peace does not last. The brutal Canadian winter descends, testing their endurance beyond measure. The harsh environment and isolation take their toll, and grief soon follows.

A survivor’s voice

Historical records from the 1540s document Marguerite’s two-year survival on the island, a fate she narrowly escaped when Basque fishermen rescued her. Without their intervention, her extraordinary ordeal might have been lost to history.

In Isola, Goodman crafts a restrained yet compelling first-person account of Marguerite’s suffering. Her tone is even and composed, as though narrating her life in an effort to impose order on the chaos she endured. The novel’s depiction of survival is detailed but measured—even the grueling process of hunting a polar bear, skinning it, and using its fat for warmth is recounted with a sense of detachment. While some readers may crave a more visceral portrayal of her suffering, Goodman’s approach mirrors Marguerite’s need for emotional self-preservation.

Yet Isola is far from devoid of emotion. Goodman brings depth to Marguerite’s inner world, particularly in her awe of nature, which offers her moments of solace even when faith wavers. In one poignant scene, Queen Marguerite of France tells the protagonist, “Those who have endured the worst have most to teach.” This sentiment encapsulates the novel’s central theme—the transformative power of suffering and the resilience of the human spirit.

A tale of endurance and faith

Isola is more than a survival story; it is an exploration of autonomy, fate, and the limits of human endurance. Allegra Goodman reimagines Marguerite de la Rocque’s journey with striking detail and lyrical prose, ensuring that her extraordinary life will not be forgotten. Through this novel, Goodman breathes new life into a figure once lost to history, allowing her voice to endure across centuries.