Isola: A Novel

Published in 2025, Isola is a historical fiction novel by Allegra Goodman based on the true story of Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval’s exile in New France in the 16th century. Inspired by historical records of Marguerite’s exile, Goodman imagines the story of Margeurite’s early life, her exile in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and her return to France. The narrative follows Marguerite as she lives under the control of her abusive guardian, Roberval, and during her fight to survive in the harsh Canadian wilderness with her nurse Damienne and her lover Auguste. Isola was selected as the February 2025 pick of Reese’s Book Club, a global book club helmed by actress Reese Witherspoon, which champions stories about women.

This guide references The Dial Press’s 2025 paperback edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of death, child death, animal death, and physical and emotional abuse.

Plot Summary

Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval, an orphaned child of prominent parents, lives with her nurse Damienne in Perigord chateau in France. Her cousin, Jean-Francois de la Rocque de Roberval, oversees her estate, though Marguerite hardly ever sees him. When Roberval visits one day, he instructs Marguerite to hire a tutor to improve her education. Madame Jacqueline D’Artois moves to Perigord with her daughter Claire to teach Marguerite. Marguerite is envious of the modest and diligent Claire, but the girls eventually become inseparable.

Marguerite fears the day she’ll have to get married, but Roberval delays her wedding when he loses Marguerite’s fortune—and thus her dowry—and mortgages her castle to a new family, the Montforts. Marguerite moves into a secluded tower and lives frugally while the Montforts take over the main chateau. When Marguerite turns 16, Roberval informs her that she’ll soon live with him in La Rochelle, a seaside city. Marguerite and Claire teach the young Montfort children, Ysabeau and Suzanne—their instruction draws praise from Madame Katherine Montfort, but also the unwanted attention of the roguish Nicholas Montfort, who harasses Claire with declarations of love until his untimely death from a hunting injury. Roberval sends for Marguerite and Damienne, but Madame D’Artois and Claire stay behind at Perigord. Although Marguerite feels betrayed, she exchanges rings with Claire and promises to reunite.

Marguerite and Damienne travel to La Rochelle and settle into Roberval’s house. At their first banquet, Marguerite listens to Roberval and his voyager friends discuss their hopes of discovering a passage to China in New France. When Roberval leaves La Rochelle to seek a commission from the King, Marguerite grows close to one of the servants, Alys, who takes her out to see the ocean. Marguerite also builds a rapport with Roberval’s secretary, Auguste. Marguerite learns of Roberval’s plans to settle in New France, taking her with him.

As they await their voyage, Roberval instructs Marguerite in music and psalms. He is both kind and harsh in his instruction, and on several occasions, he injures Marguerite for her mistakes. When the time comes to leave for New France, Marguerite writes to Madame D’Artois for help, but Roberval discovers her attempts to avoid the trip.

Marguerite, Damienne, Roberval, and Auguste spend five days on their ship waiting for the proper wind to begin sailing. To soothe her sleeplessness on the rolling seas, Marguerite begins sneaking to the deck in the middle of the night. On the first night, she talks with Auguste who confesses his love for her. Marguerite ponders his words, and, curious about him, she seeks him out again. The strong winds stop, and as the ships sit idle, fights break out among the colonists. Roberval hangs four of the brawlers and, while he is away on another ship, Auguste tells Marguerite his history. Marguerite and Auguste continue to meet in the middle of the night, and Marguerite gradually falls in love with him.

The ships reach the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, where Roberval discovers that the colonists have been deserting their posts. In a fury, he collects men to stop the deserters, but when he sees how Marguerite worries about Auguste, he recognizes the extent of their affair. As punishment, Roberval sentences Auguste, Marguerite, and Damienne to exile on an island in the gulf, and he leaves them with whatever provisions they can carry. Jean Alfonse, a navigator sympathetic to their position, rows Marguerite, Auguste, and Damienne to an island with vegetation on it.

On the island, the group find a huge roost of sea birds to hunt, and they create a shelter out of driftwood. Marguerite and Auguste feel imprisoned yet free, and they consummate their love. As the days pass, the group finds freshwater and learn to preserve meat for the cold months. They keep a calendar to pray regularly. Marguerite tries and fails to start a garden, and she learns how to be useful despite her ignorance of survival skills. Auguste finds a cave-like shelter that offers them better protection, and Marguerite does what she can to make the space feel like a home.

Marguerite discovers she is pregnant, and at first, she curses God’s cruel timing. Winter snowstorms blow in, and the trio spend their time in the cave sleeping and reciting psalms. Auguste grows sick with stomach pain. Before he dies, he asks Marguerite to promise to survive. The women bury Auguste’s body in one of their trunks, but a polar bear breaks through and eats his body. Marguerite kills the bear in a fury, and Damienne saves the bear’s pelt and meat.

As Marguerite grieves Auguste’s death, she hunts on her own, but there are few animals to kill in the winter. Marguerite gives birth to a boy, who she names Auguste. With limited food, she can’t produce milk, and little Auguste dies. Marguerite loses motivation to live and curses God, but Damienne’s own grief reawakens her. When Roberval’s three tall ships sail by and leave the women behind, Marguerite determines to survive for Damienne, who is innocent. While the women build up their food stores, Damienne accidentally cuts herself and dies from infection.

Marguerite is now completely alone on the island, and in her grief, she has little will to live. She survives another polar bear attack and keeps one of its claws as a token. Marguerite sees waves turn instantly to ice, and the sublime picture moves her deeply. She begs forgiveness, inspired to live like a person, not an animal. When summer arrives, a crew of Basque fishermen land on her island, and after some enticement, Marguerite secures passage back to France.

On the journey home, the ship braves a storm that veers them off course, and they follow a whaling ship back to La Rochelle. Marguerite tries to seek out Jean Alfonse, but his servants turn her away. She sets out for Perigord on foot, sometimes travelling alone, sometimes travelling with farmers or pilgrims. Marguerite arrives at Perigord looking like a beggar, but when she presents her ring to Claire, the girls have a teary reunion.

Marguerite returns temporarily to her position as the young Montfort girls’ governess. She struggles to tell her story to her friends, since she worries they may disapprove of her behavior. Lady Katherine Montfort invites Marguerite to share her tale with the Queen of Navarre. When the Queen visits Perigord, Roberval is among the guests, and in a last attempt to manipulate Marguerite, he reveals that he already told the Queen his version of the story. In her audience with the Queen, Marguerite stubbornly corrects the tale, confesses to her imperfect faith, and refutes Roberval’s claims that he saved her. The Queen is shocked by Marguerite’s insubordination but also admires the lessons she learned from her suffering. She gives Marguerite a hefty reward, which Marguerite plans to use to open a school with Claire and Madame D’Artois. The story ends as the women leave Perigord to start this new chapter of their life.