The Guardian called it “a brilliant exploration of how an otherworldly peasant girl became a leader of violent men and a national icon,” and Kirkus Reviews said it’s “an elegant and engaging work of historical fiction.” “I felt like I had a closer understanding of what it means to live life fully and to leave a lasting legacy,” Chen says. The heroine only lived to the age of 19, and most of her famed actions took place within one year.

Though her cancer was not life-threatening, Chen felt a renewed appreciation for all that Joan accomplished in her short life. “I felt a sea change had essentially taken place within me, and I had to rewrite the book,” Chen says. The book caught her eye, and inspiration stuck.Ĭhen had already written a first draft when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2019. It had been an impulse purchase years earlier, and Chen hadn’t gotten around to reading it. But one day, as she was combing through her bookshelf, she came across a biography of Joan of Arc. “At some point you just consider whether you want to continue reading other people’s work and helping other people with their work, or you feel that creative itch and you want to swim off into the deep waters on your own,” Chen says.Ĭhen originally set out to write about Jesus Christ’s youth for her second novel. By the time she arrived at Princeton, she was focusing on poetry, taking creative writing courses taught by the likes of CK Williams, Meghan O’Rourke, and Susanna Moore.Īfter graduating, Chen worked at a literary agency for two and a half years before signing a deal for Mary B. It was a medical scare, however, that gave Chen a personal connection with Joan and provided the ultimate inspiration for her work.Ĭhen has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. Reinventing the tale of Joan, a historical figure who has already been chronicled extensively, would prove a tall order, but Chen was confident she could find a unique spin. This was her second novel, following Mary B, based on the life of the character Mary Bennet in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Her latest novel, Joan, is no exception.Ĭhen began writing her fictional retelling of the Joan of Arc story in 2018. “I’ve realized that I use historical fiction to write about the personal,” Chen says. And the inspiration comes from a deep connection with her characters.

To author Katherine Chen ’12, historical fiction is meant to inspire more than inform.

‘You step into the light, you feel that sense of adrenaline, and you feel moved’

Katherine chen joan of arc