Thank you Random House and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book tells the incredible true story of Marguerite de la Rocque, a French orphan whose guardian brings her on a harrowing voyage to colonize Canada. While at sea, Marguerite begins a relationship with her guardian's secretary. Her guardian discovers the relationship and maroons Marguerite and her lover, as well as Marguerite's childhood maid, on a barren, desolate island.

The beginning of this book is rather slow - we're in 1500s France in a chateau in the country, learning about Marguerite's life as a young girl who is at the mercy of her guardian's whims. The writing is beautifully atmospheric and tender, but there's definitely a sense that the book's real action has yet to begin. Thankfully, things pick up pretty quickly, and much of the book focuses on Marguerite and her companions' attempts to survive on the island: their difficulties finding food, the terrible winters, the wild animals, and the unavoidable despair and fear. This is a deeply stirring story of the determination to live despite unimaginable difficulties, but it also doesn't shy away from the hopelessness that is inevitable in a situation like this. Marguerite has admirable firepower, and I was moved by her will and her fortitude, but I also appreciated that she got despondent on times. I got so angry at her guardian for his puritanical beliefs and emotional abuse, and it was invigorating when Marguerite fought against her patriarchal society. I wouldn't exactly call this is a fun read, but it's definitely an evocative and thoughtful read.