“I am not afraid. I was born to do this.” This quote by St. Joan of Arc, the famous girl soldier and martyr, can often feel more aspirational than accurate to modern Catholics. Looking at the paintings or stained-glass images of saints from bygone days can leave one feeling a bit depressed and remote from their sanctity; after all, those holy acts and glorious martyrdoms belong to yesteryear, happening “once upon a time.” But what might a Joan of Arc figure look like in our own day and place? In her new novel, “Joan of Arkansas,” Sarah Robsdottir presents us with a compelling possibility.
Catholic novel reflects on the nature of work