A Colony of One: The History of Brave Women

by Elizabeth H. Boyer

302 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1983

Reviews

[Elizabeth Shafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read A Colony of One, by Elizabeth Boyer, after reading Isola, by Allegra Goodman, and found the former infinitely superior to the latter. Boyer's work is a meticulously-researched account, whereas Goodman speculates on the protagonist's inner life without a factual basis. Boyer’s work is meticulously researched, whereas Goodman writes nebulously, such as speculating on the inner life of Marguerite, the protagonist, without a basis in fact. For instance, Goodman writes that Marguerite had deep spiritual doubts after being marooned on the island. Boyer, however, writes: “Especially when Marguerite was finally alone, prayer seems to have been her refuge…As an early French Protestant, Marguerite was committed to a new faith which had to defend itself constantly—even militantly…Whether or not Marguerite had been fervent in her faith before her marooning, she clearly became so in the faith of imminent death”.