Joan's Conquest

In the full-length portrait of Joan Cort; the heroine of his warm and sympathetic novel, Gene Hoopes presents a memorable and unusual fictional creation where characters in distinguished by unremitting honesty and uncompromising loyalty. Joan's Conquest traces the life and development of Joan Cort from her formative years - during the pre-World War I period - to the attainment of life's dream during the mid-years of the great depression. Born in the depressed area known as "The Flats" in a typical American town called Williamsburg, Joan gets to know the different life of the more affluent dwellers on Mervin Hill obliquely through her early friendship with Ross Marvin. Through her efforts and encouragement, the young Ross attains stature among their school friends and Ross becomes the controlling image of her dreams after his departure from Williamsburg. Death and sorrow, the loss of both her parents and the separation from Ross mature Joan. Her human qualities become increasingly manifest through her associations with the redoubtable and engaging Uncle Billy Leigh and Judge Thorne. Destiny and time conspire to have Joan and Ross meet years later after Ross's return from World War I and his unhappy marriage to the cold, socially ambitious Jean Hollander. After their reunion and separation, Fate again finds a way to bring them together in an unforeseen place and under strange circumstances. Simply and gracefully written, Joan's Conquest is the tender story of a young woman's inner struggles and spiritual achievement. Joan Cort is more than a character encountered in the pages of a book. She becomes the symbol of understanding and deeply searching womanhood and is a noble evocation of the highest virtues in modern women. Through the clear, untainted vision of Joan Cort, one sees the everyday world in new terms and fresh colors. Joan's Conquest is unashamed of sentiment and human emotions and rediscovers many facets of the human heart that many contemporary novelists have bypassed.