Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-346).

"France, 1531. Orphaned by the age of five, Marguerite de la Rocque was heir to a chateau with its own village and lands. But her guardian, Jean Francois de la Rocque de Roberval, sells Marguerite's property to embark on an expedition to New France, bringing Marguerite and her maidservant with him. Aboard the ship, the women are limited to the company of the captain, the navigator, Roberval, and his secretary--a man whose musical talent, literary knowledge, and dark eyes intrigue Marguerite. It isn't long before the two of them are meeting secretly to declare their love for one another. When Roberval discovers this transgression, he is furious, seeing their affection as betrayal. As punishment, he maroons them on a small island off the coast, condemning them to certain death. Marguerite, the man she considers to be her husband, and her servant create a home for themselves inside a small cave. When the weather turns and the island is blanketed in ice, survival becomes nearly impossible. Marguerite is soon the only one left alive. She despairs, convinced she's been abandoned by God, and that she, too, will succumb to the brutality of the Island. Only then does she realize a strength her guardian could never have fathomed. She teaches herself to hunt and fish, to preserve food, and to scavenge. Months pass, and eventually Marguerite is discovered by a group of Basque fisherman. She persuades them to return her to France, where she tells her story and finally secures her own future, free from her guardian's control"--