Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

This historical novel retells the life of Joan of Arc, the peasant girl who led French forces during the Hundred Years' War. It is narrated by her fictional page and secretary, Louis de Conte, who knows her from childhood in Domremy and follows her through her military campaigns and later trial.

Unlike Twain's comic works, the book is earnest and admiring, presenting Joan as courageous, honest and wise beyond her years. Twain reportedly regarded it as his best work, though it was published under a different name at first.