ComScore

I Noticed Something Interesting About Reese's Book Club's February Pick (Which I Can't Wait to Read, BTW)

'Isola' sounds like a must-read

PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and some items may be gifted to us. Additionally, PureWow may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. All prices are accurate upon date of publish. You can learn more about the affiliate process here.

reese february book
Dimitrios Kambouris/getty images

Another month, another Reese's Book Club pick I can't wait to get my hands on. In reading up on Witherspoon's February selection, Isola by Allegra Goodman, I couldn't help but notice something interesting about it: It's based on a true story, and Witherspoon almost never chooses historical fiction. (As far as I can tell, Maggie O'Farrell's The Marriage Portrait is the only other novel based on a real-life person the club has selected.)

The Reese's Book Club Book You Should Read, Based on Your Zodiac Sign


But back to Isola. It's inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine Marguerite de la Rocque, a young woman born into nobility. Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity, until she's orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and makes her accompany him on an expedition to New France. Making matters worse, their journey takes a turn when Marguerite, accused of betrayal, is brutally punished and abandoned on a small island.

Once a child of privilege, she finds herself at the mercy of nature and is forced to fight for survival when the weather turns and covers the island in ice. Whoa.

Of the book, Witherspoon wrote in an Instagram post, "Our February Pick is here, and I can’t stop talking about it! Based on a true story, Isola by @allegragoodmanwriter has it all: love, resilience, defiance... I mean, she even fights a bear! 🐻 This is easily one of my favorite historical fiction reads yet. ✨"

isola book coer
cover: the dial press; background: getty images

Readers are equally enthralled. One Goodreads reviewer shares, "I'm pretty sure this book is going to end up on my top ten for 2025. This is a strong historical fiction novel in the style of Brönte's Jane Eyre crossed with Voltaire's Candide. The story takes place in the sixteenth century. The protagonist, Marguerite, is a fierce survivor from beginning to end. She's the kind of protagonist I enjoy rooting for because she is so vulnerable, and yet brave."

Folks are already putting this on their best of '25 list? In February? Excuse me while I send it straight to my Kindle.


sarah stiefvater

Wellness Director

  • Oversees wellness content
  • PureWow's resident book reviewer
  • Has worked in lifestyle media for 11 years