Joan D'Action

Joan D’Action is an anonymous woman who was raised conservative Catholic. As you may have already guessed, the pseudonym is a reference to the Catholic saint Joan d’Arc who received prophetic visions from the archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine instructing her to support Charles VII and recover France from English domination. At seventeen years old in 1429, she fought in and later led several campaigns in the fight to have Charles VII restored to the French throne and even after his coronation to aid in defending him and his rule. However, in May of 1430, she was captured by the British and put on trial by the pro-English Bishop Pierre Cauchon for heresy. She was declared guilty and burned at the stake a year later, with France abandoning her to her fate. In 1456, a papal court investigated her trial and nullified it, finding it full of procedural errors and deceit. In France, however, she was considered a martyr and even a national heroine of France after the French Revolution. She was officially canonized as a saint in 1920.

She fought, literally, for what was right and was then burned at the stake due to political biases and the Church’s fear of women in power. Joan d’Arc was an inspiring role model for the author, reminding her to stand up for what she believed in, making her a fitting pseudonym and standard bearer for this fight in the lives of all those involved in the case of abortion. To create a pun on her name, “Action” is used instead of “Arc” (meaning the same as in English) to imply the action that I am fighting for to create a better world. Together, the name Joan D’Action encapsulates the author's desire to commemorate and honor Joan d'Arc while fighting for these women and their families.

While “There is No Black and White” is Joan d’Action’s first published work, she has other books on her evolution with the Catholic faith and the world forthcoming.

abortion    reproductive rights    unwanted pregnancy    womens rights