Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Why Joan?
Why Joan?

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Why Joan? is here in full — 18 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Why Joan?
Context Illustration Reading 1/3 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WHY JOAN?
Author of "KILDARES OF STORM," etc.
TO MRS.
RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)
Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Why Joan?

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Why Joan? is here in full — 18 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/3 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WHY JOAN?
Line 2
Author of "KILDARES OF STORM," etc.
Line 3
TO MRS.
/tuː ˈmɪsɪz/
Line 4
RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)
Line 5
Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

amour noun US /ˌɑːˈmuːr/

a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship

From this reading “Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.”

helped verb US /helpt/

past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading “RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)”

neighbor noun US /ˈneɪbər/

a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading “RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)”

phrase noun US /freɪz/

an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence

From this reading “RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)”

pour verb US /pɔːr/

cause to run

From this reading “Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.”

principle noun US /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct

From this reading “RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)”

summed verb US /sʌmd/

inflected form of “sum” — be a summary of

From this reading “RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)”

ton noun US /tʌn/

a United States unit of weight equivalent to 2000 pounds

From this reading “Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

young women adjective + noun counted as “young woman”

a young female

In this reading “RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)”

All words in this reading · 65

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

Aime-moi

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

amournounUS /ˌɑːˈmuːr/

a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Author of "KILDARES OF STORM," etc.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

besoin

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

CarnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

chansons

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

chanternoun

reed pipe with finger holes on which the melody is played

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

Cobzar

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

etc

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Author of "KILDARES OF STORM," etc.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

helpedverbUS /helpt/

past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

higheradjectiveUS /ˈhaɪər/

advanced in complexity or elaboration

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

j'ai

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

je

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

JOAN

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading WHY JOAN?

KILDARES

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Author of "KILDARES OF STORM," etc.

KNOTT

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

lanounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

lenounUS /lə/

a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

Letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

mes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

Meurs

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

mort

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

MRSnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading TO MRS.

neighbornounUS /ˈneɪbər/

a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of "KILDARES OF STORM," etc.

parce

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

phrasenounUS /freɪz/

an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

pleurer

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

pourverbUS /pɔːr/

cause to run

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

principlenounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

que

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

RICHARD

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

singverbUS /sɪŋ/

deliver by singing

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

STORMverbUS /stɔːrm/

behave violently, as if in state of a great anger

From this reading Author of "KILDARES OF STORM," etc.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

suis

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

summedverbUS /sʌmd/

inflected form of “sum” — be a summary of

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

t'en

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

TOparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading TO MRS.

tonnounUS /tʌn/

a United States unit of weight equivalent to 2000 pounds

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

Vanoun

a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War

From this reading Aime-moi, parce que j'ai besoin de ton amour pour mes chansons, Va t'en, parce que j'ai besoin de pleurer pour mes chansons, Meurs, parce que j'ai besoin de chanter la mort pour mes chansons, Car je suis le Cobzar.

Virgil's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

WHYnounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading WHY JOAN?

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading RICHARD W. KNOTT friend and neighbor to many young women such as JOAN, whom she has helped to find the why of themselves; and whose life principle may be summed up in Virgil's phrase (Let us sing of higher things.)

Chapter 1 of Why Joan? by Eleanor Mercein Kelly holds 18 sentences, grouped into 4 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of Why Joan? contain?

Chapter 1 holds 18 sentences of Why Joan?, unabridged, divided into 4 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Why Joan? by Eleanor Mercein Kelly exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 18 sentences, grouped into 4 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of Why Joan??

Work through the 4 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 4 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Why Joan?

Common questions about reading Why Joan? by Eleanor Mercein Kelly on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Why Joan??

Yes. All 7566 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34801 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Why Joan? is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #34801, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Why Joan? take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1514 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Why Joan? section by section

How to work through Why Joan? section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Why Joan? to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Why Joan?

Words and structures a reader meets early in Why Joan?, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Why Joan?; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kildares
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Why Joan?; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Storm
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Why Joan?; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Richard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Why Joan?; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.