Tudor Book Reviews

Posted By Claire on January 15, 2010

I know that many Robin Maxwell fans are eagerly awaiting the publication of her new novel, “O, Juliet”, on the 2nd February 2010, so I thought you might like to know my views on this novel. Here’s my review of Robin Maxwell’s latest offering.

William Shakespeare, “The Bard”, is a tough act to follow, so I must admit to being rather apprehensive and cynical when I heard that Robin Maxwell was going to be retelling his famous story of Romeo and Juliet, the “star-crossed lovers”, after all, who could compete with Shakespeare?! Also, I am a die-hard Shakespeare fan, the man can do no wrong in my eyes!  But, I had to eat my words, and my hat, when I read Robin Maxwell’s novel. It was a beautiful retelling of this story of eternal love and love against all odds, and was incredibly magical. I got hooked straight away and it is one of those novels, like Maxwell’s previous novels, where you just can’t put it down.

As the book blurb says “Their love was the stuff of legend. But the legend is only half the story.” and Maxwell’s book does a great job of turning a play, which many people are not able to see performed, or who would not always enjoy and understand the Shakespearean language, into a story and legend that is accessible to all, and giving depth to the storyline and characters. The reader is told the story through the eyes of both Romeo and Juliet and it becomes more than a tragic love story about the failure of the postal system, as my husband describes it (heathen!), it becomes a vibrant and passionate love story between two people you can relate to and who you can’t help but love. It has all the ingredients of the original - love, passion, revenge, tragedy and loss - but I love the way that Maxwell handles the ending, an ending which could be so tragic and flat, and which could leave you seriously depressed. Shakespeare ends with the words:-

“A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
The sun for sorrow will not show his head.
Go hence to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardon’d and some punished;
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”

whereas Maxwell’s last scene is an uplifting one and one that leaves you satisfied and feeling warm inside. I won’t spoil the ending by telling you whether or not Maxwell deviates from Shakespeare’s, but I closed the book feeling happy with what she had done.

If you are a fan of Shakespeare’s play, you will notice many differences in Maxwell’s account of Romeo and Juliet. For example, the names have been changed from Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet to Romeo Monticecco and Juliet Capelletti, which are far more Italian. Also, the setting has been changed from “fair Verona” to Florence at the time of the Medici, the Renaissance era which Maxwell enjoyed using in her novel “Signora da Vinci”. Using Renaissance Florence allowed Maxwell to reuse a character from her former novel, that of Lucrezia Tornabuoni, as Juliet’s best friend and confidante, and the Medici and Strozzi families of power and influence. Did I mind this change of era and setting? Not at all. Florence is one of my favourite cities in the world and I thought that this beautiful Renaissance city, with its link to the Arts, made the perfect backdrop for the world’s most famous love story.

As well as the ending, the backdrop and use of new characters, I loved the way that Maxwell gave Romeo and Juliet a shared passion, something which linked their hearts, souls and minds, and this passion is the poet Dante. Dante Alighieri is the man known as the “Father of the Italian Language” and “The Supreme Poet” and is famous for his work “The Divine Comedy. As Maxwell explains in her “Readers Guide” at the end, Dante was a bit of a “Renaissance Rock Star”, a man who was a bit of a radical and who was banished from the city of his birth, but one who had a major influence on the time. Romeo and Juliet’s shared love of his poetry ties them together from the start. Maxwell explains it well when she says:-

“For Romeo - himself an amateur poet - to find a woman who was his creative and intellectual equal, if not his better, would have shaken his world. And for Juliet to discover a soulful, wild-hearted and secretly subversive young poet determined - as few others were in those days - to be a peace-maker would have been enough to spur her on to great heights of rebellion against a killingly repressive society, even if escape from it meant her death.”

In finding each other, both Romeo and Juliet had each found their soulmate, someone who shares their dreams, and to see their love and passion flourish in this book is a real joy.

What Others are Saying about “O, Juliet”

“A reigning queen of historical fiction takes on the treasured tale of Romeo and Juliet in a tribute that would make Shakespeare stand up and cheer!” Michelle Moran, bestselling author of “Cleopatra’s Daughter”.

“Maxwell conjures up an intimate historical retelling of the timeless classic, evoking the world’s most famous lovers with breathtaking passion and literary elegance.” C W Gortner, author of “The Last Queen”.

“A page turner that will leave you breathless.” Lalita Tademy, “New York Times” bestselling author of “Cane River and Red River.”

What Do I Say?

If you want a book to get lost in, to feed your soul and to give you a warm, fuzzy feeling on these rather cold winter’s nights, then read “O, Juliet” and get transported to Renaissance Florence. It is a romance in the true sense of the word - not a trashy romance but a story of two dreamers finding their soulmate and battling against the world. Isn’t that what love is really about? Beautiful!

Sneak Peek

You can read a sneak peek of “O, Juliet” at Robin Maxwell’s website - click here to read part of Chapter 6 now.

Availability

You can pre-order “O, Juliet” by Robin Maxwell at Amazon US - click here - or at your usual bookshop. I’m sure you’ll love it. Do let me know your thoughts after you’ve read it.

Don’t forget to take part in Robin Maxwell’s special Love Games to celebrate the launch of her new book, see my post on The Elizabeth Files - http://www.elizabethfiles.com/love-quotes-competition/3473/.

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Category: Anne Boleyn, Fiction, Robin Maxwell
Tags: O Juliet, Robin Maxwell

Posted By Claire on January 7, 2010

I didn’t realise that I had been missing out on some great works of historical fiction until I read an advance copy Karen Harper’s latest book which is published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons on 21st January. Now, I’m going to be buying her other Tudor books: “The Last Boleyn” and “The Queen Elizabeth I Mystery Series” (9 books)! It’s wonderful when you discover a new author isn’t it?

I have chosen “The Queen’s Governess” as The Anne Boleyn Files Book of the Month January 2010, which you may think is a bit odd when the book focuses on Kat Ashley, Elizabeth I’s governess, but there is a good reason, I promise!

The Ring

We all know about the famous locket ring which Elizabeth wore on her finger until it was taken off her hand at her death. When it was taken from her dead body, it was found that it wasn’t just a jewelled ring but that it had a locket clasp which opened to reveal two miniature portraits - one of Elizabeth I and the other of her mother, Anne Boleyn, who had been executed as an adulteress and traitor. What we don’t know is the story behind this ring. It is thought that Elizabeth commissioned the ring to be made in 1575, but what if this was just a repair or a change of portrait? What if there is an even more interesting story behind the locket ring?

The opening scene of “The Queen’s Governess” is the Tower of London on the 19th of May 1536. The central character, Kat Champernowne (later Ashley), is there to watch the execution of Anne Boleyn. It is a moving scene and is wonderful for any Anne Boleyn fan but it is made more perfect because of the interaction between Anne and Kat. Karen Harper writes:-

“I [Kat] dared to lift my hand to hold up the tiny treasure she had entrusted to me. Perhaps she could not see it; perhaps she would think I was waving farewell to her, but I did it anyway, then pulled my hand back down.”

In response, Anne nods to Kat. She knows that Kat has the treasure and will fulfill the promise she made to Anne when she visited her in the Tower, the promise to stay close to Elizabeth and to give her a very special ring.

Obviously Karen Harper has used artistic licence here as there is no evidence that the ring was commissioned by Anne Boleyn, but it’s a wonderful “what if”!

Kat Champernowne Ashley

After the opening scene in 1536, we travel back in time to 1516 to Kat Champernowne Ashley’s childhood in rural Devon. We then follow Kat’s journey from this poor and rural background to the court of King Henry VIII during the time of Anne Boleyn’s rise.

Just how did a girl from a poor family in Devon get to be a lady at court in London, not to mention being the governess of the future Queen of England? Well, as Karen Harper points out in her notes at the end (and in her article at The Elizabeth Files), Kat’s background is quite a mystery, so Harper explains it by having Thomas Cromwell meet Kat in Devon and act as a kind of sponsor for the girl. An interesting theory and it works well for the book.

The book travels from 1516 right up to 1560, seeing the reigns of Henry VIII (and the lives of his six wives and daughters), Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey and Mary I through Kat’s eyes, with a special focus on her relationship with Elizabeth and how Elizabeth handles everything that life flings at her, including being interrogated as a suspected traitor. Eventually, Elizabeth is crowned Queen of England, but Kat’s role does not get any easier as she tries to make Elizabeth see the damage that her love for Robert Dudley is having to her reputation

The reader can’t help but like Kat. She, like Elizabeth, has lost her mother, and in suspicious circumstances, and she is an innocent who has to learn quickly to cope with the intrigue at court. When she meets the charismatic but dangerous Thomas Seymour she learns just how dangerous life at court can be and when her friend and mistress Anne Boleyn falls from favour and is executed, Kat realises just how perilous a woman’s position is. She is haunted in her dreams by Anne Boleyn and she steadfastly keeps her promise to the dead queen, protecting Elizabeth the best way that she can and even coping with imprisonment in the Tower to protect her charge. As Kat says in the book: “Any woman, but especially a woman alone, was vulnerable in this world, and, God help me, I still wanted not only to survive but thrive.”

Believability

What makes the book so alive and so believable is that Harper draws on real evidence. Poems and letters in the book are all primary sources, words that these historical characters really did write. The book is vivid, believable and the characters are so alive. I can even forgive Harper giving Anne Boleyn six fingers because her book is so wonderful.

I won’t go on anymore because I don’t want to spoil your enjoyment of the book. Obviously we all know the key events of the period but what is enjoyable is when you see them through the eyes of a character who was present and get her take on things.

The Test

So, does this book pass my historical fiction test? Of course it does!

1. Is it “unputdownable”? - Yes. You’ll read it cover to cover in a weekend and then order more Karen Harper books!

2. Does it make you want to research the characters more? - Yes. Kat Ashley has always been an interesting character to me, even before I realised that her background was such a mystery. The notes at the end, where Harper asks “Who was Kat Champernowne Ashley?” and explains the three theories regarding her background, are extremely interesting and I will definitely be looking into Kat.

3. Is it believable? - Yes. As I have already said, the characters of the book really come alive and I love the relationships and interactions, the intrigue and the tragedy that Kat sees. As Harper’s publisher says: “Kat is also an eye-witness and victim to the fate of the women in this historical era”.

Harper’s publisher describes “The Queen’s Governess” as being “filled with power struggles, intrigue, murder, betrayal, lust, loyalty and love - all the ingredients for a thrilling mystery and a superb historical novel” and that is 100% true. Sound like your kind of book?

Availability

“The Queen’s Governess” by Karen Harper is released in the USA on the 21st January 2010 in hardback. Click here to pre-order or buy it now. Do remember that Amazon US ship worldwide.

You can browse through Karen Harper’s other books, including “The Last Boleyn” and “The Queen Elizabeth I Mystery Series” in our special Elizabeth Files Amazon US Store or Elizabeth Files Amazon UK Store - see the fiction section.

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Category: Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I, Fiction, Henry VIII, Six Wives
Tags: Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I, Karen Harper, Kat Ashley

Posted By Claire on January 6, 2010

One of the very first Anne Boleyn novels I read was Robin Maxwell’s “The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn”, a book I loved because I so wanted to believe that Elizabeth had been able to learn the true story of her mother’s life, through her own words. I was captivated by that novel and this one grabbed me in the same way.

I have always been interested in the whole Elizabeth/Thomas Seymour “affair” as I have never really understood it. We know from historical sources that Thomas Seymour, who was married to Elizabeth’s step-mother the Queen Dowager Catherine Parr, would enter the teenage Elizabeth’s bed chamber and get into bed with her. It is said that he would tickle her and stroke her and that once he entered dressed in just his nightshirt. If that wasn’t enough, Catherine Parr joined him on occasions and even restrained Elizabeth while Seymour slashed Elizabeth’s gown into pieces with a dagger. Completely inappropriate behaviour and very difficult to understand, particularly when Seymour was already married to a rich woman. What on earth was he up to?

That’s why I love Robin Maxwell’s novel. Robin reveals Thomas Seymour as a sociopath, a man who would stop at nothing to get power and riches, a man without conscience, morals or perhaps even a soul. It is chilling the way that he charms the women who surround him: Kat Ashley, Catherine Parr, Lady Jane Grey and even Elizabeth. Elizabeth just can’t help being attracted to this man even though she knows she oughtn’t to be, after all, he is her beloved step-mother’s husband. I know that Robin’s novel is fiction and we will never know who the real Thomas Seymour was, but this novel explains how and why he got away with doing what he did to Catherine and Elizabeth. Who knows whether Robin is correct but her Thomas Seymour and her take on events is rational and believable.

In the “Author’s Note” at the end, Robin makes the following point:-

“Even among the texts that view the Seymour affair as significant enough for a detailed account, there are next to none that go beyond the facts and provide an analysis of the individuals and relationships involved in the most fascinating psychosexual interplay…Thomas Seymour ranks as the number-one bad boy of Tudor history. A textbook-perfect sociopathic/charismatic personality, he ran roughshod over the Renaissance landscape, severely altering every life he touched.”

I agree, complete bad boy but even the reader falls under his spell!

The most chilling part of the novel for me was the scene at Catherine Parr’s deathbed. I don’t want to spoil it but it gave me goosebumps!

The Test

So, does this novel pass my all important historical fiction test:-

1. Is it “unputdownable”? - Yes. I used every excuse under the sun to hide away and read this book. It’s one of those books that you can get read in a day or a couple of days and then wonder why you have sore red eyes!

2. Does it make you want to research the characters more? - Yes. I’ve already put a lot of research into both Elizabeth I and Thomas Seymour, but this book makes you want to find out the truth about Seymour and his motives, although this might be as easy as finding the Holy Grail.

3. Is it believable? - Yes. Of course it IS fiction but Robin has obviously researched the period meticulously and just told the story in her own way, filling what she calls the “glaring omissions” in the historical sources between Henry VIII’s death in 1547 and Thomas Seymour’s execution in 1549 and making sense of the many inconsistencies.

If you want a book to cuddle up with this winter and you like romance, intrigue and history, then get “Virgin” and don’t forget the other books in the trilogy: “The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn” and “The Queen’s Bastard”.
Click on the first cover image to purchase “Virgin” at Amazon.com and the second cover image to buy from Amazon.co.uk.

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Category: Elizabeth I, Fiction, Robin Maxwell
Tags: Elizabeth I, Robin Maxwell, Virgin

Posted By Claire on January 6, 2010

UK Cover - Click to buy from Amazon UK

Anne Boleyn Files and Elizabeth Files visitor Kelly Gartland was kind enough to write this review after she had “The Lady Elizabeth” for Christmas. I haven’t read it yet but it’s on my list. If you have read it then please feel free to leave your comments below, I’d love to know what you think.

“The Lady Elizabeth” by Alison Weir, a Review by Kelly Gartland

If you’re like me and you have studied the reign of Elizabeth I many times in school, have seen countless dramas and movies of her 45 years as Queen, but feel her horrendous and eventful childhood has somewhat been neglected; then this novel is a perfect starting point in discovering the child that would grow up to be remembered as England’s greatest monarch.

The novel starts with the fateful day Elizabeth discovered the tragic death of her mother, Anne Boleyn, and ends on the day she discovers, arguably, an equally life-changing revelation; after having her title of princess stripped away, enduring the loss of countless stepmothers and surviving several plots and rebellions formed in her name, she is now Queen.

Alison Weir not only does a fantastic job of exploring the thoughts and feelings of a young girl surrounded by intrigue and people determined to destroy her, but also sets a very real tone of the uncertain circumstances which gripped Elizabeth’s life in mid-16th century England. Highlighting not only the political, but also the psychological effects, that her uncertain status and being the daughter of Henry VIII had on the innocent girl.

US Cover - Click to buy from Amazon.com

Despite brutally being torn apart from her mother in May 1536, “The Lady Elizabeth” also touches on the dramatic impact Elizabeth’s mother had on her and reveals the strong connection she felt towards the contraversial Queen, that she was forced to keep secret. However, as with many historical fiction novels, Weir is very liberal with the facts in certain parts of the book, particularly, in my opinion, with the relationship between Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour, and should therefore be taken in the same humour as other novels, such as Philippa Gegory’s “The Other Boleyn Girl”.

All in all, it’s a good read and allows you to take a break from the factual world and delight in the pleasures of “what if?”.

The Independent, the UK newspaper, said of the book:-

“Popular historian Alison Weir enters treacherous territory with a fictional re-telling of the early years of Elizabeth I and her much debated romance with Thomas Seymour, her stepmother’s husband.

“For dramatic purposes, I have woven into my story a tale that goes against all my instincts as a historian!” quips Weir, explaining why she cast the queen as a less than virginal figure.

Telling fact from fiction becomes the name of the game, and Weir employs contemporary gossip to intriguing effect. With a style that casts even Philippa Gregory’s stately gavottes in a dashing new light, Weir convinces with her scholarly grasp. “

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Category: Alison Weir, Elizabeth I, Fiction
Tags: Alison Weir, Elizabeth I, The Lady Elizabeth

Posted By Claire on December 15, 2009

Anne Boleyn Files visitor, Christine Nicole Kimmell was kind enough to write this review on Margaret George’s fictional “autobiography” of King Henry VIII:-

The Autobiography of Henry VIII - US Version

The Autobiography of Henry VIII, With Notes From His Fool Will Somers, was an absolutely fascinating read. Although it is fictional it feels as though you are actually in Henry VIII’s head. It is the only book that I have read that has ever made an effort to get to know Henry, rather than the image that he created for himself. It shows vulnerability and heart, which is a rarity when reading about Henry.

The book focuses exclusively on Henry VIII, with the exception of the bits of humor and perspective interjected by Will Somers. The back drop is beautifully painted, detailed but never boring. Absolutely a must read for anyone who is interested in “getting to know” Henry VIII personally.

One of the aspects of the book that I most enjoyed was the attention paid by the author to Henry’s life before he became king, unlike other novels that I have read, that seem to gloss over the first 25 years of his life.

Henry’s personality is also much more deeply explored than I’ve ever read before. Rather than building upon his already well known public persona, the author takes the time to show some of Henry’s insecurities that he may have been trying to hide beneath the pomp and grandeur of his image. Henry is credited with enough intelligence to realize the views the people around him had about his more whimsical tendencies, whereas it is generally believed that Henry was too self involved and childish to realize that others knew it was him in a play, or knew he was the tall, red-headed, masked figure.

The Autobiography of Henry VIII - UK Version

The only part of the book that I found disappointing was that Anne and Henry’s relationship felt like it was somewhat minimised. The author gives the impression that Henry viewed Anne as more decorative, rather than an intellectual equal. It does not paint the picture of a passionate romance, more of a lukewarm infatuation that was easily moved on from.
In conclusion, this book is an absolute must read for any Tudor enthusiast. It is a challenging read, challenging in that it makes you stop and think. I found myself reading excerpts to my husband and pondering over the deeper meaning of certain quotes. It is an enormous book, but don’t be put off by that. I had an extremely hard time putting it down. While reading it, it literally feels as though you’ve gone back in time. The thoughts, feelings and situations of the “characters” have definite parallels to our own modern lives and gives interesting and poignant perspective.

Review by Christine Nicole Kimmell

You can read an excerpt from this novel and read an interview with the author at Margaret George’s website - see http://www.margaretgeorge.com/books/henry.asp

This book is available from Amazon US and Amazon UK - click on book covers above - or from your favourite book retailer.

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Category: Fiction, Henry VIII, Margaret George
Tags: Henry VIII, Margaret George

Posted By Claire on December 9, 2009

The Sisters Who Would Be Queen - US Cover

“The Sisters Who Would Be Queen: The Tragedy of Katherine, Mary and Lady Jane Grey” is a non-fiction account of the stories of these three sisters, the times they lived in and the monarchs who reigned in their lifetimes. I was desperate to read this after reading Jeane Westin’s historical novel, “The Virgin’s Daughters”, and enjoying the fictional account of Katherine Grey’s life, and I also wanted to know what Lady Jane Grey was really like.

This book did not disappoint and I can see why it took Leanda de Lisle four years to write. My copy is nearly 400 pages and it is 400 pages of relevant information and compelling theories all backed up with historical evidence. What I like about de Lisle’s work is that she has meticulously researched these Tudor characters and her sources are well cited so you can understand why she comes to the conclusions that she does. It will be interesting to compare de Lisle’s thoughts on Lady Jane Grey with Eric Ives’s thoughts, when I have read his latest book on Lady Jane. I know that he and Leanda have had many discussions about Lady Jane.

I would recommend this book to anyone who want to know more about the Grey sisters and the reigns of Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I and Elizabeth I. It is a huge book but it is well worth spending the time reading it, you will not regret it.

(more…)

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Category: Elizabeth I, Lady Jane Grey, Leanda de Lisle, Mary I, Mary Queen of Scots, Non-fiction, Uncategorized
Tags: Katherine Grey, Lady Jane Grey, Leanda de Lisle, The Sisters Who Would Be Queen

Posted By Claire on November 17, 2009

The Early loves of Anne Boleyn

I was very excited when I heard about the release of this book just a few weeks after Alison Weir’s “The Lady in the Tower”, October was a really great month for Anne Boleyn fans! However, I must admit to being rather put off by the publisher’s blurb on Amazon, which said:

“The story of Anne Boleyn’s early life, told in detail for the first time. Anne Boleyn is perhaps the most engaging of Henry VIII’s Queens. For her he would divorce his wife of some twenty years standing, he would take on the might of the Roman Church and the Holy Roman Empire; he would even alienate his own people in order to win her favour and, eventually, her hand. But before Henry came into her life Anne Boleyn had already wandered down love’s winding path. She had learned its twists and turns during her youth spent at the courts of the Low Countries and France, where she had been sent as a result of her scandalous behaviour with her father’s butler and chaplain. Here her education had been directed by two of the strongest women of the age - and one of the weakest. Returning to England she was courted by three different suitors in three very different circumstances. The first was James Butler, with whom an arranged marriage was designed to settle a family dispute over the earldom of Ormond. Anne then captured the heart of Henry Percy, whose genuine love for her was reciprocated and would have lead to Anne becoming countess of Northumberland had the couple not been cruelly torn apart in the interests of politics and worldly ambition. Lastly, Thomas Wyatt, the dreamy young poet and ambassador who was captivated by Anne but who stepped aside when he saw that he had a rival: none other than the great King Henry VIII himself.”

Anne Boleyn being sent away as a result of her scandalous behaviour with her father’s butler and chaplain?! I really did not want to read a book which took this myth as truth! But, good news, this is just publicity and Josephine Wilkinson does not believe this myth any more than I do and the book is not a collection of myths, scandals and hearsay, which it could so easily be, but is based on meticulous research and hard evidence - phew!

So, what does the book cover?

Contents

“The Early Loves of Anne Boleyn” is split into 15 chapters with an introduction, epilogue, references, bibliography and 32 pages of colour, glossy illustrations of portraits and places. Here is a rundown of the chapters and what they cover:-

1. Growing up at Hever 1501-1513 - Like Ives, Wilkinson believes that Anne was born around 1500/1501 and this chapter covers her family’s background from her great grandfather, Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, onwards, and also looks at who exactly Thomas Boleyn was.
2. The Coming of Grace: Anne and Margaret, Archduchess of Austria, 1513-14 - We all know that Anne went abroad to become a fille d’honeur to Archduchess Margaret, the Regent of the Netherlands, but who exactly was Margaret? This chapter is wonderful in that it explains exactly who Margaret was, what her court would have been like and what Anne would have learned from her time there.
3. The Rival of Venus: Anne in France 1514-1521 - Alison Weir pointed out in “The Lady in the Tower” that Anne Boleyn was corrupted by the French court so I was interested to read this chapter and find out Wilkinson’s viewpoint. Wilkinson writes of Queen Claude’s court being “run almost as a convent” and how she insisted on high morality, restraint, modesty and virtue. OK, so we don’t know whether Anne managed to escape this and have a good time in secret but I highly doubt it, and Wilkinson believes that the slander on Anne’s virtue and reputation is down to Nicholas Sander “who lost no opportunity to malign Anne”.
4. An Irish Alliance: Anne and James Butler 1521-1522 - A chapter covering the proposed marriage between Anne and James Butler, son of  Sir Piers Butler, a marriage which would have settled a dispute between Thomas Boleyn and Sir Piers Butler over the earldom of Ormond. If you’ve ever wondered who James was then this is a great chapter for you. This chapter also covers Anne’s appearance, drawing together contemporary descriptions of her.
5. An Innocent Love Affair: Anne and Henry Percy 1522-1524 - How different Anne’s life would have been if she had been allowed to marry her sweetheart Henry Percy! In this chapter we find out all about Percy and his background and Wilkinson also examines exactly what his relationship with Anne was and how far it went.
6. “Where Force and Beauty Met”: Anne and Thomas Wyatt 1524-1526 - In “The Tudors”, it implies that Anne and Thomas Wyatt, the poet, did have a relationship, but what is the real truth? Wyatt’s poems show that he obviously had some deep feelings for Anne but were they returned or were they sadly unrequited? Did Wyatt have to move over for Henry VIII and what of the story about Wyatt turning up at Hever and finding that Anne had hidden another lover upstairs?! This chapter looks at the evidence for and the rumours surrounding some type of relationship between them.
7. Anne’s Revenge 1527-1530 - Many people believe that Anne Boleyn was directly responsible for the fall of Cardinal Wolsey and that she acted out of revenge for him preventing the marriage between her and Henry Percy, but what is the truth of the matter? Wilkinson examines the relationship between Wolsey and Anne.
8. Henry Percy and the Arrest of Cardinal Wolsey 1530 - Was the sending of Henry Percy to arrest Wolsey Anne’s final act of revenge?
9. The Pre-Contract 1532 - In this chapter, Wilkinson examines the Countess of Northumberland’s (Percy’s wife, Mary Talbot)) accusation that her husband had told her that their marriage was illegal because he had already been pre-contracted to Anne Boleyn. What was the truth behind this allegation and did Mary Talbot ever actually accuse her husband of this? Wilkinson looks at this issue and how it was handled as Henry VIII strove to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn.
10. “Some Tyme I Fled” 1532-1533 - A brief chapter examining the reasons for Wyatt’s fall from grace and the Duke of Suffolk’s exile from court. Were the two things linked?
11. Al the Queen’s Men: The Perils of Courtly Love, May 1536 - A look at the fall of Anne Boleyn and the men that were accused of committing adultery with her, including those who escaped the axe man: Thomas Wyatt, Sir Richard Page  and Sir Francis Bryan.
12. “Myn Extreme Enemye”: Thomas Wyatt, May 1536 - It is strange that a man who had been linked with Anne in the past managed to escape execution, when other members of Anne’s circle were so brutally framed and executed. Wouldn’t it have been easier to link Wyatt to Anne? This chapter looks at Wyatt, his career at court, his arrest and imprisonment.
13. Circs Regna Tonat, 12 May 1536 - A chapter looking at the accusations made against Smeaton, Weston, Norris, Brereton and Rochford.
14. Persecuted Innocence, 13-16 May 1536 - In this chapter Wilkinson looks at the rumours that circulated about the King seeking a divorce from Anne on the grounds of her pre-contract to Henry Percy, Henry Percy’s health at this time, and the trials of Anne and George.
15. “The Bell Towre Showed me Such a Syght”, 17 May 1536 - A brief chapter about Wyatt, the horrors he saw from his Bell Tower window and his eventual release from his prison.
16. Epilogue: After Anne - Tis is an interesting look at what happened to the Tudor characters who had links with Anne after her death on the 19th May 1536. Wilkinson looks at the lives of James Butler, Henry Percy and Thomas Wyatt. An interesting chapter.

This book is not as long or as detailed as Alison Weir’s “The Lady in the Tower” or the biographies by Warnicke or Ives, but it is an interesting look at the men in Anne Boleyn’s life and the many scandals that surrounded this much maligned Queen. I really enjoyed Wilkinson’s insights into Anne’s life at the Hapsburg and French courts, her relationships with Percy and Wyatt, and who these men actually were. We will never know the exact truth behind the rumours and scandals that surrounded Anne, but I enjoyed Wilkinson’s examination of these rumours and her look at actual evidence.

I would highly recommend this book to any fan of Anne Boleyn and Tudor history and those researching the life of Anne Boleyn, and it makes a great companion book to Eric Ives’ “The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn”.

Josephine Wilkinson is an author and historian with a PhD in history from the University of Newcastle. She has received British Academy research funding and has been scholar in residence at St Deiniol’s Library. She has also written “Mary Boleyn” and “Richard III: The Young King to Be” which were both published by Amberley. You can read An Interview with Dr Josephine Wilinson at The Anne Boleyn Files and you can hear her speak about Anne Boleyn at Hever Castle on The Anne Boleyn Experience 2010.

Click here to buy The Early Loves of Anne Boleyn at Amazon UK or click here to buy it at Amazon US. It is published by Amberley Publishing and is available now.

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Category: Anne Boleyn, Josephine Wilkinson, Non-fiction, Six Wives, Uncategorized
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Posted By Claire on October 29, 2009

Author Jeane Westin is a regular visitor to The Elizabeth Files and wrote a wonderful guest article - “Did They or Didn’t They? Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester” - which got us all commenting our thoughts on Elizabeth’s virginity and her relationship with Dudley.

After chatting to Jeane and reading her article I was desperate to read her latest historical novel and review it for the site, so she kindly sent me a copy. Here are my thoughts on this novel set in the reign of Elizabeth I.

“The Virgin’s Daughters: In the Court of Elizabeth I” by Jeane Westin

I’ve been so lucky recently, I’ve loved every historical novel I’ve read and this one did not break my lucky streak. As an armchair historian, someone who spends all day reading biographies and text books and doing research, I sometimes find historical fiction hard work. Some novels are annoying because they pretend to be a reworking of fact, when they blatantly are not, and some just bung in stupid events for the sake of it or are so off-track that I have to give up on them. However, some historical novels are a joy to read and this is one of them. If I had a star rating system, this would get a resounding 5 stars because I loved it.

This novel offered escapism combined with history. Like when I was reading Robert Parry’s “Virgin and the Crab”, I was whisked away to another time and place, the Elizabethan court, and could really empathise with the characters. I got so sucked in that I read it in one day and thoroughly enjoyed my escape from the real world - who cares about housework anyway?!

The Story

Jeane Westin’s novel is split into two main parts, each with a different main character. In Part One, we are introduced to Lady Katherine Grey in the year 1562, sister of the tragic Lady Jane Grey, a woman who is heir to the throne by Henry VIII’s will because Elizabeth I is childless. We see court life and intrigues through her eyes, we see the passionate and volatile relationship between Robert Dudley and the Queen, which is beautifully told, and we hear Katherine’s own story. Katherine is such a tragic figure because she is so trapped. As heir to the throne and one of Elizabeth’s ladies, she is not free to marry who she likes and her love for Ned Seymour brings nothing but heartache as Elizabeth lashes out at the “star crossed” lovers and seems to punish them for the life that she herself cannot lead with her beloved Dudley.

I loved Katherine and spent the whole first part of the book praying that she and Ned would be happy even though I knew their real-life story. I also loved the portrayal of Elizabeth and Dudley’s relationship. Westin managed to convey the passion and the deep love they had for each other. Their arguments and Elizabeth’s rages are described beautifully and really brought to life. Dudley knew everything about his “Bess” and how to handle her and Elizabeth’s torment and bitterness over not being able to marry her beloved Robin is so real.

In Part Two, we jump into the future to 1599 and see things through another set of eyes at court, those of young Mary Rogers, whose family had cared for Lady Katherine when she had been released from the Tower. Like Katherine before her, she is now one of the Queen’s ladies, a dream come true for her, and it’s as if history is repeating itself when Mary falls in love with the charismatic ladies’ man, Sir John Harrington.

In this second part of the novel, we enjoy Mary’s love story and see how the Queen is coping after the death of her childhood sweetheart Dudley. Elizabeth I is now an old woman and Dudley’s place as favourite has been taken by his own step-son, the Earl of Essex, a man who also seems very interested in Mary. Can an innocent girl like Mary survive life at court? Can she protect herself from the advances of Essex and find happiness with Harington, or will she be forced into a loveless arranged marriage with a far older man? Will Katherine’s tragic story play out in Mary’s life? I won’t spoil the story for you but these are the things you will be wondering as you read this part of the novel.

The Test

So, does this novel pass my all important historical fiction test:-

1. Is it “unputdownable”? - Well, seeing as I read it in one day, I have to answer yes! I forgot my chores and ignored my family when I was reading this book.
2. Does it make you want to research the characters more? - Yes! I am obviously already researching Elizabeth I but I have just bought “The Sisters Who Would Be Queen” by Leanda de Lisle to find out more about Katherine Grey.
3. Is it believable? - Yes. We will never know the ins and outs of Elizabeth and Dudley’s relationship but this novel portrayed it as I had imagined it. Court life was also brought to life beautifully and all of the characters behaved in a believable way for that period of history. Westin has obviously put an immense amount of time into researching both the era and characters, and not just the main characters either.

The Perfect Combination of Love Story, Intrigue and History

I wouldn’t quite say that this story was a love story because that makes it sound like a Mills and Boon book, but if you enjoy novels like those of Jean Plaidy, Robin Maxwell and Philippa Gregory, then you will love this book - love, intrigue and history, a perfect combination.

Further Details

“The Virgin’s Daughter: In the Court of Elizabeth I” is available to buy now in paperback from Amazon US or Amazon UK - just click on those links. You should also be able to get it at your favourite bookshop. It was published in paperback in August 2009.

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Category: Elizabeth I, Fiction, Jeane Westin, Tudor Life
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Posted By Claire on October 26, 2009

This new book on Henry VIII and his six wives was published by Amberley Publishing to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s accesion to the throne and tells the story of Henry VIII from 1504, when he was a Renaissance Prince and second in line to the throne, right through to his death on 28th January 1547.

It is incredible how much Henry VIII packed into his 55 and a half years - 6 wives, numerous mistresses, 3 surviving legitimate children, at least one illegitimate child and many babies who were miscarried, stillborn or who died in infancy, not to mention all of his achievements as King! He had quite a life and David Loades’ book examines the very different relationships Henry had with his six wives and what these women were really like.

I was really looking forward to reading this book because I had enjoyed reading Loades’ book “King Henry VIII: King and Court” and Loades is known as a respected authority on Tudor history. Simon Heffer of “Literary Review” said of this book: “Neither Starkey nor Weir has the assurance and command of Loades” and I think he might just be right! “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” was a joy to read because it was high on content and detail and low on supposition, sweeping statements and judgements. David Loades knowledge of the subject shone through and I would happily recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the King’s marital relationships and the six women who each made an impact on the King and the country.

So, what does the book cover? Here are the chapter headings with a brief synopsis to give you an idea of what this book covers:-

• Introduction: Dynastic Politics During the Renaissance - A discussion on how royal marriages were political and diplomatic, and how a country’s fortune depended on the fertility of the monarch. This gives you an understanding of why Henry was so obsessed with producing a male heir and how he was so different to other monarch by marrying for love.
• The Renaissance Prince: Henry and Catherine 1504-25 - This chapter follows Henry from second son, through Prince Arthur’s death, his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Arthur’s widow, his accession to the throne, his relationship with Catherine, the couple’s struggles to have children and the birth of Princess Mary, to Henry’s realisation that Catherine could no longer provide him with his longed-for son.
• The King’s “Great Matter”: Catherine and Anne, 1525-33 - An excellent chapter on Henry’s deteriorating relationship with Catherine, his growing love for Anne, his struggles for an annulment from Catherine and his final marriage to Anne Boleyn. I was sceptical that Loades could fit this into one chapter but amazingly he did, and without missing out any key points.
• The Brief Reign of Queen Anne, 1533-6 - This was the chapter that I was really interested in reading because I was desperate to know Loades’ interpretation of Anne Boleyn’s fall. Loades makes the great point that Anne knew how to be a mistress, but not a wife:
  “she had won the King by her charm and sexual panache…she only knew one way to hold the King’s attention. It had worked through five hard and frustrating years of courtship, but it was the way of a mistress rather than a wife…Henry was in many respects a very conventional man, and in making his own transition from lover to husband he had failed to appreciate her difficulty.”
  This is a great point and explains how things could have soured in Anne and Henry’s relationship. In explaining Anne’s fall, Loades writes: “It was because of the delicacy of the diplomatic situation, and the volatile nature of Henry’s relationship with Anne, that her enemies struck in the way that they did. The King had to be temporarily convinced that she had been guilty of a monstrous and unforgivable betrayal. The very passion which had made their union so politically potent could then be used to destroy it.” This is a great point because in just one sentence it describes how and why Anne’s fall happened. This chapter is fantastic and I have marked passages all over the place and written notes in the margin - always a good sign!
• The Heir provided: Jane Seymour, 1536-7 - Loades examines Henry’s relationship with Jane, the woman herself and why Henry called her his “true wife and chose to be buried alongside her. How could such a “plain and dumpy” woman replace the feisty and sexy Anne? Loades wonders if Jane was “the balm” Henry needed after Anne and whether Henry was attracted to her because she was the opposite of Anne. This chapter also looks at events during the marriage and Jane’s pregnancy, the birth of Edward and Jane’s death.
• Trial and Error: Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard, 1540-1 - 1540, what a year! In this same year, Henry married Anne of Cleves, annulled his marriage to her and then went on to marry the teenage Catherine Howard. Both of these marriages were doomed from the start and Loades manages to explain the significance of these marriages, the events surrounding them, why and how they failed and the impact on the King in just one chapter.
• The Final Haven: Catherine Parr, 1543-7 - I’m so glad that historians are moving away from the old nurse-maid image of Catherine Parr, she was so much more than that and had a major impact on the King and his three children. I loved this chapter because Catherine Parr is often glossed over and it was wonderful to have so much information on her, her background, her relationships with Mary, Elizabeth and Edward and her amazing escape from arrest and probable execution as a heretic. The only issue I had with this chapter was that Loades said “Catherine was not a great scholar”, yet wasn’t Catherine a published author and lover of learning?
  This chapter does not end with Henry’s death, it goes on to describe Catherine’s life after Henry up until her own death just a year later.
• Epilogue: The Much-Married King - A great chapter giving Loades concluding thoughts on this “larger than life” King and his six wives. Each marriage had its significance and impact, and Loades gives his theories here. A wonderful conclusion to a great book.
• Notes - A detailed bibliography of sources used by Loades.
• Illustrations - 60 illustrations including portraits, places, letters and stained glass windows.

The Publisher’s Blurb

“The story of Henry VIII and his six wives has passed from history into legend - taught in the cradle as a cautionary tale and remembered in adulthood as an object lesson in the dangers of marrying into royalty. The true story behind the legend, howeverm remains obscure to most people, whose knowledge of the affair begins and ends with the aide memoire “Divorced, executed, died, divorced, executed, survived”.

David Loades’ masterly book recounts the whole sorry tale in detail from Henry’s first marriage to his brother’s widow, to more or less contented old age in the care of the motherly Catherine Parr.”

Availability

“The Six Wives of Henry VIII” was published in paperback by Amberley Publishing in August 2009 and is available to buy now at Amazon UK - click here, Amazon US - click here, and other bookshops or online book retailers.

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Category: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, David Loades, Henry VIII, Non-fiction, Six Wives, Uncategorized
Tags: Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, Catherine of Aragon, Catherine Parr, David Loades, Henry VIII, Jane Seymour, Six Wives

Posted By Claire on October 12, 2009

Isn’t it a wonderful thing when a novel actually transports you to another place and time? Well, this historical novel does just that and is just the thing to read this autumn (fall) with a mug of hot chocolate or a nice glass of wine.

“Virgin and the Crab: Sketches, Fables and Mysteries from the Early Life of John Dee and Elizabeth Tudor” tells the story of John Dee, a real man not a fictional character, and a man who was both a friend and adviser to Queen Elizabeth I. He was seen as one of the most learned men of his age, being accomplished in mathematics, astronomy, navigation and astrology, but what was interesting about Dee was that he straddled the worlds of academia and magic. He was both a scientist and a magician. A renowned mathematician and astrologer. A philosopher and an alchemist. A most interesting character to base a novel around!

The author, Robert Parry, does a wonderful job at bringing his central character to life. I was left imagining John Dee as a mixture of Derren Brown, Patrick Jane/Simon Baker from The Mentalist, Paul McKenna, Einstein, Galileo and James Bond. He is a master of disguise, the perfect spy, a teacher, philosopher, free thinker, hypnotist, magician and most importantly a fiercely loyal friend. In short, he is someone you want and need on your side!

The novel takes the reader from the death of Henry VIII all the way to the accession of his daughter Elizabeth I. It is amazing that the novel can catalogue such a huge chunk of history, with the reigns of Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey and Mary I, without seeming rushed or lacking in detail. As Anne Boleyn Files visitor, Rochie, says in her Squidoo lens on the novel (see http://www.squidoo.com/virginandthecrab, “its cast of characters reads like a Who’s Who of Tudor England” and includes characters like Roger Ascham, William Cecil, Robert Dudley, John Dudley, Blanche Parry, Thomas Parry, the Seymour brothers, Philip of Spain and four Tudor monarchs. What is brilliant for Tudor “novices” is the “list of players” at the beginning so that the reader knows who everyone is and I love the way that the novel is split into acts, like you are part of a magical play.

But why the title “Virgin and the Crab”?

The title refers to the astrology signs of the Virgin (Virgo) and teh Crab (Cancer). The Virgin is of course the Virgin Queen Elizabeth I and the Crab is her trusted friend and confidante John Dee who first meets Elizabeth in the Prologue as a child crying over the death of Katherine Howard. A deep friendship is forged between the two of them which endures through much suffering and turmoil, including imprisonment in the Tower of London. What I love about the two of them is the way they communicate: their secret messages sent through bunches of wild flowers - brilliant!

I won’t spoil this magical novel by telling you any more about it but let’s see if it passes my historical fiction test:-

1. Is it “unputdownable”? - A resounding “yes”! It grips you and pulls you into the story completely.
2. Does it make you want to research the characters more? - Another deafening “yes”! John Dee will now be researched in detail for the Elizabeth Files.
3. Is it believable? - Yes, yes, yes! Robert Parry has blended historical facts with fiction to produce an incredibly believable story. All of the characters could walk straight out of the book and he has obviously meticulously researched events, people and places.

All in all, I would highly recommend this novel for people who love a story based on real events and people but who find that some historical fiction takes too many liberties. With its 480+ pages, this book will keep you busy and entertained many an autum or winter night!

Further Details

Title: Virgin and the Crab
Author: Robert Parry
Genre: Historical fiction
ISBN: 1449515711
Publication date: April 2009
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 490
Price: $14.73

It is available from Amazon US (click on book cover above to buy now) or from various sellers on Amazon UK.

The blurb on Amazon says:

“The brilliant young mathematician and astronomer John Dee has one overwhelming obsession: liberty. Abandoned and humiliated, Elizabeth Tudor has one simple aim: survival. What will happen when these two are thrown together by circumstances neither can anticipate or control?

This is their story as Dee and the mysterious brotherhood of the Rose Lodge - working against almost insurmountable odds and threatened by a vengeful and unforgiving Queen - attempt to guide the nation towards enlightenment and stability. Here, a parallel universe of secrecy and faith is revealed in which the unseen forces of nature support all that is visible and real - a place, too, where the special alchemy of the Virgin and the Crab works its magic, growing from childhood friendship, through adolescent flirtation to mutual respect and admiration as together they prepare to sacrifice everything for the world they wish to inherit. “One of the most extraordinary and yet untold relationships of the Tudor age.”"

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Category: Elizabeth I, Fiction
Tags: Elizabeth I, Fiction, John Dee, Robert Parry