About the book
The year is 1539 and the court of Henry VIII is increasingly fearful at the moods of the ageing sick king. With only a baby in the cradle for an heir, Henry has to take another wife and the dangerous prize of the crown of England is won by Anne of Cleves. She has her own good reasons for agreeing to marry a man old enough to be her father, in a country where to her both language and habits are foreign. Although fascinated by the glamour of her new surroundings, she senses a trap closing around her. Katherine is confident that she can follow in the steps of her cousin Anne Boleyn to dazzle her way to the throne but her kinswoman Jane Boleyn, haunted by the past, knows that Anne’s path led to Tower Green and to an adulterer’s death. The story of these three young women, trying to make their own way through the most volatile court in Europe at a time of religious upheaval and political uncertainty, is Philippa Gregory’s most compelling novel yet.
Reviewed by Brats et al Reading Group:
Although many of us did not profess to be fans of historic fiction, we all enjoyed this book. It is not a classic piece of literature, but it is a romp which keeps you enthralled to the end. We liked the way the author had taken a small number of facts related to the Queens of Henry VIII, added to them the essence of the Tudor age and produced an enjoyable story. For those who read ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’, it was interesting to see how the characters from that novel evolved in this one, particularly by the use of three narrators. This would be a good holiday read.
Star rating: ***
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