A powerful retelling of the sad story of Anne Boleyn

A sadder tale you never could find… the fact that it’s true makes it all the more sobering.

Most would have heard of Anne Boleyn, the young English commoner who became King Henry VIII’s second wife and, only a mere three years later, learned her head was to be severed from her body with the unmerciful blade of an executioner’s sharp sword.

This thick tome opens in the year 1512 when the future Queen of England is just 11 years old playing in the grounds of her family’s Kent home and wishing she was pretty like Mary, her older sister. She does, however, feel her mouth is shapely and a pair of dark eyes her best feature, especially when even at this tender age her grandmother declares, “And you already know how to use them for effect, child,” – a trait that sets her on course for an ultimately tragic future.

Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession by Alison Weir goes into the intimate and intricate details of Anne’s life, from a young child through to those final few moments standing before her subjects on an executioner’s block. The family groomed their youngest daughter for royal servanthood from when she was 12 by sending her across the English Channel to the Netherlands as maid-of-honour in the Court of The Regent Margaret of Austria. She is fascinated by this brand-new world, although the goings on in the Royal Court aren’t what hold her interest. A chance to learn and make a difference is what draws her and she eagerly devours the writings of religious scholars and anything highlighting the plight of women in her era. She is a reformist at heart and this stays with Anne for the rest of her life. 

Over the next few years, she is sent to three other Royal European Houses but with England and France on the brink of war, Anne’s father secures her a position as Katherine of Aragon’s maid-of-honour in London’s Royal Palace of King Henry VIII.

She is from a proud matriarchal line. Her mother, Elizabeth Howard, was forced to marry beneath her station when her family was out of favour with the previous king and will do everything possible to push this youngest daughter to greatness. Anne’s father is just as determined to ensure a good marriage for both daughters in order to bring honour and fortune to the family. With Anne back in England under the roof of the English monarch, any prospects of being wed to a nobleman look promising. 

Queen Katherine is kind to her newest attendant and she and Anne share an easy camaraderie, often playing cards together. Katherine always has a kind word of thanks to offer whenever Anne goes about her duties. When Henry’s obsession to marry the young woman first comes to the fore, it is not surprising she feels guilty having him pursue her so relentlessly in full view of his wife.

The history lesson unfolding throughout its pages reveals what life was really like in the sanctity of Royal Households. It is a fascinating insight into the pomp and splendour, as well as the treachery abounding, during this medieval era. The writing is fluent and beautifully executed, while the changing periods of time and place are very well described, so much so I longed to be a time-traveller, able to go for my own look-see and meet some of the fascinating real-life characters abounding on its pages.

This is a fascinating insight into this poor young woman’s life and the pictures painted of her being taken to the Tower of London without being given a chance to defend herself against a wealth of lies, and then her subsequent gruesome execution, was a terribly sobering reminder of how cruel living in those times could be. One can only suppose what would have been her fate had she gone with those initial instincts to deter the king’s ardour more fully and listened to her heart rather than heeding both hers and the family’s lust for fame and fortune. 

History has provided the facts as to why she died. This magnificent descriptive novel portrays her intimate life and the passions and wilfulness that brought about her ultimate tragic fate.

If you enjoy historical novels written with fascinating depth and descriptive prose, you are sure to love this one. I give Anne Boleyn:  A King’s Obsession a thoroughly deserved ten out of ten.

Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession by Alison Weir is the second volume in the series published by Hachette Australia. The first volume, Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen, was previously reviewed by Starts at 60 here. Both books are now available from Dymocks.

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