Description

This captivating novel evolves like a detective story, as a family member airbrushed out of history sets out to uncover the well-kept secrets of the three Boleyn women: Why was Mary, King Henry VIII’s sweetheart, unaccountably disgraced and banished from court? How did Anne come to be executed, along with her brother and four others, on false, trumped-up charges? And what drove Jane, first to give false fatal evidence against her own kin, and then risk – and lose – her head for the part she played in Queen Katherine Howard’s adultery? The startling conclusion of this book, endorsed by eminent Tudor historians, settles these age-old mysteries.

Publisher Review

"Captivating, sumptuous in detail and thrillingly plotted - a triumph!" Dr Owen Emmerson." "After Hilary Mantel and Alison Weir, is there room for more on the Boleyn story? Actually, there is. It is an engrossing story, and Jocelyn deserves credit for finding a lucid structure in which to unravel it once more, getting the balance right between the complexities of family and court politics under Henry VIII." Professor Tim Hochstrasser. "Engaging and deeply moving, bringing convincing new insights into the Boleyn story." Dr Damien Duffy. "Ann Henning Jocelyn's brilliant book has rewritten English history. I recommend in particular her clear and concise Author's Notes. They transform our understanding of the English Reformation and are essential reading for anyone interested in the Tudor period." Dr Gerald Morgan FTCD.