A tremendously vivid, page-turning and plausible
novel that depicts the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the
most spirited, independent and courageous of Henry's
queens, as viewed from both the bedrooms and the
kitchens of the Tudor court. Everyone knows the story of
Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII divorced his longstanding,
long-suffering, older, Spanish wife for a young,
black-eyed English beauty, and, in doing so, severed
England from Rome and indeed from the rest of the
western world. Then, when Henry had what he wanted, he
managed a mere three years of marriage before beheading
his wife for alleged adultery with several men, among
them his own best friend and her own brother. This is
the context for Suzannah Dunn's wonderful new novel,
which is about -- and told by -- two women: Anne Boleyn,
king's mistress and fated queen; and Lucy Cornwallis,
the king's confectioner, an employee of the very highest
status, who made the centrepiece of each of the feasts
to mark the important occasions in Anne's ascent.
There's another link between them, though: the lovely
Mark Smeaton, wunderkind musician, the innocent on whom,
ultimately, Anne's downfall hinged!Suzannah Dunn has
wit, a mastery of dialogue, brilliant characterization,
lack of pretence, and good humour. The Queen of
Subtleties adds to that mix a wonderfully balanced,
strong story and the result is sensational. |
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