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The Other Boleyn Girl
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cover of The er Boleyn Girl
Another addition to my best books of the year is a sultry, sensuous tale of deception and manipulation. Philippa Gregory's "The Other Boleyn Girl" tells the tale of Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn. Now if you don't know the story of Anne Boleyn then you must have slept through history class that day, so I won't ruin it for you. To learn about her just read this book.
1522 in Europe was an interesting time to be alive, especially if you were a part of the Boleyn family. The ultimate goal was to further their family in society and somehow tie themselves to the King and produce and heir to the throne. King Henry was already married but his wife, Queen Katherine, was getting on in years and had failed to produce a son. All eyes were on the royal couple to see when he would toss her aside for a younger woman who could excite him and give him what he so desperately wanted, an heir. Now enters the Boleyn breed. Selfish, greedy, conniving people who use their daughters as bait to peak the King's interest. When they notice Mary catching his eye, they have a family meeting and decide to set her marriage to William Carey aside and move her out into a room with her sister Anne. They don't want Mary to conceive a child by the King and he have any doubt that it's his child. Mary is a girl of just fourteen at the time and is ruled by her family, used like a pawn on a chessboard to conquer the social ranks. To make things even more complicated she is the Queen's favorite lady in waiting.
The story then takes you to the courts of England. Mary and King Henry begin a romance, and all seems well until she feels he is losing interest. So here comes her sister Anne swooping in to save the family and take Mary's place. A fierce competition breaks out and Mary is forced to step down and actually help her sister in this endeavor. Through all of this heartache an unlikely romance finds it's way to her and she is forced to make a dangerous choice to follow her heart and leave the family. So Anne is left to do the dirty work without much help. The course of events that follows is a perverted, winding road that will shock and scandalize the reader. The best kind of drama.
"The Other Boleyn Girl" is a fast read that will keep you riveted from beginning to end. Writing this review has made me want to go back and read it again. This book is a welcome addition to your bookshelf and my best books 2009 list.
To see the rest of my picks for best books 2009 click here.
Happy Reading
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