My Pick of the Week!

Mademoiselle Boleyn by Robin Maxwell 2007


In this prequel to "The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn", we meet Anne as the scrawny, younger sister of the beautiful Mary Boleyn. She and her sister have been sent to the French court of Francis I by their ambitious father Thomas Boleyn. It is obvious the girls are mere pawns and are to do their father's bidding. Mary becomes mistress to the King of France and is seduced into his dangerous world by the luxuries of court. But Anne has a different fate in mind. Anne is younger, cleverer and stronger. Readers will enjoy meeting the young Anne before she was vilified by her enemies. We are offered a fascinating glimpse at the ambitious girl who will grow into the famous queen. Readers who enjoy historical novels will delight in both the descriptions of the French court and of lesser historical characters such as Leonardo da Vinci.