Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History, by Tracy Borman

 

Publication June 20, 2023

To be honest, I picked this book to review mostly because of Mary Boleyn, who showed up in my family tree. I thought I pretty well knew the story of Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth I. Boy, was I wrong. The author obviously did painstaking research and it shows. Just the emotional and psychological impact of their times and all the political and religious fervor that surrounded them is thought provoking. 

Anne Boleyn was more than a pretty face who caught Henry VIII's eye. Who knew Anne was such a strong proponent of reform that it shook the British Empire to its roots by the time the full story had played out.  It's hard to imagine a time when translating the Bible/scriptures into English was a crime, potentially punishable by death. Anne, who was largely educated and grew up in the French court, flew in the face of that. Her daughter, not even three years old when Anne was tried and beheaded, would bear the imprint of both her mother's love and reformist beliefs all her life. That and the horror of her mother's death and the reasons behind it shaped Elizabeth's actions, including her determination never to marry. 

I won't even attempt to summarize further, the details just kept coming, and I couldn't even come close to encapsulating it in a mere review. The background info provided tells why events may have unfolded as they did, changing history forever. If you're a history buff, particularly a fan of Tudor history, this one is a must. While heavy on the names, it's a relatively fascinating read that  goes a long way toward giving you a better understanding of the humans behind the often frightening, tragic events that surrounded both Anne and Elizabeth, not to mention Elizabeth's step-sister, Mary. Reading about Elizabeth's enforced stay in the very place her mother spent her last days, ordered by then Queen Mary, and Elizabeth's physical and emotional turmoil fearing every day would be her last was heartbreaking.

Thanks #NetGalley and #GroveAtlantic- #AtlanticMonthlyPress for this enlightening read. I even added some lore to my own family tree, obviously, and was delighted to see the name Knollys pop-up, too, another connection I'd forgotten about.