Recent Reads {The Other Boleyn Girl}

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory - Anne Boleyn is the best-known of the wives of Henry VIII of England, and most of us know at least a little of her story and that Henry VIII was notorious for his many wives and mistresses, and that being out of his favour was a very dangerous thing.  However, few people know that Anne Boleyn's younger sister Mary was his mistress first, or anything about her.  In this novel, Philippa Gergory tells Mary Boleyn's story.  The story, while fictional, is based on extensive research into what is known about Mary, but Gregory gives these historical characters believable personalities and motives, so that I sometimes needed to remind myself that I wasn't reading a history, but a novel based on historical events.  I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the other Gregory novels I've read so far, but it was still quite good.

By the same author:  The Constant Princess,  The White Queen, The Red Queen