“They’re
all dead or dead to me now. My husband, Thomas, and Mary, my sole surviving
daughter, are as strangers to me—the first by choice, the second by my grievous
fault, my unforgivable failings as a mother…Welcome to my private Hell.” This
is how the story begins. It is Elizabeth beginning the tale of her family and
their fateful plight’.
“I was
Thomas Bullen’s wife…nothing but death could set me free.” Elizabeth is married
to a man who wants nothing more than to please their Majesty, King Henry. If
all goes well, Thomas can have great standing with the king.
At one
time, Elizabeth was taken by King Henry when she was in the Queen’s court. She
regretted it ever since then. “All it took, they said, was a pretty compliment
to get Mary Boleyn into bed…Like mother, like daughter, I sighed…I hadn’t it in
my heart to play the hypocrite and scold her for sins I had committed
myself…When she became pregnant, King Henry lost all interest.”
Elizabeth
speaks of her other child George, after he is married off to a woman he does
not love. His father wanted to make sure that he pleased the King in every way.
“George was also married…Despite her rich dowry, Jane would bring nothing but
pain, sorrow, and suffering to all of us…she was such a spiteful, jealous
creature…Once again, I had failed and disappointed a child I had brought into
this world.”
“But it
was Anne who presented the greatest surprise….of all our children remained
unwed…Soon King Henry’s ardent eye would light upon her too.” Elizabeth knew
that Anne was different from the rest. Anne was considered beguiling and
self-centered. She would not give in to King Henry unless he married her. She
devised a plan to do just that and it worked, only to seal her dreadful
downfall in the end.
Ms. Purdy
has written this novel with such poise that you have no choice but to feel
compassion for the mother. She could voice her disapproval, but her husband’s
decision was the final word. I recommend this book for all lovers of fictional historical
romance novels.
(I received this book for free from Kensington Publishing
for review purposes)
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