Three young women enter the world of King Henry VIII, playing a game in a court that can turn deadly. They are Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane Rochford. Each brings her past wrapped around her, each draws the attention of a king who can be devastatingly cruel, and each draws on her inner strength and inner demons to survive.
Anne of Cleves is the newest queen, taking a throne that left the last three queens dead. She is enthralled with her new position, wielding the power of being queen, not realizing the potential danger she faces as King Henry's bride. And he is a king who does not like her, who has seen the beautiful Katherine who has enchanted him.
Katherine Howard is used to men falling at her feet and she is thrilled to be at court where she garners the attention she deserves. She's in love, love, love -- but doesn't realize that the king has noticed her. When he first approaches her, she pretends he is Thomas and flirts with him, not knowing the life she is setting in motion for herself.
Jane Rochford testified against her husband and sister-in- law and they died as a result. Rich now, and back at court, she cannot be trusted, reporting the queen's moves to her uncle, who passes them along to the king. But she has been banished with the new queen, who's in danger because of the king's love of Katherine. Does that mean she will die, too?
I first read Ms. Gregory's THE CONSTANT PRINCESS and fell in love with her writing style and fabulous sense of history and character. THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE pulled me in from the first chapter, drawing me into the first-person stories of each of the three women. Intriguing, chilling and very sad -- you'll get a glimpse into not only life at court, but the hearts of women who played political games. You'll have a difficult time putting this one down. I highly recommend this book.
Three Women Who Share One Fate
Anne of Cleves
She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her
abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are
dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes
her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of
the language being spoken around her, she must literally
save her neck in a court ruled by a deadly game of politics
and the terror of an unpredictable and vengeful king. Her
Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.
Katherine Howard
She catches the king's eye within moments of arriving at
court, setting in motion the dreadful machine of politics,
intrigue, and treason that she does not understand. She
only knows that she is beautiful, that men desire her, that
she is young and in love -- but not with the diseased old
man who made her queen, beds her night after night, and
killed her cousin Anne. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat
of the axe.
Jane Rochford
She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and
sister-in-law to their deaths. She is the trusted friend of
two threatened queens, the perfectly loyal spy for her
uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and a canny survivor in the
murderous court of a most dangerous king. Throughout
Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and
twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a
title, in exchange for her soul.
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