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Reviewed by Cheryl Schopen for Readers' Favorite
Brandy Purdy writes from the perspective of Elizabeth Boleyn, the mother of the infamous Anne Boleyn, who was Henry VIII’s second wife, in her latest book, The Boleyn Bride. As we learn more and more about Elizabeth, Anne’s attitude, behavior, and ultimate fate become a little clearer. Elizabeth, by her own words, was not a very good mother, especially to Anne. The most important thing to her is appearance and beauty; always treating Anne like the ugly duckling of the family, she had no hope in Anne and assumed she would end up a nun. In addition to her lack of maternal skills, spoiled Elizabeth ends up in a loveless marriage with many lovers on the side, one in particular who she seemed to care deeply for. She tells the story as she is reminiscing and grieving for the children she has lost. We all know the sordid details of Henry VIII and Anne’s relationship, but Anne’s mother, Elizabeth, has a story of her own, which is equally interesting and enthralling.
As someone who is absolutely fascinated with anything Tudor-related, I knew I had to read this book as soon as I saw the name Boleyn. I am a huge fan of the television series The Tudors and of the author Philippa Gregory, and I can honestly say that Brandy Purdy does not disappoint. Even from the point of view of an unlikable character, I surprisingly enjoyed this perspective that isn’t commonly written about. Though Elizabeth has many flaws and has made mistakes, she is looking back on her life and realizes that she should have done things a lot differently. If she had been more loving and nurturing to all of her children, perhaps their lives would have gone down different routes. I disliked Elizabeth throughout much of this story, but I also both pitied her and respected her. However, I did not have mixed feelings about the book itself. It was brilliantly written and had an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at the notorious Boleyn family. The Boleyn Bride is filled with suspense, sorrow, ambition, love, and betrayal. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves the history of this time period as much as I do. I cannot wait to read Purdy’s other books.
