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Everyone knows Anne Boleyn’s tragic ending, but what of her youthful years? Robin Maxwell ties together historical facts with a bit of fiction to present Anne’s blossoming from a child to a woman in MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN. At the young age of nine, Anne and her older sister, Mary, are sent to the French court. Court life is filled with various intrigues and Anne quickly learns to maneuver her way around. The sexually promiscuous atmosphere of the French court soon overtakes Mary, but Anne is determined not to have the same fate. Torn between her friendships in the French court of Francois I and her father’s insistence that she spy on the French, Anne must learn to walk a careful path or all will be lost. How will she avoid her sister’s fate as Anne is starting to mature? Step inside the pages and watch as her formative years are revealed…. Before reading MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN, all I really knew about Anne Boleyn was her death by beheading. Robin Maxwell has opened my eyes to a period of history I had never really thought about. Her fascinating prose kept me riveted to the pages of this book long past my bedtime. The descriptive imagery draws the reader into the heart of this tale, but it is Anne herself who makes it so powerful. Told through the eyes of a child, the debauchery of the French court is almost obscene. And yet, Anne continually sees the good in others despite their excesses. She is not naïve, however. Rather, Anne is a strong female and her ever growing confidence in herself is empowering and poignant, particularly against a backdrop in which women are so powerless. The comparisons between her fate and Mary’s is startling poignant. Anne is not the only strong female, however, as Marguerite is herself a powerful woman. Even Claude shows great strength of character as she makes the most of a role she has been forced to take by the strictures of the time in which she lives. Robin Maxwell infuses a passion and beauty into MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN that makes this an unforgettable tale of both heroism and the corruption of power. The note from the author at the end clarifies some of the history of the tale. The last two paragraphs left me in tears, as Anne’s tale is all the more heart breaking. Kudos to Robin Maxwell for making a time period come so vividly alive. Reviewed by Debbie |
mademoiselle Boleyn
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