Ratings127
Average rating3.8
TL;DR- Read but make sure to treat as fiction and probably educate yourself on Anne Boleyn Files youtube videos afterwards. Horribly inaccurate but very engaging- only more than decent novel of PG's.
I am a history lover and I have always been aware that to deem this novel as far from historically accurate is too lenient. After reading several other Philippa Gregory novels including The White Queen, The White Princess, The Red Queen, etc., I was hesitant to pick up another book. Her writing has never been my cup of tea, it is far too drawn out and in some areas, suspense is horribly set up and in others the moments that could make a book strong and engaging are cut out. Suffice to say, I was rather unwilling to read this but on the advice of my mother who states it is the best novel PG has written, I did. And it was great in terms of fiction but not in any semblance of fact.
You MUST treat this book simply as FICTION. The glaring inaccuracies started popping up on the first page and continued almost constantly throughout the novel. But I was engaged in the book, in a way that none of PG's other novels had made me, and I remained engaged finishing the book in eight days. Of course, I constantly noted things that seemed wrong or misleading and then I watched a whole ton of Claire Ridgeway's (Anne Boleyn Files) Youtube videos to make sure my brain hadn't absorbed the inaccuracy.