How does Anne initially view Henry, and what are her feelings toward him both as a man and as the King? In what ways does she change throughout their courtship and marriage?ģ. It was a mystery." Why are there such confl icting opinions about Anne Boleyn's beauty and charm? What is it that fi rst attracts King Henry VIII to Anne? And what subsequently keeps his infatuation going strong for so many years?Ģ.
"People began to say that there must be more in the thin, sallow, sloe-eyed little girl than appeared on the surface. Set amid the splendor and intrigue of the sixteenth-century English court, The Concubine is a fascinating portrayal of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn - and the personal, political, and religious forces of the time that helped shape her tragic destiny.ġ. And when the already-wed King promises Anne the ultimate reward - the Queen's crown - it shakes the very foundation of the country and seals her fate. She leads the King on a merry chase for more than a decade, holding on to her chastity and keeping his attention fixed.
The lady-in-waiting has caught the monarch's eye, and when Anne realizes his intent, her entire world shifts. In Tudor England, advisers to Henry VIII put a stop to the youthful love affair of Anne Boleyn and nobleman Harry Percy at the King's request. There she was sixteen years old, with no advantages whatsoever the Cinderella of the Queen's ladies, and, it seemed, about to turn the fairytale into real life." Loyalties, to church, to queen, to country, are tested, and - in the wake of the king's volatile passions - can be an unpredictable matter of life and death.įirst published in 1963 and adored by readers for generations, Lofts' lush and moving portrayal of the ambitious and doomed Anne Boleyn will continue to reign as a classic retelling of this epic chapter of history vividly brought to life. The consequences of Anne's rise to power and eventual demise are felt well beyond the inner circle of the court. Anne's ascent to the throne elevates her from lady-in-waiting to the highest position a woman could attain, but her life spirals out of control when Henry is driven to desperate acts of betrayal and violence. Against common sense and the urgings of his most trusted advisors, Henry defied all, blindly following his passion for Anne, using the power he held over the bodies and souls of all who reside in his realm and beyond. "All eyes and hair," a courtier had said disparagingly of her, but when King Henry VIII fell for young Anne, nothing could keep him from what he desired. The king first noticed Anne Boleyn as a heartbroken sixteen-year-old, sullen and beautiful after a thwarted romance with the son of the Earl of Northumberland. Acclaimed and beloved historical novelist Norah Lofts brings to life the danger, romance, and intrigue of the Tudor court that forever altered the course of English history.
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