Author Janet Wertman gives readers an
inside look at Henry VIII's court from the perspective of young and
innocent Jane Seymour as she falls in love with the handsome and
flirtatious King Henry while he is still married to the queen who
will soon be dubbed a witch, Anne Boleyn. Wertman brings what I have
always thought of as the 'dull and simple' queen to beautiful light,
breathing personality, honour and duty to Jane's background and time
in court.
Wertman is an ace with her descriptions
of the deceit and court politics, taking us away from Jane's point of
view when necessary, into Cromwell's where we get a firm grasp of
behind-the-scenes plotting. I much preferred Jane's point of view
where there are scenes where I had actual gooseflesh when reading,
especially during the downfall of Boleyn and near Jane's own end.
Jane's courtship with Henry was highly engaging and brought forth a
gentler Henry without disregarding his dangerous side and Jane sees
it all but humbly accepts what she is duty bound to be: the bearer of
Henry's only legitimate male heir. I was kept intrigued, despite
being already very familiar with the events, and found the narrative
difficult to fault. There are a few modern phrases that make an
appearance, but Wertman blended them into the text in such a way that
they are not only forgiveable, but help the modern reader grasp the
era feel without being limited to the archaic (but beautiful) and
difficult language of the Tudor court (for anyone wanting to grasp a
sample, please look up some of Anne Boleyn's letters to Henry, both
during her courtship and her 'supposed' last letter to Henry during
her time in the Tower).
This book is ideal for newcomers to the
subject as Wertman takes the reader gently by the hand and helps them
navigate through the intrigue, court politics, and Tudor mindset with
ease, but as a lover of all things Tudor, I found myself still
intrigued with this new Jane, who I feel Wertman brought to life in a
way that makes me understand her as a woman and a queen of the era. A
well researched and well presented read. If you have a love of
history, read this book. If you enjoy the Tudor era, read this book.
If you thought only Anne Boleyn was worth reading about, you'll know
better after... well, you know. Just be warned – there are more
books to follow, this is only the first of Wertman's literary gems.
