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Book Review of The Other Boleyn Girl

The Other Boleyn Girl
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Helpful Score: 1


The other Boleyn girl is Mary Boleyn, whom little if anything has been recorded about in history books. But Philippa Gregory has taken this woman and drawn a vivid picture of her, first as a young woman and then a mature woman who not only suffers at the hands of Henry VIII but also at the hands of her sister, Anne.

It's hard to understand why Mary Boleyn was relegated to the sidelines of History. The sister of the beheaded Ann Boleyn, the aunt of Queen Elizabeth, and the mother of two of Henry VIII's illegitimate children, including a much coveted son, should rate more interest. But such was the strict legitimacy laws at the time, that an illegitimate child could not inherit the throne.

"The Other Boleyn Girl" is well written and an enjoyable reading experience; highly recommended for those who enjoy dabbling in Tudor England