Sophia C. reviewed on 3/20/2012 + 289 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

Portrait of an Unknown Woman is actually centered around a known historical figure, Meg Giggs, who was the adopted daughter of a more famous historical figure, Sir Thomas More. Vanora Bennett has built an intricate storyline around a theory inspired by a painting. As this story starts, Hans Holbein has come to the home of Sir Thomas More near the height of his power in Henry VIII's court to paint a family portrait. Through mostly a first-person narration by Meg, an intelligent, educated, and headstrong girl, the reader is on the sidelines of England's historical break from the Catholic Church as Henry divorces Katherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn. Several years later, Holbein paints the family again, when More has fallen into royal disfavor.The story gives a vivid sense of the religious upheaval of the period. However, I found the pacing uneven. Many pages are devoted to a short period of time at the beginning and the end, but years goes by relatively unnoticed in the middle. It's unclear why Meg speaks in the first person, while third-person narration is used to focus on other characters, especially Holbein. I wasn't totally engaged with Meg and the romantic story lines, but enjoyed how many strands of Tudor and Plantagenet history and historical speculation were neatly tied together.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details