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Liked It “A moving, inspiring story.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “this book was a little mature. i felt wierd reading it. but other than that it was great!” see full review » see other reviews » |
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Lisa A wrote this review Friday, September 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“A moving, inspiring story.”
Smaragdi M wrote this review Monday, August 31 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“this book was a little mature. i felt wierd reading it. but other than that it was great!”
~MaRY~ lEe~ wrote this review Sunday, August 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The story of Anne Boleyn as told from her point of view in diary form. Elizabeth, now Queen has been given the diary which has remained secret her entire life. She is going through some tough decisions of her own, and getting constant pressure to marry, when the diary falls into her hands. It tells the story of a young woman who, having no choice in the matter, gets pursued by the King, but then decides if she is going to be the object of affection for Henry the 8th, then why not take the ultimate prize?
serenity wrote this review Friday, August 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Again Anne is presented as an innocent pawn to circumstance, at least at first, and then lets her take some of the credit, or blame, for how things turned out. I don't like renditions that try to remove Anne of all blame. Yes she was a terrible victim of fate, but she did make her own bed to some degree by her boldness and short temper. So I'm glad this book acknowledged this. I liked how Elizabeth's and Anne's stories interweave throughout the book-a nice approach. And the writing is good but does gloss over major plot elements in the history department. All in all not a bad book, but not the best rehash of this story.
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“I have always enjoyed books from the Tudor period, Henry and all his wives. This was another good one. A secret diary presented to Anne Boleyn's daughter, Queen Elizabeth. As we follow her reading the diary, we see how the actions of her parents determined how she ruled. I liked it.”
Kathy D wrote this review Thursday, August 13 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Not my usual genre but I was pulled in by the great writing. We all know the outcome of Anne Boleyn's coupling with the King, but did you ever imagine what the months leading up to the wedding were like?
Katherine C wrote this review Tuesday, July 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This book holds that story as well as the story of Queen Elizabeth I in her first few years as Queen and how the diary impacts her.”
“The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell
Heather R wrote this review Sunday, July 5 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Genre: Historical Fiction
There have been many books written about Anne Boleyn but I don’t think one has been written in this manner. The present time in this book is the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth I – she is 25, in love, and newly come to the throne. One day an old woman comes to her presence chamber with a diary for her – the diary of her mother, Anne Boleyn. In this diary, Anne wrote of her life from before her ascendency to the throne right up to just before her execution. As Elizabeth reads through this diary she learns a lot about the mother she doesn’t remember and learns many valuable lessons that she will apply during her reign as Queen of England.
I thought that this was an amazingly well written book. I enjoyed how the story bounced back and forth between the present time with Elizabeth and the time while Anne was alive, in the diary. As Elizabeth learned things from her mother she would then apply them to how she ruled her kingdom. It would be neat to think that this was actually the case. It’s a unique way to look at such a sad story.
The character of Anne Boleyn was written in a sympathetic manner. She is not depicted as a cunning, power hungry woman. Instead, she is written as a woman who didn’t really want what happened to her and absolutely loved her daughter. There are several touching scenes between mother and daughter that happen through this diary. Elizabeth learns about her mother first-hand, as opposed to what she has always been taught about her mother being a whore, traitor, and a witch. Elizabeth understands more of whom she is and where she came from and that forms the way she will carry herself from that point on.
I really enjoyed this book, mostly for the connection between mother and daughter and for the depiction of Anne as wholly human. I look forward to reading more of her books.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
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“Pretty entertaining read as long as you dont get too caught up in the accuracy of some of the historic details.”
Stephanie C wrote this review Wednesday, June 3 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Loved it! Delves into the psychology of Ann Boleyn. This novel presents Ann as a witty, clever, and intellegent woman who managed to win the heart of a King. I especially liked the interpretation of King Henry VIII and Ann's relationship. In reality, Ann probably did have no real feelings for Henry yet was pressured to enter into a relationship with him because he was the King. ”
Sandy L wrote this review Thursday, May 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
