It’s no “Pillars of the Earth”, but “The Other Boleyn Girl” by Phillipa Gregory will keep you in suspense right up to the bitter end.The story of Mary, Anne Boleyn’s sister who was also a member of the court of Henry the 8th, is a story of love and lust, politics, betrayal and scheming. You need not know much about Henry, in fact, it may be a better book if you don’t. You may end up finding yourself looking up information about Mary Boleyn, though I would encourage you to wait until you finish the book before doing that.

This is not a work of non-fiction. While Gregory tries to stay true in general and cites an impressive bibliography, there are plenty of suppositions and inaccuracies. It’s still a good story and fairly quick moving. The middle drags a bit as we wait, with the court, to see what will happen next.

If you like this, you’d also enjoy “The Historian” by Elizabeth Kostovo, “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon or my favorite, “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follet. If you love political intrigue, you won’t be able to beat “A Game of Thrones” by George RR Martin (warning: it is a series and you WILL be hooked!). If you’re just into royalty, you might enjoy Queen Noor’s autobiography.

Thanks to Laura H for recommending and to my Mom-in-Law for buying me this book!

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