To Die For by Sandra Byrd

July 26, 2020

To Die For by Sandra Byrd

Meg Wyatt and her siblings grew up with the Boleyn children, Mary, George, and Anne.  Meg's brother Thomas adores Anne from the time they are small children, but Anne flirts with him in the same way she flirts with everyone.  As Anne catches the eye of Henry VIII and rises in the court, she takes her best friend Meg to court with her.  At first, the two girls are maids of honor to Katharine of Aragon, Henry’s queen.  But as Katharine falls farther out of Henry’s favor and Henry seeks to divorce her to marry Anne, Meg finds herself sought after by those who want to find favor with Anne.  But as Anne’s star begins to fall, Meg’s fortunes fall with her.

Anne Boleyn is one of those historical figures whose lives fascinate us.  We keep reading books about them in the hope that somehow their stories will change and have a happy ending.  Other tragic figures include Mary Queen of Scots, Marie Antoinette, Alexander Hamilton, Amelia Earhart, the Princes in the Tower, and the Romanov family.  There have been a few books recently about Queen Elizabeth II's sister, Princess Margaret, who spent most of her life trying to figure out her role in the royal family.  I think Diana, Princess of Wales, and members of the Kennedy family will eventually join this group as well.

I was reading a book called A Saint from Texas  and the story was so dismal, that I needed a break about halfway through.  This title had been on my reading list for a while and it seemed the perfect antidote.  It was like mental sorbet, refreshing to my reading palette.  I thoroughly enjoyed the angle that this book had, written in the voice of one of Anne’s closest friends and a lady in waiting.  Not only do we get Anne’s story from the point of view of a loyal friend, we also get a good look at what life was like for a well-born woman of the 16^th century in this well-researched novel.  Daughters and sisters were often used by their families as pawns, entering arranged marriages that would be advantageous for political, social or monetary reasons.  Anne Boleyn and her cousin Catherine Howard (who was Henry VIII's fifth wife) were no different - the Howard family used both girls to their advantage, and when they fell from favor, distanced themselves as much as possible.  A very enjoyable read.

Time to go slog through some more of A Saint from Texas - I have an eARC from the publisher, so I feel obligated to finish the book and write a review.