From “the queen of royal fiction” (USA TODAY) comes this New York Times bestseller featuring three very different women whose fates are each bound by a bloody curse: the legacy of the Boleyn family.
After the death of his third wife, Jane Seymour, King Henry VIII of England decides to take a new wife, but this time, not for love. The Boleyn Inheritance follows three women whose lives are forever changed because of the king’s decision, as they must balance precariously in an already shaky Tudor Court.
Anne of Cleves is to be married to Henry to form a political alliance, though the rocky relationship she has to the king does not bode well for her or for England.
Katherine Howard is the young, beautiful woman who captures Henry’s eye, even though he is set to marry Anne. Her spirit runs free and her passions run hot—though her affections may not be returned upon the King.
Jane Rochford was married to George Boleyn, and it was her testimony that sent her husband and infamous sister-in-law Anne to their deaths. Throughout the country, her name is known for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust.
The Boleyn Inheritance is a novel drawn tight as a lute string about three women whose positions brought them wealth, admirations, and power, as well as deceit, betrayal, and terror.
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"For historical fiction fanatics, this is a great novel to read. Ms. Gregory has an interesting narrative on the lesser known wives of Henry VIII. It's easy to sympathize and to hate some key players in the novel. It was a very interesting fictional account of what happened in the English court during that time, my only comment is that there were some chapters that were very repetitive. Characters were voicing out their thoughts using the very same words. I don't know if this is a lapse on the editor's part.Other than that though, still a good book."
— Cher (4 out of 5 stars)
“A fascinating account…harrowing…If only grade-school history books were written so vividly.”
— Entertainment Weekly“Gregory’s accounts of events are accurate enough to be persuasive, her characterizations modern enough to be convincing. Rich in intrigue and irony, this is a tale where readers will already know who was divorced, beheaded or survived, but will savor Gregory’s sharp staging of how and why.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Allowing her characters to speak in first person, Gregory imbues history with realism and human drama. As in the finest of historical fiction, she doesn’t skimp on history but infuses it with humanity.”
— RT Book Reviews, 4½ stars“Gregory’s knowledge of the period, combined with her novelistic skill, allows her to view this grim tale through the eyes of the three women: wily, experienced Jane; naïve, sensible Anne; and vain, greedy young Kitty. Their first-person accounts are convincing and shockingly self-serving.”
— Kirkus Reviews" the author's detailed research makes life inCourt very real "
— Grandma, 2/11/2014" I don't usually like to read books that jump from person to person....but this one was well done...there were very obvious differences in the personalities and speech of the three women so it was a delight to read. "
— Laurie, 2/9/2014" As good as the first! "
— Dawn, 2/4/2014" Once I finally got adjusted to some of the annoying traits of the three female characters in this book, the story intricately unfolded and kept my interest. I couldn't put it down for the last 100 pages. It's nowhere close to "The Other Boleyn Girl," but still a great read. "
— Christina, 1/20/2014" Audio unabridged... Enjoying it! "
— Monica, 1/17/2014" Really liked Anne's character. And Katherine "Kitty" Howard's. Was nice to read of the wives who rarely get mentioned. Have enjoyed all the Phillipa Gregory books so far. "
— Emma, 1/14/2014" I love historical fiction and I have read many other Philippa Gregory books and like this one, they are all great. It is how history should be taught in schools - it would make history much more fun to learn. I love the way Ms. Gregory brings these real characters to like for us and make us believe we are there. I love her books. "
— Dana, 1/12/2014" From 3 points of view of different characters it really manages to keep up with the historical events. "
— Alyce, 1/8/2014" I liked reading about the lesser known backgrounds of Ann of Cleves &Kathern Howard. "
— Alice, 1/7/2014" An entertaining insight into the plotting and violence surrounding Henry VIII's choice of wives! "
— Nicolette, 12/11/2013" An excellent intertwining of their lives. "
— Daphne, 11/17/2013Phillipa Gregory is an internationally bestselling author of historical novels whose success extends to the United States as well, where she is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She earned her BA from the University of Sussex and a PhD in eighteenth-century literature from Edinburgh University, where she is a regent. Gregory is the author of the Wideacre trilogy, the Earthly Joys series, and the Plantagenet and Tudor novels, which include the enormously popular Other Boleyn Girl, of which there are over a million US copies in print. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and was awarded the 2016 Harrogate Festival Award for Contribution to Historical Fiction.
Dagmara Dominczyk was born in Poland and immigrated to New York City at the age of seven. She has acted in numerous films, TV series, and plays. She is married to the actor Patrick Wilson, with whom she has two sons. She lives in New Jersey.
Bianca Amato, winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the Audie Award for best narration, is an actress born and raised in South Africa. Trained at the University of Cape Town’s Drama school, she went on to work in theater and television in South Africa before moving to New York in 2002.