The Queen of Subtleties by Suzannah Dunn

A tremendously vivid, page-turning and plausible novel that depicts the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the most spirited, independent and courageous of Henry's queens, as viewed from both the bedrooms and the kitchens of the Tudor court. Everyone knows the story of Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII divorced his longstanding, long-suffering, older, Spanish wife for a young, black-eyed English beauty, and, in doing so, severed England from Rome and indeed from the rest of the western world. Then, when Henry had what he wanted, he managed a mere three years of marriage before beheading his wife for alleged adultery with several men, among them his own best friend and her own brother. This is the context for Suzannah Dunn's wonderful new novel, which is about - and told by - two women: Anne Boleyn, king's mistress and fated queen; and Lucy Cornwallis, the king's confectioner, an employee of the very highest status, who made the centrepiece of each of the feasts to mark the important occasions in Anne's ascent. There's another link between them, though: the lovely Mark Smeaton, wunderkind musician, the innocent on whom, ultimately, Anne's downfall hinged... Suzannah Dunn has wit, a mastery of dialogue, brilliant characterization, lack of pretence, and good humour. The Queen of Subtleties adds to that mix a wonderfully balanced, strong story and the result is sensational. Editorial Reviews Fans of historical fiction will savor this colorful retelling of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn by British author Dunn. The novel (her eighth, and the first to be published in the U.S.) is narrated in turns by Anne, now imprisoned in the Tower, and Lucy Cornwallis, Henry VIII's confectioner, who observes the dramas of the court from the haven of her kitchen. Though their paths seldom cross, the two women's lives become fatefully linked through the scandalous liaisons of the English court. On the eve of her beheading, Anne documents her life's tale for her young daughter, Elizabeth, telling how she came to join the king's court as a lady-in-waiting to Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and caught the eye of the king. Ambitious and proud, she refuses to be his mistress, insisting instead on becoming his legitimate wife. Henry eventually succumbs to her pressures, but only after he breaks with Rome and declares himself the head of the Church of England. Meanwhile, Lucy falls desperately in love with Mark Smeaton, the angelic court musician who in turn is enamored with Anne. This reasonably accurate historical portrait of Anne is enlivened by Dunn's imaginative weaving of Lucy into the narrative, making for a delicious romp through the romance, politics and drama of 16th-century England. Agent, Antony Topping. (Oct.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. - Publishers Weekly In her U.S. debut, British author Dunn imbues the story of the notorious Tudor queen Anne Boleyn with new life. The story is narrated in alternating chapters by Anne Boleyn and Lucy Cornwallis, confectioner to King Henry VIII. Lucy, who makes subtleties and grand sugar centerpieces for feasts and banquets, is taken aback when Mark Smeaton, musician of the queen, begins to pay her visits. What is given in friendship Lucy mistakes for love, and she is devastated when Mark is sentenced to death for committing adultery with the queen. The voice of Anne Boleyn is spot-on. Clever and brash, she uses colorful language not often associated with the image of a king's better half. Dunn also makes Lucy's growing love and eventual heartbreak palpable. One is struck by the similarities between the two women, even though their lives are worlds apart. Recommended for most historical fiction collections. [For other novels about the tragic queen, see Robyn Maxwell's The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn and Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl. Ed.] Anna M. Nelson, Seabrook Lib., NH Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. - Library Journal British author Dunn, author of seven previous novels, debuts in the US with a lively and contemporary-flavored take on a royal wife who, like Princess Diana, made enemies in high places. The story of Anne Boleyn, the woman whose love for a King changed the way England worshipped-at a price.-is told in alternate chapters by Anne and Lucy Cornwallis, the King's confectioner. Anne, a prisoner in the Tower and about to be executed on trumped-up charges of adultery-Henry wants to marry Jane Seymour, hoping she will bear him a son-is writing her memoirs for her daughter, the young Princess Elizabeth. While Anne's account is somewhat self-serving and defensive, Lucy's is merely that of an eyewitness to the unfolding events that she sees as she creates elaborate sugar confections for the court's banquets and festivals. Anne blames Henry's first wife, Catherine of Spain, for much of her trouble. A devout Catholic, Catherine refused to divorce Henry when he wanted to marry Anne and sire an heir. Initially reluctant to divorce a popular queen and offend Spain, Henry dragged his feet. But using guile and argument, and spending seven years in a legal limbo-she didn't marry until she was 32-Anne successfully persuaded Henry to act. Defying the pope, he made himself head of the Church and beheaded all those clergy and statesmen, including the famous Thomas More, who opposed him. Anne was triumphant, but not for long. Now, showing little introspection, she has no sorrow for Catherine or for her daughter Princess Mary, but merely recalls her brief happiness and then her downfall. Lucy notes that the people disliked Anne, disapproved of the marriage, and were angry with Henry's treatment of Catherine. Lucyalso recalls, sadly, how she herself fell in love with Mark Smeaton, a court musician, who, in love with Anne, paid dearly for his declaration of affection to her. A lively reminder of the perils of marrying kings and princes, however glam the bride. Agent: Antony Topping/Greene & Heaton - Kirkus Reviews Dunn's Boleyn is lusty, willful, ambitious and ultimately likable. - Fort Worth Star-Telegram A lively reminder of the perils of marrying kings and princes, however glam the bride. - Kirkus Reviews - From the Publisher Dunn's Boleyn is lusty, willful, ambitious and ultimately likable. - Fort Worth Star-Telegram