Saturday 15 October 2011

LADY ELEANOR HISTORICAL FICTION REVIEW: Mary and Elizabeth - Emily Purdy

Release Date: 09/06/11

SYNOPSIS:

Two sisters: united by blood, divided by the crown…

They shared childhood memories and grown-up dreams…

Mary was England's precious jewel, the surviving child of the tumultuous relationship between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. However, when Henry fell passionately in love with the dark-eyed Anne Boleyn, he cast his wife and daughter aside.

Henry and Anne's union sees the birth of Elizabeth. Mary is soon declared a bastard, stripped of all royal privileges, performing the lowliest tasks. But, there is something about Elizabeth. And Mary soon grows to love her like a sister.

After the passage of three years, and Anne Boleyn's execution, Henry can no longer bear the sight of his female heir. With the birth of a son, Edward, both Mary and Elizabeth seem destined for oblivion. But as history will show, fate had something far more elaborate in store…

Mary and Elizabeth is an unforgettable story of a powerful love affair that changed the course of history, perfect for fans of The Tudors and Philippa Gregory.


REVIEW:

History is written by the victors as the old saying goes but I’d like to add an extension to this: and historical fiction writers to suit their own purposes. What Emily Purdy creates here is vastly inaccurate, has major problems with its timelines and of course sadly is pure sensationalism with a good smattering of sex included for no real reason but to titillate the reader.

Add to this problems with the perspective of the stories main two protagonists (as it’s told from Elizabeth and Mary’s first person point of view) and it’s sadly something that whilst OK, is not something startling or a title that stands out from the masses of titles out there. Finally add to the mix major problems with what’s gone before including lack of research and the story really falls far short of what I was hoping for.

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