Product Description

She was the dark-eyed English beauty who captivated King Henry VIII, only to die at his behest three years after they were married. She was both manipulator and pawn, a complex, misunderstood mélange of subtlety and fire. Her name was Anne Boleyn.

In The Queen of Subtleties, Suzannah Dunn reimagines the rise and fall of the tragic queen through two alternating voices: that of Anne herself, who is penning a letter to her young daughter on the eve of her execution, and Lucy Cornwallis, the king’s confectioner. An employee of the highest status, Lucy is responsible for creating the sculpted sugar centerpieces that adorn each of the feasts marking Anne’s ascent in the king’s favor. They also share another link of which neither woman is aware: the lovely Mark Smeaton, wunderkind musician—the innocent on whom, ultimately, Anne’s downfall hinges.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #648258 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-20
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .81" h x 5.35" w x 8.05" l, .63 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

From Publishers Weekly
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.
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From Booklist
This fictional retelling of the triumphant rise and tragic downfall of Anne Boleyn rings true, reminding readers that great events are often viewed differently through the personal prisms of both participants and observers. Juxtaposing Anne's chronicle--written in prison as she awaits execution--with the recollections of Lucy Cornwallis, the king's talented confectioner, responsible for providing the insatiable Henry with an enormous variety of sweetly delectable concoctions, two divergent views of both the doomed queen and the historical circumstances surrounding her demise are provided. Presenting herself more as a victim than a villain, Anne, in her seemingly straightforward defense of her actions, lacks the objectivity and ultimate subtlety of Lucy's more balanced account. Since both women are products of their particular time in history and station in society, each brings a refreshingly unique perspective to a familiar tale. The authentically detailed narrative resonates with compassionate sympathy for the major players in this historical melodrama. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
“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 )