Mary, Bloody Mary

Author: Carolyn Meter
My Description: An interesting story. I started it late last night and couldn't put it down. It took me a while to convince myself that I needed to stop and sleep. On the down side it's very depressing... I felt so sorry for poor Mary. I would hate to be in her shoes.

It did annoy me that Anne Boleyn was the 'villain' of this book, since ever since Shakespeare's Secret I've had a high opinion of her. Of course, this book is from the perspective of Mary, and since Anne replaced her mother as Henry's wife she must have a low opinion of her... Still, I feel that if you read this book you should check Anne Boleyn out in some history books or on the Internet, since I don't think it's fair to judge her from this book alone; e.g. After Catherine's--Mary's mother, the King's x-wife-- death her wearing bright yellow, which in the book was put in celebration, and though that might be true, yellow is also the Spanish color of morning, and I might be wrong but I think Catherine was Spanish.

These were Anne's last words before she was executed--by her husband's (the kings) command!

"Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul."

Back-of-the-Book Description: As a baby, Mary was adored by her father, who carried her around on his shoulder and displayed her for the court to admire. But as his marriage with her mother, Catherine of Aragon, waned for lack of a male heir, Henry began an affair with the beautiful Anne Boleyn. Mary was convinced that Anne was a witch. Didn't everyone know she had a sixth finger? And wasn't it Anne who persuaded Henry to declare his first marriage invalid (rendering Mary a bastard)? As the king grows ever colder, Mary is banished to a distant house, forbidden from seeing her mother, left to wear rags, and finally--at Anne's bidding--summoned back to court to be a servant to her baby half sister Elizabeth. Once there, Mary lives in constant dread that she will be poisoned or sent to the executioner's block in one of her father's rages. By the time Anne Boleyn herself is beheaded, Henry's first daughter has become the bitter and angry woman who was to be known as Bloody Queen Mary for her savage religious genocide.
Starting Date: September 18th
Ending Date: September 18th
Reading Time: One day
Pages: 222
Recommendations: To those who would like to learn a bit of history in a rather interesting way, and who don't mind being depressed.
Writing Rating: 8
Story Rating: 6 1/2
Overall Rating: 6 1/2


Book # 38