Mademoiselle Boleyn and The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn

Both of these books are by Robin Maxwell. With The Secret Diary being her debut novel.

Mademoiselle Boleyn is about Anne's life in France before coming back to England. I was looking forward to reading this book, I know about Anne in England but to read about what her life might have been like before was very interesting. If I thought the lifestyle of England was bad, France was really no different, that is in the way women are treated. I found in that book a different side to Anne that I didn't see before. A little girl growing up without the love of her father and to see how her relationship with her brother developed even though living across the Channel. I guess that I should stop before I spoil this for anyone.

Part of me wishes that The Secret Diary was written after Mademoiselle Boleyn, just for connections sake. I haven't read anything about Queen Elizabeth before, so this was new for me. I am anxious now to read more about what happened between her and Queen Mary. I felt this book really made me sensitive to what Anne went through with Henry, and being a mother and having her child taken away must have been awful.

I really enjoyed both these books and hope to read more of Robin Maxwell, which I will be doing next month since I found To The Tower Born in a used book store. (I love used books stores, you never know what treasure you will find).