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The House of Boleyn
HEVER CASTLE HOLDS ALL THE BOLEYN SECRETS...
When nobleman Thomas Boleyn, lord of Hever Castle, is called to London in 1509 to present himself to the newly-anointed eighteen-year-old king, Henry VIII, Thomas's young daughter, Anne, implores him not to leave. "Well, make sure the prize you bring me is worth it, Father," Anne demands of him. "I will try," he responds. "But I'll wager even a crown wouldn't satisfy you." Such premonitions resonate convincingly throughout Tracy Borman's rich and compelling novel. Blending the history she knows so well with the creativity of her imagination, Borman brings the Boleyn family's three-decade rise and precipitous fall to vivid life.
Borman surrounds the main dramatic events of the Boleyn saga with a colourful tableau in which servants play key roles, familial and inter-familial rivalries threaten, and true love often loses out to keen ambition. Anne's ever-loyal attendant Agnes Frideswide, and Thomas Boleyn's perfidious steward Robert Cranwell, are as memorable as Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell, or anyone in the increasingly dangerous orbit of Henry VIII's court, as he pursues Anne relentlessly, only to abandon her when she can't give him the son and heir he desperately seeks.
Combining detailed research, keen insight and brilliant storytelling, Tracy Borman delivers a powerful and emotional novel of family, fate and intrigue.
When nobleman Thomas Boleyn, lord of Hever Castle, is called to London in 1509 to present himself to the newly-anointed eighteen-year-old king, Henry VIII, Thomas's young daughter, Anne, implores him not to leave. "Well, make sure the prize you bring me is worth it, Father," Anne demands of him. "I will try," he responds. "But I'll wager even a crown wouldn't satisfy you." Such premonitions resonate convincingly throughout Tracy Borman's rich and compelling novel. Blending the history she knows so well with the creativity of her imagination, Borman brings the Boleyn family's three-decade rise and precipitous fall to vivid life.
Borman surrounds the main dramatic events of the Boleyn saga with a colourful tableau in which servants play key roles, familial and inter-familial rivalries threaten, and true love often loses out to keen ambition. Anne's ever-loyal attendant Agnes Frideswide, and Thomas Boleyn's perfidious steward Robert Cranwell, are as memorable as Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell, or anyone in the increasingly dangerous orbit of Henry VIII's court, as he pursues Anne relentlessly, only to abandon her when she can't give him the son and heir he desperately seeks.
Combining detailed research, keen insight and brilliant storytelling, Tracy Borman delivers a powerful and emotional novel of family, fate and intrigue.
407 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2026
About the author
Tracy Borman
28 books977 followersTracy Borman, PhD, FRHistS, FSA is a historian and author from Scothern, United Kingdom. She is most widely known as the author of Elizabeth's Women.
Borman was born and brought up in the village of Scothern, England near Lincoln. She was educated at Scothern Primary School (now Ellison Boulters School), William Farr School, Welton, and Yarborough School, Lincoln. She taught history at the University of Hull, where she was awarded a Ph.D in 1997. Elizabeth's Women was serialized and became a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week in September 2009. Tracy Borman appeared on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, also in September 2009
Borman was born and brought up in the village of Scothern, England near Lincoln. She was educated at Scothern Primary School (now Ellison Boulters School), William Farr School, Welton, and Yarborough School, Lincoln. She taught history at the University of Hull, where she was awarded a Ph.D in 1997. Elizabeth's Women was serialized and became a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week in September 2009. Tracy Borman appeared on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, also in September 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
May 7, 2026
4.5⭐️
I just love reading about this time in history and, even though I am very familiar with Anne’s story, I always look forward to reading different interpretations of it.
I found this such a fascinating narrative as it takes a look at the whole of the Boleyn family - including Anne’s grandmother, Lady Margaret. Little is known of the servants who waited on the Boleyn family at Hever Castle, but it was very interesting to see the author’s interpretation of what their life would have been like too.
The story begins in 1512, with a young Anne, and each chapter moves forward in time - sometimes within the same month, and sometimes a few years. It did take me a while to become familiar with all the names and relationships again and, if you’re not familiar with the Boleyn family tree, it would be better reading this book with a family tree in front of you.
The narrative is raw, gritty and sometimes brutal; combined with beautifully written descriptions of place and setting. It offers a slightly different insight into some of the characters we almost we feel like we know after reading so much about them. Both Anne Boleyn and Jane Rochford, her sister-in-law, are portrayed from a new angle; based on Tracy’s exhaustive research.
I never cease to be intrigued by the shifting loyalties at this time, with so many people only looking out for themselves. It’s a time when gossip and scandal are rampant, and the author has done an exceptional job of bringing this to life.
I’m so glad I had the pleasure of listening to @tracyborman talk about this book, at one of her events, and reading this brought it all back. There’s a comprehensive ‘Author’s Notes’ section at the back of the book, where you can see some of the research and information that Tracy has based this book on. She also lets you know where she has used her imagination.
I absolutely loved reading this one, and can’t recommend it enough for historical fiction fans or readers new to Anne’s story. ❤️❤️
I just love reading about this time in history and, even though I am very familiar with Anne’s story, I always look forward to reading different interpretations of it.
I found this such a fascinating narrative as it takes a look at the whole of the Boleyn family - including Anne’s grandmother, Lady Margaret. Little is known of the servants who waited on the Boleyn family at Hever Castle, but it was very interesting to see the author’s interpretation of what their life would have been like too.
The story begins in 1512, with a young Anne, and each chapter moves forward in time - sometimes within the same month, and sometimes a few years. It did take me a while to become familiar with all the names and relationships again and, if you’re not familiar with the Boleyn family tree, it would be better reading this book with a family tree in front of you.
The narrative is raw, gritty and sometimes brutal; combined with beautifully written descriptions of place and setting. It offers a slightly different insight into some of the characters we almost we feel like we know after reading so much about them. Both Anne Boleyn and Jane Rochford, her sister-in-law, are portrayed from a new angle; based on Tracy’s exhaustive research.
I never cease to be intrigued by the shifting loyalties at this time, with so many people only looking out for themselves. It’s a time when gossip and scandal are rampant, and the author has done an exceptional job of bringing this to life.
I’m so glad I had the pleasure of listening to @tracyborman talk about this book, at one of her events, and reading this brought it all back. There’s a comprehensive ‘Author’s Notes’ section at the back of the book, where you can see some of the research and information that Tracy has based this book on. She also lets you know where she has used her imagination.
I absolutely loved reading this one, and can’t recommend it enough for historical fiction fans or readers new to Anne’s story. ❤️❤️
May 13, 2026
I feel like it’s been ages since this was announced and I was dying to get my hands on a copy! I’m so glad I’ve finished it now, before my trip to Hever Castle next week. Borman’s research, as always, is meticulous, and I always love a detailed Author’s Note at the end with historical fiction, explaining what has been changed and why, what is known and what is fiction. I think for those less familiar with the period, it draws clean lines.
I loved how it had a Downton Abbey feel with an upstairs / downstairs thing, though it did take me a while to get used to the changing points of view from chapter to chapter, but once I did, I raced through it. I think I read the last two-thirds in a single sitting! Of course, the cover is gorgeous, with the red ivy which adorns Hever Castle in the autumn, with the B necklace and the falcon. You can tell that Borman has spent a lot of time at Hever and talking to those who know the castle well, as it really comes to life in her writing. It’s almost a character in itself in the novel.
The meld of characters we know from history with those who were fictionalised or based on a real character but with a fictionalised personality, worked really well, and often it was difficult to tell the real from the made-up, which is a mark of a great historical fiction writer. Borman immerses you in Tudor England through the characters. We see the vulnerability of Anne Boleyn, her uncertainty, and fear. Jane Boleyn is often portrayed as a villain, but we see a softer and more sympathetic portrayal of her here. Thomas Boleyn is often shown to be grasping and ambitious, pushing his daughters at the king, but we know he wasn’t happy about Anne’s marriage to the king, and we see his fears here. It was also good to see more of Margaret Boleyn, Thomas’ father, who doesn’t often seem to appear in the history books.
Of the fictionalised characters, I adored Esther and her devotion to Anne, and the Boleyn family more generally. Towards the end I enjoyed seeing Esther’s burgeoning relationship with Jane Boleyn. Cranwell, the steward, we know was real, but we know very little, and Borman has made him into the villain of the piece, working against the Boleyns. We see the divisions in the Boleyn household through their servants, which works really well.
Overall, I loved it. Tracy Borman is honestly a genius with this book, giving us a view of the Boleyn family which is new. The focus is often on the court itself in Tudor novels, but setting the entire book at Hever Castle allows opinions to spread and distort, the waiting for news to build tension, even when we know the history, and us to see the characters in a more relaxed home space, the private rather than the public, and imagine what might really have been said and done behind the walls of Hever Castle when the Boleyns were in residence.
I loved how it had a Downton Abbey feel with an upstairs / downstairs thing, though it did take me a while to get used to the changing points of view from chapter to chapter, but once I did, I raced through it. I think I read the last two-thirds in a single sitting! Of course, the cover is gorgeous, with the red ivy which adorns Hever Castle in the autumn, with the B necklace and the falcon. You can tell that Borman has spent a lot of time at Hever and talking to those who know the castle well, as it really comes to life in her writing. It’s almost a character in itself in the novel.
The meld of characters we know from history with those who were fictionalised or based on a real character but with a fictionalised personality, worked really well, and often it was difficult to tell the real from the made-up, which is a mark of a great historical fiction writer. Borman immerses you in Tudor England through the characters. We see the vulnerability of Anne Boleyn, her uncertainty, and fear. Jane Boleyn is often portrayed as a villain, but we see a softer and more sympathetic portrayal of her here. Thomas Boleyn is often shown to be grasping and ambitious, pushing his daughters at the king, but we know he wasn’t happy about Anne’s marriage to the king, and we see his fears here. It was also good to see more of Margaret Boleyn, Thomas’ father, who doesn’t often seem to appear in the history books.
Of the fictionalised characters, I adored Esther and her devotion to Anne, and the Boleyn family more generally. Towards the end I enjoyed seeing Esther’s burgeoning relationship with Jane Boleyn. Cranwell, the steward, we know was real, but we know very little, and Borman has made him into the villain of the piece, working against the Boleyns. We see the divisions in the Boleyn household through their servants, which works really well.
Overall, I loved it. Tracy Borman is honestly a genius with this book, giving us a view of the Boleyn family which is new. The focus is often on the court itself in Tudor novels, but setting the entire book at Hever Castle allows opinions to spread and distort, the waiting for news to build tension, even when we know the history, and us to see the characters in a more relaxed home space, the private rather than the public, and imagine what might really have been said and done behind the walls of Hever Castle when the Boleyns were in residence.
August 4, 2026
THE HOUSE OF BOLEYN is new historical fiction from British historian and author Tracy Borman, whose name you may recognize as the host of assorted educational documentaries produced by British television and airing on PBS and various streaming services. Awarded three stars but I might go as high as 3.5.
In THE HOUSE OF BOLEYN Borman presents the story of the entire Boleyn clan (briefly covering their origins) but beginning in earnest when infamous Tudor King, Henry VIII's (1491-1547) second wife, Anne Boleyn (1507-1536) is just a child. Anne's unusual intelligence helps her family secure her positions in the Hapsburg regency court of Margaret of Austria (1480-1530) and later, in the French courts of Louis XII (1462-1515) and Francois I (1494-1547). But it's not until she returns to England (after these "internships" )that she captures the attention of Henry VIII.
Having read an embarrassing number of Tudor novels - what strikes me as unique in this story is the author introducing some new motivations, plot twists, relationships, and romances -- which as far as I know are purely conjecture. Borman explains much of where these ideas originated in her Author's Note at the end of the book.
Borman's imaginings DO reframe the Boleyn family story in interesting ways:
• This Anne Boleyn, for example, is deeply attached to a secret true love. Yet she remains practical about her growing position of power, and eager for her family to benefit.
• In this novel, her father, Thomas, primarily wants to protect his much loved daughter, instead of the customary portrayal of a man so determined to advance his own ambition, he doesn't hesitate to sacrifice his family.
• Thomas's son George who is wildly ambitious and hedonistic.
• Anne's mother Elizabeth, sister to the powerful Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473-1554), is often elsewhere nursing her migraines.
• Anne's sister Mary, a former lover of King Henry VIII, remains a minor character.
• And in George's wife, Jane Parker, Borman offers the biggest surprise of all.
Despite enjoying Borman's new and different takes on what motivated each Boleyn, I found this book felt long (368 pages) and the pace slow. Particularly the first half which seemed to last at least as long as Henry's courtship of Anne.
For me THE HOUSE OF BOLEYN reads more like non-fiction than fiction. In other words, a bit dry. But I suppose that might be expected when a novel is written by an historian. I do recommend the novel, particularly to those steeped in Tudor lore. Borman's unique take will give you much to think about.
In THE HOUSE OF BOLEYN Borman presents the story of the entire Boleyn clan (briefly covering their origins) but beginning in earnest when infamous Tudor King, Henry VIII's (1491-1547) second wife, Anne Boleyn (1507-1536) is just a child. Anne's unusual intelligence helps her family secure her positions in the Hapsburg regency court of Margaret of Austria (1480-1530) and later, in the French courts of Louis XII (1462-1515) and Francois I (1494-1547). But it's not until she returns to England (after these "internships" )that she captures the attention of Henry VIII.
Having read an embarrassing number of Tudor novels - what strikes me as unique in this story is the author introducing some new motivations, plot twists, relationships, and romances -- which as far as I know are purely conjecture. Borman explains much of where these ideas originated in her Author's Note at the end of the book.
Borman's imaginings DO reframe the Boleyn family story in interesting ways:
• This Anne Boleyn, for example, is deeply attached to a secret true love. Yet she remains practical about her growing position of power, and eager for her family to benefit.
• In this novel, her father, Thomas, primarily wants to protect his much loved daughter, instead of the customary portrayal of a man so determined to advance his own ambition, he doesn't hesitate to sacrifice his family.
• Thomas's son George who is wildly ambitious and hedonistic.
• Anne's mother Elizabeth, sister to the powerful Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473-1554), is often elsewhere nursing her migraines.
• Anne's sister Mary, a former lover of King Henry VIII, remains a minor character.
• And in George's wife, Jane Parker, Borman offers the biggest surprise of all.
Despite enjoying Borman's new and different takes on what motivated each Boleyn, I found this book felt long (368 pages) and the pace slow. Particularly the first half which seemed to last at least as long as Henry's courtship of Anne.
For me THE HOUSE OF BOLEYN reads more like non-fiction than fiction. In other words, a bit dry. But I suppose that might be expected when a novel is written by an historian. I do recommend the novel, particularly to those steeped in Tudor lore. Borman's unique take will give you much to think about.
February 26, 2026
(ARC courtesy of NetGalley)
When a story has been retold as many times as that of Anne Boleyn, it’s hard to imagine that a fresh take is possible. Yet, historian and writer Tracy Borman has done just that with her novel of the lives of people, real and imagined, who lived, loved, and served at Hever, the Boleyn family home.
Tracing the rise of the family from the childhoods of the three infamous children of Thomas Boleyn, this historical fiction imagines not just the interplay between the members of the Boleyn family but also of those who lived with them at Hever: the trusted (or not) servants of the family.
Borman paints a realistic portrait of a family torn between love for each other and the dangerous allure of power dangled over them by fickle King Henry VIII. Seeing characters who have often been portrayed as distasteful revised into complex and sympathetic humans made me rethink some of the assumptions I’ve made based only on Hollywood retelling of this period of British royal history. I worried and wept with Esther and Jane; I felt the heartbreak of a husband and father discovering he has no power over his life or family; I silently begged Anne to hold her tongue and see the looming threats around her.
An old story retold well, Borman’s book is a must-read for anyone who wants to recognize and feel the human element of figures who have been made larger-than-life by their roles in history.
When a story has been retold as many times as that of Anne Boleyn, it’s hard to imagine that a fresh take is possible. Yet, historian and writer Tracy Borman has done just that with her novel of the lives of people, real and imagined, who lived, loved, and served at Hever, the Boleyn family home.
Tracing the rise of the family from the childhoods of the three infamous children of Thomas Boleyn, this historical fiction imagines not just the interplay between the members of the Boleyn family but also of those who lived with them at Hever: the trusted (or not) servants of the family.
Borman paints a realistic portrait of a family torn between love for each other and the dangerous allure of power dangled over them by fickle King Henry VIII. Seeing characters who have often been portrayed as distasteful revised into complex and sympathetic humans made me rethink some of the assumptions I’ve made based only on Hollywood retelling of this period of British royal history. I worried and wept with Esther and Jane; I felt the heartbreak of a husband and father discovering he has no power over his life or family; I silently begged Anne to hold her tongue and see the looming threats around her.
An old story retold well, Borman’s book is a must-read for anyone who wants to recognize and feel the human element of figures who have been made larger-than-life by their roles in history.
March 13, 2026
The House of Boleyn by Tracy Borman is a great historical fiction that revisits the infamous family.
I just love Ms Borman, and I always enjoy her writing. Normally I read her nonfiction, but interspersed are true gems of fiction.
I enjoyed this visit back to Tudor England and the infamous family that were at the center of it all during those turbulent and pivotal times.
The author keeps things new and fresh, and weaves a story with multiple points of view to give a more rounded effect for the reader and also adds a bit of her own personal flare to the historical story lines.
I enjoyed this novel and recommend it to anyone that enjoys Tudor-era history.
4/5 stars
Thank you NG and Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/4/26.
I just love Ms Borman, and I always enjoy her writing. Normally I read her nonfiction, but interspersed are true gems of fiction.
I enjoyed this visit back to Tudor England and the infamous family that were at the center of it all during those turbulent and pivotal times.
The author keeps things new and fresh, and weaves a story with multiple points of view to give a more rounded effect for the reader and also adds a bit of her own personal flare to the historical story lines.
I enjoyed this novel and recommend it to anyone that enjoys Tudor-era history.
4/5 stars
Thank you NG and Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/4/26.
July 15, 2026
Familiar story, but a different take from the usual
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4 ⭐️
The House of Boleyn is a historical fiction novel by Tracy Borman that explores the story of the infamous second wife of Henry VIII and the mother of Queen Elizabeth Tudor. The novel delves into the events within the Boleyn family that led to one of the most tragic downfalls of power and the eventual end of the Tudor reign.
This book leans heavily on the fictional side of historical fiction, with POVs from imagined servants and many creative liberties taken with rumors and gossip. Initially, it read like a reality TV show set in the Tudor era. It took me about 35–40% to really get into it, as the pacing is a bit slow and keeping track of the servants was somewhat frustrating.
However, once we get to the part where Anne enters Henry VIII’s court, things pick up. We do get Anne’s POV for a while, but it is mostly limited to her reflecting on or recounting her interactions with the King while she is at Hever Castle. Eventually, we no longer get her POV, as she does not return to Hever Castle. Instead, we learn of events through Thomas Boleyn (Anne’s father), Jane Boleyn (Anne’s sister-in-law), and what the servants hear in town.
Even though I knew how the story would end, I couldn’t help wishing it would end differently. I kept feeling grateful that I was not born in a time when women were simply pawns for the entertainment of men, a time when a clever, outspoken woman was considered either a heretic or a whore, or both. Then I was reminded that there are still people in the world who wish to return to such a time, and how precarious women’s freedom truly is.
Overall, this was a decent retelling of the story, exploring the butterfly effect of events and what might have happened if even one moment had gone differently.
Do make sure to read the author’s note at the end for a breakdown of the factual and fictional elements.
The House of Boleyn is a historical fiction novel by Tracy Borman that explores the story of the infamous second wife of Henry VIII and the mother of Queen Elizabeth Tudor. The novel delves into the events within the Boleyn family that led to one of the most tragic downfalls of power and the eventual end of the Tudor reign.
This book leans heavily on the fictional side of historical fiction, with POVs from imagined servants and many creative liberties taken with rumors and gossip. Initially, it read like a reality TV show set in the Tudor era. It took me about 35–40% to really get into it, as the pacing is a bit slow and keeping track of the servants was somewhat frustrating.
However, once we get to the part where Anne enters Henry VIII’s court, things pick up. We do get Anne’s POV for a while, but it is mostly limited to her reflecting on or recounting her interactions with the King while she is at Hever Castle. Eventually, we no longer get her POV, as she does not return to Hever Castle. Instead, we learn of events through Thomas Boleyn (Anne’s father), Jane Boleyn (Anne’s sister-in-law), and what the servants hear in town.
Even though I knew how the story would end, I couldn’t help wishing it would end differently. I kept feeling grateful that I was not born in a time when women were simply pawns for the entertainment of men, a time when a clever, outspoken woman was considered either a heretic or a whore, or both. Then I was reminded that there are still people in the world who wish to return to such a time, and how precarious women’s freedom truly is.
Overall, this was a decent retelling of the story, exploring the butterfly effect of events and what might have happened if even one moment had gone differently.
Do make sure to read the author’s note at the end for a breakdown of the factual and fictional elements.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy!
Borman means for you to very much take the title literally, as 'House of Boleyn' is all about events that take place at Hever Castle during the Boleyn ownership period. Its very Downtown Abbey - the huge changes of a time period as observed by the upstairs/downstairs members of a specific place.
Borman takes all the facts - the birth, wedding, death dates, the letters and contracts, the memorial stones and castle upgrades, the medicine and food of the era, etc., and then fills in the gaps with the most soap opera angle possible every time. Every known event is given the most salacious motivation possible, almost to the point of ridiculousness, but it certainly makes for an entertaining read as it refuses almost every time to take a well worn path.
My biggest grip is it gives a VERY misogynist treatment to Mary Boleyn, ignoring all the latest research into what was a more likely situation, but it certainly fits the theme of all things Hever and Boleyn being involved in scandal one way or another.
July 2, 2026
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5, but rounded up for good writing style.
This book gave an interesting perspective to events that I know really well. It was very well-written and, of course, well-researched (Borman being one of the chief curators at Hampton Court Palace - listening to her narrate parts of the audioguide tour of HCP while reading this book was doubly fun!). She did insert some fictional characters, as she acknowledges at the end of the book, which I never mind. I didn't love her interpretation of the servant Cranwell's involvement, though, simply because his name is too similar to two other major players at the Tudor court: Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Cromwell. Overall, an enjoyable read, but not one of my favorite Tudor books.
3.5, but rounded up for good writing style.
This book gave an interesting perspective to events that I know really well. It was very well-written and, of course, well-researched (Borman being one of the chief curators at Hampton Court Palace - listening to her narrate parts of the audioguide tour of HCP while reading this book was doubly fun!). She did insert some fictional characters, as she acknowledges at the end of the book, which I never mind. I didn't love her interpretation of the servant Cranwell's involvement, though, simply because his name is too similar to two other major players at the Tudor court: Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Cromwell. Overall, an enjoyable read, but not one of my favorite Tudor books.
July 4, 2026
This book was a really refreshing take on the story of the Boleyns' rise and fall during the reign of Henry VIII.
Having read so much about Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, I wanted to go into this with no expectations other than the meticulous research for which Tracy Borman is renowned. I've not read any of her other fiction, so I had no basis for comparison, and I was careful not to read any other reviews beforehand.
There are some things we will never know as fact, and that is an author's playground. I liked that themes of sexuality and motive are explored differently from how they have been portrayed before. Thomas Boleyn may not have been the scheming, ambition-without-conscience courtier he is often depicted as, and Lady Jane Rochford may never have spoken openly against her husband or hidden a son or daughter from the fallout that engulfed the family.
I particularly enjoyed that many of our insights into the family come from the servants' perspective. They had just as much to lose from the family's fall from grace and would have formed close connections through their daily service, whether those feelings were of loyalty, affection, or even dislike. Ester's story seemed to bind together the threads of the female leads, and I especially enjoyed reading from her perspective.
Robert Cranwell was written so well that I was left with a lingering sense of dislike for him, and his dismissal at the end of the book felt like a measure of justice amid so many tragic events.
I actually read this book while visiting Hever Castle, and both the castle and its surrounding grounds truly came to life through the story.
I would very much recommend this book, particularly to readers looking for a different perspective on the Boleyn family and their place in Tudor history.
Having read so much about Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, I wanted to go into this with no expectations other than the meticulous research for which Tracy Borman is renowned. I've not read any of her other fiction, so I had no basis for comparison, and I was careful not to read any other reviews beforehand.
There are some things we will never know as fact, and that is an author's playground. I liked that themes of sexuality and motive are explored differently from how they have been portrayed before. Thomas Boleyn may not have been the scheming, ambition-without-conscience courtier he is often depicted as, and Lady Jane Rochford may never have spoken openly against her husband or hidden a son or daughter from the fallout that engulfed the family.
I particularly enjoyed that many of our insights into the family come from the servants' perspective. They had just as much to lose from the family's fall from grace and would have formed close connections through their daily service, whether those feelings were of loyalty, affection, or even dislike. Ester's story seemed to bind together the threads of the female leads, and I especially enjoyed reading from her perspective.
Robert Cranwell was written so well that I was left with a lingering sense of dislike for him, and his dismissal at the end of the book felt like a measure of justice amid so many tragic events.
I actually read this book while visiting Hever Castle, and both the castle and its surrounding grounds truly came to life through the story.
I would very much recommend this book, particularly to readers looking for a different perspective on the Boleyn family and their place in Tudor history.
June 25, 2026
Once again Tracy Borman proves to be the Queen of Boleyn history while being a fabulous storyteller, both in fiction and non-fiction.
I enjoyed this take on the Boleyn family history, not just focusing on Anne herself, but those in her family and the household staff.
I enjoyed this take on the Boleyn family history, not just focusing on Anne herself, but those in her family and the household staff.
June 30, 2026
Loved this book and especially the parts about Jane Boleyn - always felt she had some ‘bad press’, intriguing notion to think she may have had a son.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
After seeing that Janet Wertman had read this book (and reading the description), I thought, "Ooo! That sounds interesting! Let me request this on NetGalley!"
I hesitated when I saw the author was Tracy Borman, but I thought, "Eh, it was just one book. Let me give this a shot."
I honestly need to learn to do better research on my reading, because I've tried more of Tracy's work than I thought.
(Warning: a quote from every one I've tried ahead.)
Eesh. Sorry to the folks at Grove Atlantic who allowed me to have this via NetGalley a few months in advance. I guess I shouldn't have tried reading this. (I almost wasn't going to rate this book as an apology, but there's an issue that I'd rather not ignore.)
~*~
And now for my usual nitpicks and general opinions:
I always find myself checking things when they set off little red flags in my mind. Not that I consider myself a Tudor scholar by any stretch; more that I have an eye for when something doesn’t ring true. The first successful flag was early on in this book: Mary having an abortion in 1513. Having read more Tudor books than I can possibly count in the last 20+ years (I don’t think I even have them all recorded here), you’d think someone would’ve brought it up before this. The only thing I can figure is that Tracy took a little creative license to explain why Thomas Boleyn suddenly pushed for Mary to go to Europe the following year, and also laying the foundation for her reputation as a loose woman at the French court—despite other authors’ insistence that Francis raped her and ruined her reputation.
John de Cobham didn’t build Hever. According to the castle’s website, he only put crenellations on it. It was actually passed down through the de Cobham family for several generations.
The amount of time spent on the sex life of the inhabitants of Hever is annoying. I don’t care who’s bonking who. I wanted to read about the Boleyn family, not the Real Housewives of Hever! (I’m skipping the Cranwell sections from now on. It doesn’t add to the story whatever and he's a giant asshole.)
Apparently the idea that Tom Boleyn probably died of the sweating sickness was too boring for the author, so that's why she made up the thing about Buckingham’s son killing him. I realize if the cause of death is uncertain, you can take liberties like that; but don’t you think that a nobly born boy would know better to push another kid into the river over a simple argument? If he had a reputation of misbehaving that badly, you’d think that the tutor would go out after them to herd them back into the classroom. In the other books I’ve read, tutors of that era didn't brook any bullshit.
I find it interesting that the author invented a whole side story with Margaret Butler’s memory issues, but completely glossed over a major event like the Field of Cloth of Gold. I know Elizabeth Boleyn has never gotten much of a mention in any of the books I’ve read that deal with Anne and her life, but you’d think if there was even a nugget of historical evidence that Elizabeth was a total bitch, someone would’ve seized on it! (Sounds like a total Pippa move, actually!)
There is no way on Goddess's green earth that Anne was simply leading Henry Percy on simply to keep James Butler at bay. If Thomas and Elizabeth were set on Anne marrying James, no amount of dallying with other men would've thrown them off. While it's true that other authors have depicted them meeting at court and had James acting possessive, their betrothal wasn't James's idea, so what would he care if she was making googly eyes at another man?
Although Tracy hinted at it in a previous chapter, twelve is where she finally spelled it out: Jane (Parker) Boleyn is a lesbian.
Not only that, but she got involved with a woman who ended up being sent to be a maid in some faraway place, and rather than Having a Talk with her, the Parkers ignored the whole thing, leaving Jane free to lust after (and get bizarrely attached to) her sister-in-law.
WHAT?!
So she couldn't have helped her in-laws just to get her philandering husband to pay attention to her, and to make sure she got in good with the future queen (I'm sure being chief lady-in-waiting was the most lucrative position possible), she had to be a lesbian?
That's exactly why this is a DNF for me.
And I thought inventing an entire trilogy about a historical figure being accused of witchcraft when she never was was bad!
I hesitated when I saw the author was Tracy Borman, but I thought, "Eh, it was just one book. Let me give this a shot."
I honestly need to learn to do better research on my reading, because I've tried more of Tracy's work than I thought.
(Warning: a quote from every one I've tried ahead.)
...I was under the impression that this book (or rather the trilogy, since I got them as an omnibus) would tell a story of how Balthazar, Melchior and Gaspar decided to travel together...Nope. The primary driver of this one is one of three pieces of a staff that Moses once owned, and Gaspar is barely mentioned...(Star of Wonder)
I wanted to hang on until Cato saw Ariella battle, but after six chapters, I gave up. This book just didn't have the same hook as Petra: City of Stone and that's what lost me.(City on Fire)
Isn’t it a little too convenient that just when Cassia is seemingly on death’s doorstep, she has a vision of Jesus and suddenly converts? Just like the final chapter ends a hair too tidily when the love interest’s brother converts!(Petra)
Two people died in the same chapter and I still didn't find it exciting enough!(Isle of Shadows)
First and foremost: FRANCES GORGES WAS NEVER ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT!(The King's Witch)
Are we supposed to think that [Sir] Walter [Raleigh] believes that because Frances was brought up on charges of being a witch, that she is a witch, despite being exonerated? If that's the case, why is he even working with her?(The Devil's Slave)
When writing a book, the author needs to ensure that the reader has a reason to continue, and anyone who has successfully managed to get out of their emo/goth stage will surely not want to continue this dreadful trilogy.(The Fallen Angel)
Eesh. Sorry to the folks at Grove Atlantic who allowed me to have this via NetGalley a few months in advance. I guess I shouldn't have tried reading this. (I almost wasn't going to rate this book as an apology, but there's an issue that I'd rather not ignore.)
~*~
And now for my usual nitpicks and general opinions:
I always find myself checking things when they set off little red flags in my mind. Not that I consider myself a Tudor scholar by any stretch; more that I have an eye for when something doesn’t ring true. The first successful flag was early on in this book: Mary having an abortion in 1513. Having read more Tudor books than I can possibly count in the last 20+ years (I don’t think I even have them all recorded here), you’d think someone would’ve brought it up before this. The only thing I can figure is that Tracy took a little creative license to explain why Thomas Boleyn suddenly pushed for Mary to go to Europe the following year, and also laying the foundation for her reputation as a loose woman at the French court—despite other authors’ insistence that Francis raped her and ruined her reputation.
John de Cobham didn’t build Hever. According to the castle’s website, he only put crenellations on it. It was actually passed down through the de Cobham family for several generations.
The amount of time spent on the sex life of the inhabitants of Hever is annoying. I don’t care who’s bonking who. I wanted to read about the Boleyn family, not the Real Housewives of Hever! (I’m skipping the Cranwell sections from now on. It doesn’t add to the story whatever and he's a giant asshole.)
Apparently the idea that Tom Boleyn probably died of the sweating sickness was too boring for the author, so that's why she made up the thing about Buckingham’s son killing him. I realize if the cause of death is uncertain, you can take liberties like that; but don’t you think that a nobly born boy would know better to push another kid into the river over a simple argument? If he had a reputation of misbehaving that badly, you’d think that the tutor would go out after them to herd them back into the classroom. In the other books I’ve read, tutors of that era didn't brook any bullshit.
I find it interesting that the author invented a whole side story with Margaret Butler’s memory issues, but completely glossed over a major event like the Field of Cloth of Gold. I know Elizabeth Boleyn has never gotten much of a mention in any of the books I’ve read that deal with Anne and her life, but you’d think if there was even a nugget of historical evidence that Elizabeth was a total bitch, someone would’ve seized on it! (Sounds like a total Pippa move, actually!)
There is no way on Goddess's green earth that Anne was simply leading Henry Percy on simply to keep James Butler at bay. If Thomas and Elizabeth were set on Anne marrying James, no amount of dallying with other men would've thrown them off. While it's true that other authors have depicted them meeting at court and had James acting possessive, their betrothal wasn't James's idea, so what would he care if she was making googly eyes at another man?
Although Tracy hinted at it in a previous chapter, twelve is where she finally spelled it out: Jane (Parker) Boleyn is a lesbian.
Not only that, but she got involved with a woman who ended up being sent to be a maid in some faraway place, and rather than Having a Talk with her, the Parkers ignored the whole thing, leaving Jane free to lust after (and get bizarrely attached to) her sister-in-law.
WHAT?!
So she couldn't have helped her in-laws just to get her philandering husband to pay attention to her, and to make sure she got in good with the future queen (I'm sure being chief lady-in-waiting was the most lucrative position possible), she had to be a lesbian?
That's exactly why this is a DNF for me.
And I thought inventing an entire trilogy about a historical figure being accused of witchcraft when she never was was bad!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Every book that seeks to retell an infamous person or moment in history has to find its own hook, its reason to distinguish itself from the rest that crowd the market.
So it is with 'The House of Boleyn' which makes the choice to have almost all the action take place at Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn. This gives us the chance to delve into the lives of the servants who work for the Boleyn's to differing degrees of success. I have to admit, all the maids blended into one character in my mind and while I know one of them went on an adventure, I couldn't tell you how her character was any different to any of the others.
The weakness in this idea becomes apparent in the second half of the book. All the momentous events are happening at court where Henry and Anne are, so not only are we left with secondary characters but we are forced to hear about events at one step removed. There is so much 'telling' over 'showing' because of the choice to anchor the story there. Having two women gossiping over things such as Elizabeth's birth, Catherine's death etc does sort of make it less interesting. The same with Thomas Boleyn (depicted here as a good, well meaning father who doesn't want Anne to marry the King, but merely be happy) reading a letter from Anne about dramatic events.
I have to wonder what was the point in pretending Margaret Butler had memory issues in order to seize her inheritance, only to have her then instantly collapse into really having those issues? Why not just have that to start with? All it does is labour the point that certain characters are evil. And there is enough of that. There is no subtly here, no shades of grey. The villains are truly wicked, black through and through.
There were plenty of odd choices, some desire to stoke up drama at Hever itself perhaps but inventing all manner of murder, betrayal and blackmail. The Boleyn's lives were dramatic enough, yet those events are all but brushed aside because they didn't happen at Hever.
Also Jane Boleyn (nee Parker) was... well few characters in this book bare much resemblance to their historical counterparts but Jane I think was done the worst. There were some major hints about her sexuality that went absolutely nowhere and did nothing for the plot or the character, or even her motivations for anything. She started out well but by the end of it she had done things directly opposite to what we know she did.
These people were messy, they did good and bad, but you wouldn't know that to read this book. In this book all the Boleyn's were completely innocent, good people who were eventually betrayed by people they should have been able to trust except for one who married in and then their loyalties were of course to their own house over the new one, even with children involved.
Some of the scenes were beautifully written, I loved the relationship between Anne and her grandmother, it was great to see her have that support and support someone in return. I also like any book that shows Henry as the horrible man he was, so bonus points there. There is clearly a lot of love of Hever Castle in the writer's heart, as it is so magically conjured up. The epilogue was a nice little touch as well, a vision of a victory and sets the stage for what happens next in these people's lives.
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
So it is with 'The House of Boleyn' which makes the choice to have almost all the action take place at Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn. This gives us the chance to delve into the lives of the servants who work for the Boleyn's to differing degrees of success. I have to admit, all the maids blended into one character in my mind and while I know one of them went on an adventure, I couldn't tell you how her character was any different to any of the others.
The weakness in this idea becomes apparent in the second half of the book. All the momentous events are happening at court where Henry and Anne are, so not only are we left with secondary characters but we are forced to hear about events at one step removed. There is so much 'telling' over 'showing' because of the choice to anchor the story there. Having two women gossiping over things such as Elizabeth's birth, Catherine's death etc does sort of make it less interesting. The same with Thomas Boleyn (depicted here as a good, well meaning father who doesn't want Anne to marry the King, but merely be happy) reading a letter from Anne about dramatic events.
I have to wonder what was the point in pretending Margaret Butler had memory issues in order to seize her inheritance, only to have her then instantly collapse into really having those issues? Why not just have that to start with? All it does is labour the point that certain characters are evil. And there is enough of that. There is no subtly here, no shades of grey. The villains are truly wicked, black through and through.
There were plenty of odd choices, some desire to stoke up drama at Hever itself perhaps but inventing all manner of murder, betrayal and blackmail. The Boleyn's lives were dramatic enough, yet those events are all but brushed aside because they didn't happen at Hever.
Also Jane Boleyn (nee Parker) was... well few characters in this book bare much resemblance to their historical counterparts but Jane I think was done the worst. There were some major hints about her sexuality that went absolutely nowhere and did nothing for the plot or the character, or even her motivations for anything. She started out well but by the end of it she had done things directly opposite to what we know she did.
These people were messy, they did good and bad, but you wouldn't know that to read this book. In this book all the Boleyn's were completely innocent, good people who were eventually betrayed by people they should have been able to trust except for one who married in and then their loyalties were of course to their own house over the new one, even with children involved.
Some of the scenes were beautifully written, I loved the relationship between Anne and her grandmother, it was great to see her have that support and support someone in return. I also like any book that shows Henry as the horrible man he was, so bonus points there. There is clearly a lot of love of Hever Castle in the writer's heart, as it is so magically conjured up. The epilogue was a nice little touch as well, a vision of a victory and sets the stage for what happens next in these people's lives.
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Tracy Borman is a highly-regarded historian and author of several nonfiction books of Tudor-era history. She is regularly interviewed on documentaries and podcasts, and speaks and writes eloquently about the Tudors and the world they lived in. So one would assume that, with such credentials, Borman would be the perfect choice to write novels set in Tudor England. Unfortunately, her eloquence does not carry over from nonfiction to fiction.
The House of Boleyn is Borman's fourth historical novel. Set during the reign of King Henry VIII, it delves into the world of the Boleyn family, whose extraordinary rise and precipitous fall continue to fascinate us five hundred years later. This novel seeks to give readers a different view of the Boleyns, and takes place entirely within the confines of Hever Castle, where Anne Boleyn spent her childhood and retreated to now and then after her return to England around 1520. Thanks to this conceit, we see a different, more domestic side of the Boleyn family as well as seeing things from the perspective of some of their servants.
This is where part of the problem begins. By trying to showcase both the courtly politics the Boleyns were involved in as well as the workaday events of the servants' lives, The House of Boleyn loses focus entirely. It wants to be both a historically accurate take on the Boleyns and also to speculate on what their servants' lives might have been like, and as a result it ends up doing both things poorly. Historical events are commented upon with clunky dialogue, while the threads of the servants' lives are picked up and put down at random while their storylines have no effect on the greater plot. This is a book that wants to have the scale of something like Downton Abbey, but does not have the pages necessary to fully explore the lives of so many characters across the span of nearly thirty years. As a result, none of the characters are fully fleshed out and Borman relies on the reader's general knowledge of the Boleyns to carry the story along.
Had Borman decided to write solely about the lives of the servants of Hever Castle, it could have been a fascinating story of ordinary lives lived among extraordinary events. Jo Baker did something similar to excellent effect in her book Longbourn, about the servants behind the scenes of Pride and Prejudice. Instead, The House of Boleyn is a book with clunky writing that doesn't focus on much of anything, doesn't carry its plot threads through the book in a coherent manner, and is full of flat characters who never really feel alive. They just act as mouthpieces for political commentary when they're not badmouthing each other's sex lives. Please, can authors and directors stop acting like Mary Boleyn and Jane Rochford were the worst people ever? Mary is slut-shamed every time her name is mentioned while Jane Rochford becomes a pathetic figure endlessly sighing over someone she can never have.
Whenever I picked this book up to read it again, I thought of other Tudor-based works that were much more interesting, if less historically accurate, namely Brief Gaudy Hour by Margaret Campbell Barnes or *gasp* the Showtime series, The Tudors.
I picked this book up because I find Anne Boleyn fascinating, but Borman is better suited to writing nonfiction. I'll keep reading her histories, but I'm not going to be reading more of her fiction anytime soon.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the free advance copy for review.
The House of Boleyn is Borman's fourth historical novel. Set during the reign of King Henry VIII, it delves into the world of the Boleyn family, whose extraordinary rise and precipitous fall continue to fascinate us five hundred years later. This novel seeks to give readers a different view of the Boleyns, and takes place entirely within the confines of Hever Castle, where Anne Boleyn spent her childhood and retreated to now and then after her return to England around 1520. Thanks to this conceit, we see a different, more domestic side of the Boleyn family as well as seeing things from the perspective of some of their servants.
This is where part of the problem begins. By trying to showcase both the courtly politics the Boleyns were involved in as well as the workaday events of the servants' lives, The House of Boleyn loses focus entirely. It wants to be both a historically accurate take on the Boleyns and also to speculate on what their servants' lives might have been like, and as a result it ends up doing both things poorly. Historical events are commented upon with clunky dialogue, while the threads of the servants' lives are picked up and put down at random while their storylines have no effect on the greater plot. This is a book that wants to have the scale of something like Downton Abbey, but does not have the pages necessary to fully explore the lives of so many characters across the span of nearly thirty years. As a result, none of the characters are fully fleshed out and Borman relies on the reader's general knowledge of the Boleyns to carry the story along.
Had Borman decided to write solely about the lives of the servants of Hever Castle, it could have been a fascinating story of ordinary lives lived among extraordinary events. Jo Baker did something similar to excellent effect in her book Longbourn, about the servants behind the scenes of Pride and Prejudice. Instead, The House of Boleyn is a book with clunky writing that doesn't focus on much of anything, doesn't carry its plot threads through the book in a coherent manner, and is full of flat characters who never really feel alive. They just act as mouthpieces for political commentary when they're not badmouthing each other's sex lives. Please, can authors and directors stop acting like Mary Boleyn and Jane Rochford were the worst people ever? Mary is slut-shamed every time her name is mentioned while Jane Rochford becomes a pathetic figure endlessly sighing over someone she can never have.
Whenever I picked this book up to read it again, I thought of other Tudor-based works that were much more interesting, if less historically accurate, namely Brief Gaudy Hour by Margaret Campbell Barnes or *gasp* the Showtime series, The Tudors.
I picked this book up because I find Anne Boleyn fascinating, but Borman is better suited to writing nonfiction. I'll keep reading her histories, but I'm not going to be reading more of her fiction anytime soon.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the free advance copy for review.
May 27, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance reader copy.
More like 3.5 but rounded to 4
I've read the author's non-fiction works and was therefore looking forward to this novel, I'm aware this is a fictional portrayal of the history, but I was surprised--given the author's credentials--at some of the plot and character choices made. My perspective as someone who's studied and read a lot about the Tudors, including fiction and non-fiction works:
The Positives
(1) I loved the intergenerational approach to the Boleyns and the focus on Hever. That was a nice change in perspective.
(2) Yes to a positive portrayal of Thomas Boleyn. Too often he gets the same negative depiction as the "greedy, corrupt father who forces Anne to Henry," so it was refreshing to portray him as still ambitious but caring for his children, who's aware of the danger being with Henry causes, and actually wants Anne away from Henry.
(3) Lady Maragret and Esther are great characters. I like getting the perspective of the servants in these kinds of stories.
The Negatives
(1) Elizabeth and Mary Boleyn. Sigh. Thomas Boleyn is finally decent but then the author throws Anne's mother under the bus for no reason. It's okay for Anne to have two decent parents. It felt like a narrative copout to replace the evil father with the "evil mother" and on top of that to actually use the salacious gossip about Elizabeth Howard spread by Anne's enemies. Like, why? Similarly, author goes for the same "Mary Boleyn whore" portrayal, even making her "a slut" before France. Again, it was totally unnecessary.
(2) The narrative is choppy. Next chapters can jump a year or two later. I don't mind time skips when done well, but the author wanted to cover too much in too few pages and so events (and people) are given short space. It almost feels like a checklist or highlights approach to the story. I suppose this is the tradeoff of having so many characters. Maybe it would have been better to have less POVs to maintain a tighter narrative.
(3) Anne and Wyatt. I'm so tired of this one, but beyond my personal dislike, the way their consummation happens makes no logical sense based on Anne's character so far. I can maybe see something BEFORE her involvement with Henry, but Anne wasn't stupid. No way would she jeopardize her position by that point in time in the novel to sleep with Wyatt. The reason provided by the author is flimsy (MINOR SPOILER: let's make Henry nearly assault her so she'll decide to lose her virginity to someone else--what???).
(4) Cranwell (not Cromwell, different characters). Felt like a plot device for "villainy." Plenty of other nasty characters could have used the page space and would have been more interesting. Esther could still exist without him. The end for the character was unsatisfying too.
Overall, I read the novel in one go, so that's a plus. I enjoyed the different perspective of Thomas Boleyn and the inclusion of Lady Margaret, but for a novel that's supposed to challenge streotypes, the novel still uses many when it comes to a lot of the female characters, which suprised me.
More like 3.5 but rounded to 4
I've read the author's non-fiction works and was therefore looking forward to this novel, I'm aware this is a fictional portrayal of the history, but I was surprised--given the author's credentials--at some of the plot and character choices made. My perspective as someone who's studied and read a lot about the Tudors, including fiction and non-fiction works:
The Positives
(1) I loved the intergenerational approach to the Boleyns and the focus on Hever. That was a nice change in perspective.
(2) Yes to a positive portrayal of Thomas Boleyn. Too often he gets the same negative depiction as the "greedy, corrupt father who forces Anne to Henry," so it was refreshing to portray him as still ambitious but caring for his children, who's aware of the danger being with Henry causes, and actually wants Anne away from Henry.
(3) Lady Maragret and Esther are great characters. I like getting the perspective of the servants in these kinds of stories.
The Negatives
(1) Elizabeth and Mary Boleyn. Sigh. Thomas Boleyn is finally decent but then the author throws Anne's mother under the bus for no reason. It's okay for Anne to have two decent parents. It felt like a narrative copout to replace the evil father with the "evil mother" and on top of that to actually use the salacious gossip about Elizabeth Howard spread by Anne's enemies. Like, why? Similarly, author goes for the same "Mary Boleyn whore" portrayal, even making her "a slut" before France. Again, it was totally unnecessary.
(2) The narrative is choppy. Next chapters can jump a year or two later. I don't mind time skips when done well, but the author wanted to cover too much in too few pages and so events (and people) are given short space. It almost feels like a checklist or highlights approach to the story. I suppose this is the tradeoff of having so many characters. Maybe it would have been better to have less POVs to maintain a tighter narrative.
(3) Anne and Wyatt. I'm so tired of this one, but beyond my personal dislike, the way their consummation happens makes no logical sense based on Anne's character so far. I can maybe see something BEFORE her involvement with Henry, but Anne wasn't stupid. No way would she jeopardize her position by that point in time in the novel to sleep with Wyatt. The reason provided by the author is flimsy (MINOR SPOILER: let's make Henry nearly assault her so she'll decide to lose her virginity to someone else--what???).
(4) Cranwell (not Cromwell, different characters). Felt like a plot device for "villainy." Plenty of other nasty characters could have used the page space and would have been more interesting. Esther could still exist without him. The end for the character was unsatisfying too.
Overall, I read the novel in one go, so that's a plus. I enjoyed the different perspective of Thomas Boleyn and the inclusion of Lady Margaret, but for a novel that's supposed to challenge streotypes, the novel still uses many when it comes to a lot of the female characters, which suprised me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I would like to firstly thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would happily read more of Tracy Borman's stories in the future.
One thing that stood of to me in this book was the musings of Lady Elizabeth (Mary and Anne's mother) about Lady Margaret (their grandmother). I found them to be of dark humour and of a great power-struggle fought between the two.
"Elizabeth was sure that out of shire spite she would wait until she had seen her son's wife dead and buried before finally releasing her grip on this world".
The interweaving of all the characters was exceptional. One moment it is from the view (all 3rd person) of Lady Elizabeth, then of Lady Margaret, then Aphra (a housemaid), Jane (George's wife), Thomas (Mary, Anne ans George's father) etc. It made the story interesting and seen from many angles all at once. You feel for characters that would have been more of a side-note in history (as in authors notes: Lady Margaret) and see their story, as much as more well-known figures.
Thomas and Aphra's story was so bittersweet and genuanly brought a tear to my eye. Thomas as a whole has a bittersweet life, from the outside you would think he had everything he wanted but really he wanted a more simpler life and not have to pretend. This story could be perceived as Thomas's story, more than Anne's. The love for his children, especially Anne: "But it didn't stop him thinking of her every moment, creeping up to her bedchamber after the rest of the household had retired amd sitting outside her door, listening to the muffled sound of her weeping'.
Then for his first son:
'He had been avenged from Tom's death but could take little pleasure from it. It was like being dressed in a dead man's clothes'
The amount of detail that Borman writes makes history comes to life on the pages, it is exquisite. You can really feel how they must of felt at the time and can imagine it as it was. These people were real and we all know the history that played out but she makes the reader feel their emotions and not just read the names and the unfolding of events.
Some of the language used, in the period, is sometimes hard to understand and feels a little unnecessary at times. But, it doesn't detract and does enhance the atmosphere of the story, in places. (Authors notes say that some of the wording is actually from letters written of the time, which makes it much more interesting).
Full of twists and court/ household intrigue. Short stories all mingled together, making it an easy and compelling read. The story flows naturally and when there is a chunk of time passing this is done very well, using dates as markers.
The ending, although bittersweet, was written wonderfully. The tragedies that befell the Boelyns, are a well-known history, but the light ending was much needed and a welcome. We started with Thomas grieving in his study and end with smiles from Elizabeth.
From a personal perspective, I love to read names I know so well and places I know fondly. This was most definitely a five-star read.
5⭐️
0🌶
One thing that stood of to me in this book was the musings of Lady Elizabeth (Mary and Anne's mother) about Lady Margaret (their grandmother). I found them to be of dark humour and of a great power-struggle fought between the two.
"Elizabeth was sure that out of shire spite she would wait until she had seen her son's wife dead and buried before finally releasing her grip on this world".
The interweaving of all the characters was exceptional. One moment it is from the view (all 3rd person) of Lady Elizabeth, then of Lady Margaret, then Aphra (a housemaid), Jane (George's wife), Thomas (Mary, Anne ans George's father) etc. It made the story interesting and seen from many angles all at once. You feel for characters that would have been more of a side-note in history (as in authors notes: Lady Margaret) and see their story, as much as more well-known figures.
Thomas and Aphra's story was so bittersweet and genuanly brought a tear to my eye. Thomas as a whole has a bittersweet life, from the outside you would think he had everything he wanted but really he wanted a more simpler life and not have to pretend. This story could be perceived as Thomas's story, more than Anne's. The love for his children, especially Anne: "But it didn't stop him thinking of her every moment, creeping up to her bedchamber after the rest of the household had retired amd sitting outside her door, listening to the muffled sound of her weeping'.
Then for his first son:
'He had been avenged from Tom's death but could take little pleasure from it. It was like being dressed in a dead man's clothes'
The amount of detail that Borman writes makes history comes to life on the pages, it is exquisite. You can really feel how they must of felt at the time and can imagine it as it was. These people were real and we all know the history that played out but she makes the reader feel their emotions and not just read the names and the unfolding of events.
Some of the language used, in the period, is sometimes hard to understand and feels a little unnecessary at times. But, it doesn't detract and does enhance the atmosphere of the story, in places. (Authors notes say that some of the wording is actually from letters written of the time, which makes it much more interesting).
Full of twists and court/ household intrigue. Short stories all mingled together, making it an easy and compelling read. The story flows naturally and when there is a chunk of time passing this is done very well, using dates as markers.
The ending, although bittersweet, was written wonderfully. The tragedies that befell the Boelyns, are a well-known history, but the light ending was much needed and a welcome. We started with Thomas grieving in his study and end with smiles from Elizabeth.
From a personal perspective, I love to read names I know so well and places I know fondly. This was most definitely a five-star read.
5⭐️
0🌶
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In Hever Castle groeien Mary, George en Anne op als kinderen van diplomaat Thomas Boleyn die steeds meer verantwoordelijkheden krijgt van koning Henry VIII. Hij stuurt zijn beide dochters naar het hof van Mechelen of Frankrijk en wanneer ze terugkeren vangen ze één voor één het oog van de koning. Maar Anne is niet van plan om zomaar zijn maitresse te worden.
Dit boek kon ook een vijfsterrenboek zijn, maar uiteindelijk neemt Borman iets veel vrijheden met Jane Parker's verhaal dat ik het toch wat te far-fetched vond.
Borman kiest voor het verhaal van Anne Boleyn. Ik ben altijd wat bang dan, want wat heb je nog voor nieuws toe te voegen? Dus toen ik het eerste hoofdstuk las vanuit Anne's eerste persoon geschreven en haar zus Mary meteen werd afgedaan als een losbandig meisje en er gehint werd naar haar moeder's relatie met Henry VIII dacht ik echt: oh boy, dit wordt niets.
Maar plots verandert de toon van het boek. Het gaat over de Boleyns en Hever Castle, hun thuis, staat centraal. De titel The house of Boleyn krijgt zo een dubbele betekenis. Naast Anne, haar vader Thomas en later ook Jane Parker, krijgen ook de bediendes een stem. Zo krijgt het een boek een beetje een Downton Abbey gevoel. Dat en het feit dat Hever en niet het hof de centrale plek is maakt een heel origineel verhaal.
Het boek gaat als een rotvaart door de jaren heen. Anne's jeugd, haar tijd in het buitenland, haar terugkeer, haar opkomst en haar downfall worden allemaal gecoverd. Vanuit mensen die dicht bij haar stonden.
Het boek kiest ook tussen kwaad en goed. In dit boek is Thomas Boleyn een bezorgde vader en Elizabeth Howard de slechte moeder, en bij uitbreiding de hele familie Howard en ook de Buckinghams. Jane Parker is dan weer wel goed. Ik vond het origineel wat Borman met haar deed, zeker ook omdat haar huwelijk met George niet helemaal als slecht wordt neergezet. Maar haar een kind doen krijgen is misschien de stap te ver. Misschien is mijn grootste kritiek wel dat Bornam's personages allemaal nogal eendimensionaal zijn.
Behalve Anne. Deze Anne is best realistisch neergezet. Ze is niet slecht en ze is niet heilig. Anne kiest op een gegeven moment voor het koninginschap, Anne geeft om haar familie én op het einde wordt ze zo angstig dat ze om zich heen slaat en te veel vijanden maakt. Mijns inziens komt dit dicht bij de echte Anne.
Ook Margaret Butler, Anne's grootmoeder, heeft een grote rol in dit boek en zij wordt heel vaak vergeten. Vermoedelijk had ze een grote invloed op haar kleinkinderen en zorgde ze ook door haar edele afkomst dat haar zoon Thomas in de eerste plaats een plek aan het hof heeft gekregen.
De bijverhalen rond de bediende, vooral Esther en Richard Carnwell, hadden misschien niet gehoeven, maar waren wel vermakelijk en fijn als insteek voor het boek.
Dus ja, waarschijnlijk de meest originele insteek van de vele boeken die over de Boleyns worden uitgebracht dit jaar. Daarom alleen al de moeite waard.
Bedankt aan Netgalley en de uitgever voor een exemplaar van dit boek in ruil voor mijn eerlijke mening.
Dit boek kon ook een vijfsterrenboek zijn, maar uiteindelijk neemt Borman iets veel vrijheden met Jane Parker's verhaal dat ik het toch wat te far-fetched vond.
Borman kiest voor het verhaal van Anne Boleyn. Ik ben altijd wat bang dan, want wat heb je nog voor nieuws toe te voegen? Dus toen ik het eerste hoofdstuk las vanuit Anne's eerste persoon geschreven en haar zus Mary meteen werd afgedaan als een losbandig meisje en er gehint werd naar haar moeder's relatie met Henry VIII dacht ik echt: oh boy, dit wordt niets.
Maar plots verandert de toon van het boek. Het gaat over de Boleyns en Hever Castle, hun thuis, staat centraal. De titel The house of Boleyn krijgt zo een dubbele betekenis. Naast Anne, haar vader Thomas en later ook Jane Parker, krijgen ook de bediendes een stem. Zo krijgt het een boek een beetje een Downton Abbey gevoel. Dat en het feit dat Hever en niet het hof de centrale plek is maakt een heel origineel verhaal.
Het boek gaat als een rotvaart door de jaren heen. Anne's jeugd, haar tijd in het buitenland, haar terugkeer, haar opkomst en haar downfall worden allemaal gecoverd. Vanuit mensen die dicht bij haar stonden.
Het boek kiest ook tussen kwaad en goed. In dit boek is Thomas Boleyn een bezorgde vader en Elizabeth Howard de slechte moeder, en bij uitbreiding de hele familie Howard en ook de Buckinghams. Jane Parker is dan weer wel goed. Ik vond het origineel wat Borman met haar deed, zeker ook omdat haar huwelijk met George niet helemaal als slecht wordt neergezet. Maar haar een kind doen krijgen is misschien de stap te ver. Misschien is mijn grootste kritiek wel dat Bornam's personages allemaal nogal eendimensionaal zijn.
Behalve Anne. Deze Anne is best realistisch neergezet. Ze is niet slecht en ze is niet heilig. Anne kiest op een gegeven moment voor het koninginschap, Anne geeft om haar familie én op het einde wordt ze zo angstig dat ze om zich heen slaat en te veel vijanden maakt. Mijns inziens komt dit dicht bij de echte Anne.
Ook Margaret Butler, Anne's grootmoeder, heeft een grote rol in dit boek en zij wordt heel vaak vergeten. Vermoedelijk had ze een grote invloed op haar kleinkinderen en zorgde ze ook door haar edele afkomst dat haar zoon Thomas in de eerste plaats een plek aan het hof heeft gekregen.
De bijverhalen rond de bediende, vooral Esther en Richard Carnwell, hadden misschien niet gehoeven, maar waren wel vermakelijk en fijn als insteek voor het boek.
Dus ja, waarschijnlijk de meest originele insteek van de vele boeken die over de Boleyns worden uitgebracht dit jaar. Daarom alleen al de moeite waard.
Bedankt aan Netgalley en de uitgever voor een exemplaar van dit boek in ruil voor mijn eerlijke mening.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Tracy Borman, The House of Boleyn A Novel, Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press, August 2026.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Tracy Borman’s novel is a broader reflection on Anne Boleyn’s attitude to her relationship with Henry V111 than usual. This has its pitfalls, as secondary characters whose vital roles were unrecorded must be partially fictionalised; it also has its advantages in that Borman is able to speculate about characters, often suggesting possibilities that question the way in they have been depicted in other historical fiction and non-fiction. The introduction, with Thomas Boleyn returning to Hever Castle, mourning the loss of his two children is an indication of where this novel might lead. It is intriguing, as not only does it provide Thomas Boleyn with a more positive image, it also questions the way in which fathers related to daughters in the period. Their role as unrelenting searchers for self-advantage through their female relatives is undermined by his self-reflection throughout the novel.
The servants in the Boleyn household, are given important positions in the narrative. Their conduct demonstrates that it was not only at court that subordinates could wield destructive power. The court intrigue and the role of public figures about which a great deal is known, together with the intricate weaving of fiction is a valuable contribution to understanding the Tudor world and within it, the Boleyn family. That one or another figure or event might be wholly fiction does not detract from the way in which Borman is able to create a world that is believable.
In this novel, the historian meets the fiction writer in a splendid depiction of the Boleyn family, its servants, its relationship with the court and the monarch, and its relationship with the smaller world within Hever Castle. When Anne places her hand on Henry’s chest and feels the sharp jewels, her fate is foreshadowed – a clever device and use of imagination. Where imagination is used to not only enhance the narrative and fill in plots and characterisation for which there is little or no evidence, but can infer or foreshadow events that are known, a writer of merit is at work.
An epilogue records Thomas Boleyn’s last years and death; Jane Boleyn’s continuing influence after her difficult beginning in the house of Boleyn; and Anne of Cleves’ introduction to the Tudor Court and Elizabeth. In an author’s note Borman explains her interest in retrieving and imagining Anne Boleyn’s early life and that of her siblings as well as that of her similarly less well-known grandmother. She also describes where evidence and imagination meet, including the way in which various servants are depicted and the possibilities she explores at the end of the novel.
Tracy Borman’s creativity and historical knowledge combine tin an engaging narrative, further enriched by her author’s note explaining her use of each element.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Tracy Borman’s novel is a broader reflection on Anne Boleyn’s attitude to her relationship with Henry V111 than usual. This has its pitfalls, as secondary characters whose vital roles were unrecorded must be partially fictionalised; it also has its advantages in that Borman is able to speculate about characters, often suggesting possibilities that question the way in they have been depicted in other historical fiction and non-fiction. The introduction, with Thomas Boleyn returning to Hever Castle, mourning the loss of his two children is an indication of where this novel might lead. It is intriguing, as not only does it provide Thomas Boleyn with a more positive image, it also questions the way in which fathers related to daughters in the period. Their role as unrelenting searchers for self-advantage through their female relatives is undermined by his self-reflection throughout the novel.
The servants in the Boleyn household, are given important positions in the narrative. Their conduct demonstrates that it was not only at court that subordinates could wield destructive power. The court intrigue and the role of public figures about which a great deal is known, together with the intricate weaving of fiction is a valuable contribution to understanding the Tudor world and within it, the Boleyn family. That one or another figure or event might be wholly fiction does not detract from the way in which Borman is able to create a world that is believable.
In this novel, the historian meets the fiction writer in a splendid depiction of the Boleyn family, its servants, its relationship with the court and the monarch, and its relationship with the smaller world within Hever Castle. When Anne places her hand on Henry’s chest and feels the sharp jewels, her fate is foreshadowed – a clever device and use of imagination. Where imagination is used to not only enhance the narrative and fill in plots and characterisation for which there is little or no evidence, but can infer or foreshadow events that are known, a writer of merit is at work.
An epilogue records Thomas Boleyn’s last years and death; Jane Boleyn’s continuing influence after her difficult beginning in the house of Boleyn; and Anne of Cleves’ introduction to the Tudor Court and Elizabeth. In an author’s note Borman explains her interest in retrieving and imagining Anne Boleyn’s early life and that of her siblings as well as that of her similarly less well-known grandmother. She also describes where evidence and imagination meet, including the way in which various servants are depicted and the possibilities she explores at the end of the novel.
Tracy Borman’s creativity and historical knowledge combine tin an engaging narrative, further enriched by her author’s note explaining her use of each element.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I’m picky as hell when it comes to historical fiction. There’s so much bad out there that it just really put me off. But what I’ve found is that historical fiction written by respected historians is – 9 times out of 10 – bloody brilliant. And Tracy Borman didn’t let me down. In short, I adored this book from start to finish.
The House of Boleyn tells the tale of the rise and fall of the Boleyn family – a story that has been told countless times. Anne Boleyn’s story fascinates people so it’s not wonder that so many authors have fictionalised it – many going for the usual lies and rumours that have plagued her for years such as incest. Yes, I’ve read novels where Anne has been portrayed sleeping with her brother. This book though? This book treats those rumours exactly as what they were – rumours. Borman has the story show how such rumours were twisted and twisted until they were ‘believed’ by Henry VIII and he snaps, having her arrested and executed simply because she was unable to provide him with a male heir. Of course certain things in the story have been changed, which is to be expected in historical fiction, but Borman provides a detailed authors note at the end of the book to explain just what and why these things have been changed and added.
The story gallops on at a pace that had me not wanting to put it down – I ended up finishing it in two days which is unheard of for me. Borman is a natural at story telling, making the characters both real and fictionalised feel human. They have flaws. They have emotions. They feel real. I particularly enjoyed how Borman portrayed the fears of Anne in particularly, as well as the fears of her father and the servants. It surprised me that the servants had such a part to play in the story – this is rare in fiction about the Tudors, or the royal family in general. It felt very Downton Abbey, and we were able to get the point of view of those below stairs, how some of them came to become friends with their masters and mistresses and how many of them would have really felt about the fast rising Anne Boleyn. I can imagine that there were those below stairs who believed that Catherine of Aragon was the true Queen of England. It’s such an interesting perspective that I would love to see more of in the future.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history and the Tudors. It’s a rare gem in a genre in which you often find books that are just…not good. Borman, a highly respected Tudor historian who knows the history and the locations that the story is set in well (especially Hever), has written something that I would consider close to a masterpiece in the genre. She has given a new perspective on the Boleyn story, showing us just what the private lives of these people might have been like and how even those close to Anne Boleyn were able to have their opinions twisted thanks to the vicious rumours at the time.
5/5
The House of Boleyn tells the tale of the rise and fall of the Boleyn family – a story that has been told countless times. Anne Boleyn’s story fascinates people so it’s not wonder that so many authors have fictionalised it – many going for the usual lies and rumours that have plagued her for years such as incest. Yes, I’ve read novels where Anne has been portrayed sleeping with her brother. This book though? This book treats those rumours exactly as what they were – rumours. Borman has the story show how such rumours were twisted and twisted until they were ‘believed’ by Henry VIII and he snaps, having her arrested and executed simply because she was unable to provide him with a male heir. Of course certain things in the story have been changed, which is to be expected in historical fiction, but Borman provides a detailed authors note at the end of the book to explain just what and why these things have been changed and added.
The story gallops on at a pace that had me not wanting to put it down – I ended up finishing it in two days which is unheard of for me. Borman is a natural at story telling, making the characters both real and fictionalised feel human. They have flaws. They have emotions. They feel real. I particularly enjoyed how Borman portrayed the fears of Anne in particularly, as well as the fears of her father and the servants. It surprised me that the servants had such a part to play in the story – this is rare in fiction about the Tudors, or the royal family in general. It felt very Downton Abbey, and we were able to get the point of view of those below stairs, how some of them came to become friends with their masters and mistresses and how many of them would have really felt about the fast rising Anne Boleyn. I can imagine that there were those below stairs who believed that Catherine of Aragon was the true Queen of England. It’s such an interesting perspective that I would love to see more of in the future.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history and the Tudors. It’s a rare gem in a genre in which you often find books that are just…not good. Borman, a highly respected Tudor historian who knows the history and the locations that the story is set in well (especially Hever), has written something that I would consider close to a masterpiece in the genre. She has given a new perspective on the Boleyn story, showing us just what the private lives of these people might have been like and how even those close to Anne Boleyn were able to have their opinions twisted thanks to the vicious rumours at the time.
5/5
Review of advance copy
Tracy Boreman has delivered again with an exciting read that draws well on history but has inventive fiction elements.
Anne is seen as holding Henry off, not to manipulate him but to avoid the fate of her sister Mary. Anne is entering a court that knows her sister’s history and infamy. The so-called "guinee" or "hacquenée d'Angleterre" "a very great whore, the most infamous of all" (Francis 1 King of France) are not names that Anne wants to acquire.
In an interesting aside, Anne and Mary’s grandmother, Lady Margaret Boleyn nee Butler is taunted that she was forced into a lowly Boleyn marriage because her own reputation was sullied.
Anne is offered the prize of Queenship by Henry, except she has to endure an almost rape and his slobbery lovemaking. This is not a love match.
Thomas Boleyn is seen as a protective father rather than how he is normally portrayed as a father who is willing to prostitute out his daughters for advancement. He’s a very sympathetic character, highly intelligent and capable, having to endure his wife’s brother, the offensive Duke of Norfolk who is determined to climb to greater heights off his family’s backs. Thomas withdraws his daughter from court back to Hever Castle, the family seat, but this only serves to make Henry more interested.
One of the most fascinating character readjustments is of Lady Jane Rochford. In the many books I’ve read on her, she is often perceived as calculating and cunning. In this novel, she is presented as having a sapphic interest in Anne. There’s no evidence for this, but Borman has her loyal to Anne and her husband, which is consistent with historical record. There is no historical evidence that Jane betrayed her husband. Instead, she wrote notes to him while he was in prison in the Tower of London saying she will intercede for him.
The author also has Lady Rochford giving birth to a son but having to give him up in order to save him from the predations the Boleyns suffered after Anne’s fall. She is basing this on the rumours about the Dean of Lichfied, George Boleyn, who was rumoured to be their son, though this is to create tension in the story rather than belief.
The viewpoints of Anne’s mother, Elizabeth and Boleyn servants deepen the narrative creating a wider tension. Elizabeth Boleyn leaves Thomas, after the death of her son and daughter. Alison Weir told me personally that Elizabeth went mad. What mother wouldn’t? Elizabeth Boleyn died two years after the deaths of her children. She passed away in the London home of the Abbot of Reading and was buried in the Howard family chapel.
This is a book that will have you crying even though you know what’s going to happen. It’s well written with a few narrative surprises for historical readers.
Anne is seen as holding Henry off, not to manipulate him but to avoid the fate of her sister Mary. Anne is entering a court that knows her sister’s history and infamy. The so-called "guinee" or "hacquenée d'Angleterre" "a very great whore, the most infamous of all" (Francis 1 King of France) are not names that Anne wants to acquire.
In an interesting aside, Anne and Mary’s grandmother, Lady Margaret Boleyn nee Butler is taunted that she was forced into a lowly Boleyn marriage because her own reputation was sullied.
Anne is offered the prize of Queenship by Henry, except she has to endure an almost rape and his slobbery lovemaking. This is not a love match.
Thomas Boleyn is seen as a protective father rather than how he is normally portrayed as a father who is willing to prostitute out his daughters for advancement. He’s a very sympathetic character, highly intelligent and capable, having to endure his wife’s brother, the offensive Duke of Norfolk who is determined to climb to greater heights off his family’s backs. Thomas withdraws his daughter from court back to Hever Castle, the family seat, but this only serves to make Henry more interested.
One of the most fascinating character readjustments is of Lady Jane Rochford. In the many books I’ve read on her, she is often perceived as calculating and cunning. In this novel, she is presented as having a sapphic interest in Anne. There’s no evidence for this, but Borman has her loyal to Anne and her husband, which is consistent with historical record. There is no historical evidence that Jane betrayed her husband. Instead, she wrote notes to him while he was in prison in the Tower of London saying she will intercede for him.
The author also has Lady Rochford giving birth to a son but having to give him up in order to save him from the predations the Boleyns suffered after Anne’s fall. She is basing this on the rumours about the Dean of Lichfied, George Boleyn, who was rumoured to be their son, though this is to create tension in the story rather than belief.
The viewpoints of Anne’s mother, Elizabeth and Boleyn servants deepen the narrative creating a wider tension. Elizabeth Boleyn leaves Thomas, after the death of her son and daughter. Alison Weir told me personally that Elizabeth went mad. What mother wouldn’t? Elizabeth Boleyn died two years after the deaths of her children. She passed away in the London home of the Abbot of Reading and was buried in the Howard family chapel.
This is a book that will have you crying even though you know what’s going to happen. It’s well written with a few narrative surprises for historical readers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The House of Boleyn is a historical fiction told through the lens of Hever Castle. Giving us glimpses into the lives of those housed within, the story is told as more of a collection of alternating POV's stories- snippets, and clips that, all combined, represent a complex, rich tapestry of what might have happened behind Hever's walls. This is definitely a story for those familiar with the Tudor era and the Boleyn family.
While I don't know that I necessarily stand on the same side as Borman in her interpretations and understandings of a history we will never have a full picture of, this was a captivating and enjoyable read. It certainly painted our Anne in a much different light- one of a schemer but also a bit naïve in how the scheming may end up. Put her father in the role of a man who loved her deeply, had no role in her success, and at times, tried to prevent her future. Borman admits in the author's notes that this is her interpretation and has proof to it. However, without the explicit proof, as one would have in a historical biography, I am still skeptical (or perhaps too stubborn to change my opinion). While I disagree with some of the motivations, tweaks to the characters, and timelines, I can honestly say this was one of the first historical fiction works about Boleyn that felt worth the read. Anne has such depth that so few people seem to want to bestow upon her. She's conflicted in her actions and is portrayed as not having a love for Henry but following her father's ambitions and actions. It's refreshing to see her painted as a woman who, in a time where women's power was limited to behind the scenes, attempted everything she could for the benefit of her family over the benefit of her self.
I loved the redemption it gives to certain figures, especially Jane. I enjoyed being immersed in the narration and how Borman really brought these people to life. They all have different motivations and drives that come across as very authentic and clear to the reader. I think telling this story in the disjointed, spaced-out narrative was really the most successful part of the story. It refreshes a convoluted and complicated history by showcasing the most relevant information through different narrative lenses.
If The Tudors and books by Alison Weir are your comfort entertainment, then I think The House of Boleyn will most certainly fit right in with those. It's a compelling, entertaining read that manages to make a well-known story feel fresh and suspenseful, as if you were hearing it for the first time.
Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
While I don't know that I necessarily stand on the same side as Borman in her interpretations and understandings of a history we will never have a full picture of, this was a captivating and enjoyable read. It certainly painted our Anne in a much different light- one of a schemer but also a bit naïve in how the scheming may end up. Put her father in the role of a man who loved her deeply, had no role in her success, and at times, tried to prevent her future. Borman admits in the author's notes that this is her interpretation and has proof to it. However, without the explicit proof, as one would have in a historical biography, I am still skeptical (or perhaps too stubborn to change my opinion). While I disagree with some of the motivations, tweaks to the characters, and timelines, I can honestly say this was one of the first historical fiction works about Boleyn that felt worth the read. Anne has such depth that so few people seem to want to bestow upon her. She's conflicted in her actions and is portrayed as not having a love for Henry but following her father's ambitions and actions. It's refreshing to see her painted as a woman who, in a time where women's power was limited to behind the scenes, attempted everything she could for the benefit of her family over the benefit of her self.
I loved the redemption it gives to certain figures, especially Jane. I enjoyed being immersed in the narration and how Borman really brought these people to life. They all have different motivations and drives that come across as very authentic and clear to the reader. I think telling this story in the disjointed, spaced-out narrative was really the most successful part of the story. It refreshes a convoluted and complicated history by showcasing the most relevant information through different narrative lenses.
If The Tudors and books by Alison Weir are your comfort entertainment, then I think The House of Boleyn will most certainly fit right in with those. It's a compelling, entertaining read that manages to make a well-known story feel fresh and suspenseful, as if you were hearing it for the first time.
Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I went into The House of Boleyn by Tracy Borman with a bit of hesitation. Let’s be honest; the Tudor court is well-trodden ground. I have read so many books on this specific family that I wondered if even a historian of Borman's caliber could offer a fresh pulse. The story follows Thomas Boleyn from his first summons to court in 1509 through the rise and sudden collapse of his daughters, Anne and Mary. It is a solid effort, though for me, the familiarity of the events meant it did not quite hit that emotional peak I hoped for.
Borman stays close to the facts she knows so well. She populates the court with figures like Thomas Cromwell and Cardinal Wolsey, but she also adds fictional voices like the attendant Esther and the steward Robert Cranwell. These additions help ground the high-stakes politics in something more personal. I found the focus on Thomas Boleyn’s perspective interesting; it shifts the weight toward the father’s ambition and how he steered his children toward a throne that eventually became a scaffold. However, because I knew every beat of the tragedy beforehand, the suspense felt a bit thin.
The writing is clean and lacks the heavy, decorative prose that usually bogs down historical fiction. Borman chooses a direct style that favors detail over sentiment. It is an intellectual approach to a story that is usually told with much more melodrama. While I respect the restraint, there were times I wanted the narrative to move me more. It feels like a very well-researched reconstruction where the gears of history turn exactly as they should, but perhaps too predictably for someone who has lived in this period of history for years.
There is a clear link between the Boleyn ambition and our modern obsession with status. The family’s trajectory is a classic study of how fast one can fall when they base their value on the favor of a temperamental power. Borman captures the atmosphere of the court well; it is a place of gifts and political gains that can turn into a bloodbath at a moment's notice. It is a professional, polished work, even if the "newness" of the story was not quite there for me.
If you are new to the Boleyns or want a version that sticks to the historical bones with a bit of imaginative flesh, this is a great choice. It is a reliable, intellectual piece of fiction. For those of us who have read every diary and biography out there, it is a solid, albeit familiar, walk through a very famous ruin. It is worth the time for the accuracy alone; just do not expect it to rewrite what you already know.
Borman stays close to the facts she knows so well. She populates the court with figures like Thomas Cromwell and Cardinal Wolsey, but she also adds fictional voices like the attendant Esther and the steward Robert Cranwell. These additions help ground the high-stakes politics in something more personal. I found the focus on Thomas Boleyn’s perspective interesting; it shifts the weight toward the father’s ambition and how he steered his children toward a throne that eventually became a scaffold. However, because I knew every beat of the tragedy beforehand, the suspense felt a bit thin.
The writing is clean and lacks the heavy, decorative prose that usually bogs down historical fiction. Borman chooses a direct style that favors detail over sentiment. It is an intellectual approach to a story that is usually told with much more melodrama. While I respect the restraint, there were times I wanted the narrative to move me more. It feels like a very well-researched reconstruction where the gears of history turn exactly as they should, but perhaps too predictably for someone who has lived in this period of history for years.
There is a clear link between the Boleyn ambition and our modern obsession with status. The family’s trajectory is a classic study of how fast one can fall when they base their value on the favor of a temperamental power. Borman captures the atmosphere of the court well; it is a place of gifts and political gains that can turn into a bloodbath at a moment's notice. It is a professional, polished work, even if the "newness" of the story was not quite there for me.
If you are new to the Boleyns or want a version that sticks to the historical bones with a bit of imaginative flesh, this is a great choice. It is a reliable, intellectual piece of fiction. For those of us who have read every diary and biography out there, it is a solid, albeit familiar, walk through a very famous ruin. It is worth the time for the accuracy alone; just do not expect it to rewrite what you already know.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.25-4.5* (Not sure why it's saying Spoiler alert??)
It's authors like Tracy Borman who make history come alive! Her passion for the Tudor period is infectious, and her ability to make historical figures feel real is one of the reasons I enjoyed her work so much.
Aswell as being an author with several novels, Tracy is also a British historian, broadcaster, and professor and chancellor of Tudor history. She was also awarded an OBE for her services to heritage. I first discovered her on YouTube, I love watching her on the many documentaries and podcasts she is in, especially those produced by the charity Historic Royal Palaces (where she is a Chief Historian). Her knowledge and enthusiasm truly shine!
In this book, we follow not only Anne Boleyn but also her wider family, their household staff, and many of the influential figures at Henry VIII's court. In many ways, the story focuses just as much on the people surrounding Anne as it does on Anne herself, which gives a fascinating insight into the world she lived in.
As a Brit myself, I was especially delighted to read the passages about Framlingham. It's where I grew up, and I'm very familiar with Framlingham Castle. It's also where Ed Sheeran, the singer, grew up too, he wrote a song inspired by this castle!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Tudor history. If you're new to the period, I'd suggest familiarising yourself with the main historical figures beforehand. What would have made this book a 5 star, would have been for it to have had a family tree or dramatis personae at the beginning of the book. I think this would have been a helpful introduction to the characters prior to reading, especially as several in this period of time shared the same name such as Anne, Mary, and Thomas. I drew up a quick family tree as I went in order to help me with who's who and what's what. Once I got familiar, I was then able to get more into the story and enjoy it.
One character who particularly stood out was Anne's uncle, Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk. As head of one of England's most powerful noble families, he came across in this book as utterly self-serving and ruthless, caring only about advancing his own interests. History is so fascinating!
I was truly honoured to be given the opportunity to read and review this eARC! Tracy Borman is an author I greatly admire, and I wish her every success with this book's release. I can't wait to read more of her work!
I received a free advanced reader copy and am leaving my honest review voluntarily. #NetGalley
It's authors like Tracy Borman who make history come alive! Her passion for the Tudor period is infectious, and her ability to make historical figures feel real is one of the reasons I enjoyed her work so much.
Aswell as being an author with several novels, Tracy is also a British historian, broadcaster, and professor and chancellor of Tudor history. She was also awarded an OBE for her services to heritage. I first discovered her on YouTube, I love watching her on the many documentaries and podcasts she is in, especially those produced by the charity Historic Royal Palaces (where she is a Chief Historian). Her knowledge and enthusiasm truly shine!
In this book, we follow not only Anne Boleyn but also her wider family, their household staff, and many of the influential figures at Henry VIII's court. In many ways, the story focuses just as much on the people surrounding Anne as it does on Anne herself, which gives a fascinating insight into the world she lived in.
As a Brit myself, I was especially delighted to read the passages about Framlingham. It's where I grew up, and I'm very familiar with Framlingham Castle. It's also where Ed Sheeran, the singer, grew up too, he wrote a song inspired by this castle!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Tudor history. If you're new to the period, I'd suggest familiarising yourself with the main historical figures beforehand. What would have made this book a 5 star, would have been for it to have had a family tree or dramatis personae at the beginning of the book. I think this would have been a helpful introduction to the characters prior to reading, especially as several in this period of time shared the same name such as Anne, Mary, and Thomas. I drew up a quick family tree as I went in order to help me with who's who and what's what. Once I got familiar, I was then able to get more into the story and enjoy it.
One character who particularly stood out was Anne's uncle, Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk. As head of one of England's most powerful noble families, he came across in this book as utterly self-serving and ruthless, caring only about advancing his own interests. History is so fascinating!
I was truly honoured to be given the opportunity to read and review this eARC! Tracy Borman is an author I greatly admire, and I wish her every success with this book's release. I can't wait to read more of her work!
I received a free advanced reader copy and am leaving my honest review voluntarily. #NetGalley
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The story of the Boleyns has been an area of fascination for Tudor and history nerds for centuries. There are hundreds of novels and nonfiction books specifically about this family and their rise and fall from grace in the court of King Henry VIII. Most of these books focus on the Boleyns inside the court, but there was another place where the Boleyns shined: their home of Hever Castle. The Boleyns did not live by themselves at Hever; there were also the servants who served them throughout the entire saga. Tracy Borman explores the Boleyns and the lives of their servants over the course of three decades in her latest novel, “The House of Boleyn.”
I would like to thank Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have been such a fan of Tracy Borman’s nonfiction books for years, and I know she has written historical fiction novels, but I have yet to read any of them. When I heard that she was writing a novel based on the lives of the Boleyns, I knew I wanted to read it, especially after reading her nonfiction books about the Boleyns. I wanted to see how she would interpret the lives of the Boleyns in a novel.
This novel is very much what happens if Downton Abbey met the Tudors in the best possible way, with elements of the upstairs, the Boleyns, and the downstairs, the servants. Even certain characters remind me of Downton characters, whether intentional or not, which I loved. We start in the year 1512 and see Anne’s relationship with her older sister Mary, the black sheep of the family, and her grandmother, Lady Margaret, before their lives change forever. We get to see a softer side of Thomas Boleyn, one who actually cares about his children, and Elizabeth Boleyn, who has a favorite child, which was George. Downstairs, we have loyal Esther, who served Anne, the scoundrel Cranwell, and Aphra, who served Lady Margaret even though she had her own secret. It is the characters in this book who shine, but it is the way Borman portrays Jane Boleyn that is truly special, as she is seen as more sympathetic than as a villainous figure.
While a lot of the events are known, Borman adds some twists and turns in this novel that I was not expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised by their inclusion. Out of all the novels that I have read about the Boleyns, this is one of my favorites. The Boleyns came alive for me while reading this novel. I cannot wait to see what Borman will write about next. If you love reading about the Boleyns, you simply must read “The House of Boleyn” by Tracy Borman.
I would like to thank Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have been such a fan of Tracy Borman’s nonfiction books for years, and I know she has written historical fiction novels, but I have yet to read any of them. When I heard that she was writing a novel based on the lives of the Boleyns, I knew I wanted to read it, especially after reading her nonfiction books about the Boleyns. I wanted to see how she would interpret the lives of the Boleyns in a novel.
This novel is very much what happens if Downton Abbey met the Tudors in the best possible way, with elements of the upstairs, the Boleyns, and the downstairs, the servants. Even certain characters remind me of Downton characters, whether intentional or not, which I loved. We start in the year 1512 and see Anne’s relationship with her older sister Mary, the black sheep of the family, and her grandmother, Lady Margaret, before their lives change forever. We get to see a softer side of Thomas Boleyn, one who actually cares about his children, and Elizabeth Boleyn, who has a favorite child, which was George. Downstairs, we have loyal Esther, who served Anne, the scoundrel Cranwell, and Aphra, who served Lady Margaret even though she had her own secret. It is the characters in this book who shine, but it is the way Borman portrays Jane Boleyn that is truly special, as she is seen as more sympathetic than as a villainous figure.
While a lot of the events are known, Borman adds some twists and turns in this novel that I was not expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised by their inclusion. Out of all the novels that I have read about the Boleyns, this is one of my favorites. The Boleyns came alive for me while reading this novel. I cannot wait to see what Borman will write about next. If you love reading about the Boleyns, you simply must read “The House of Boleyn” by Tracy Borman.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
**Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the advance copy**
As someone who has read more Tudor fiction than I can count, I wasn't sure there was much left to surprise me about the Boleyn family. Tracy Borman proved me wrong.
Rather than focusing solely on Anne Boleyn, The House of Boleyn tells the story of the entire family, beginning with Anne as a young girl and following the ambitions, loyalties, and rivalries that shaped one of history's most infamous dynasties. I especially appreciated that the novel looked beyond the well-known figures to include Lady Margaret Boleyn and even imagined the lives of the servants at Hever Castle. Those perspectives made the world feel richer and more immersive.
One of my favorite aspects of this novel was how Borman reimagines familiar historical figures without losing sight of the historical record. Anne is portrayed as intelligent, ambitious, and deeply human. Thomas Boleyn is given motivations that differ from the traditional portrayal, George Boleyn is fascinating in his own right, and Jane Parker is presented in a way I never expected. Whether these interpretations are historical fact or carefully considered speculation, they made me see these well-known figures from a fresh perspective.
The political maneuvering, shifting loyalties, gossip, and constant uncertainty of Henry VIII's court are vividly brought to life. The writing is atmospheric and beautifully descriptive while never shying away from the brutality of Tudor England. It's a reminder that survival often depended on knowing when to speak, when to stay silent, and whose favor to seek.
Because the novel spans decades and includes a large cast of historical figures, I did find myself occasionally referencing the Boleyn family tree, especially early on. Readers who are newer to Tudor history may find that helpful as well.
What truly elevates this novel is Tracy Borman's background as a historian. Her extensive research shines through every page, and I highly recommend reading the Author's Note at the end. I always enjoy learning where history ends and the author's imagination begins, and Borman is refreshingly transparent about both.
If you love richly researched historical fiction, the Tudor period, complex family dynamics, and stories that make familiar history feel new again, The House of Boleyn is one I wholeheartedly recommend.
**Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the advance copy**
As someone who has read more Tudor fiction than I can count, I wasn't sure there was much left to surprise me about the Boleyn family. Tracy Borman proved me wrong.
Rather than focusing solely on Anne Boleyn, The House of Boleyn tells the story of the entire family, beginning with Anne as a young girl and following the ambitions, loyalties, and rivalries that shaped one of history's most infamous dynasties. I especially appreciated that the novel looked beyond the well-known figures to include Lady Margaret Boleyn and even imagined the lives of the servants at Hever Castle. Those perspectives made the world feel richer and more immersive.
One of my favorite aspects of this novel was how Borman reimagines familiar historical figures without losing sight of the historical record. Anne is portrayed as intelligent, ambitious, and deeply human. Thomas Boleyn is given motivations that differ from the traditional portrayal, George Boleyn is fascinating in his own right, and Jane Parker is presented in a way I never expected. Whether these interpretations are historical fact or carefully considered speculation, they made me see these well-known figures from a fresh perspective.
The political maneuvering, shifting loyalties, gossip, and constant uncertainty of Henry VIII's court are vividly brought to life. The writing is atmospheric and beautifully descriptive while never shying away from the brutality of Tudor England. It's a reminder that survival often depended on knowing when to speak, when to stay silent, and whose favor to seek.
Because the novel spans decades and includes a large cast of historical figures, I did find myself occasionally referencing the Boleyn family tree, especially early on. Readers who are newer to Tudor history may find that helpful as well.
What truly elevates this novel is Tracy Borman's background as a historian. Her extensive research shines through every page, and I highly recommend reading the Author's Note at the end. I always enjoy learning where history ends and the author's imagination begins, and Borman is refreshingly transparent about both.
If you love richly researched historical fiction, the Tudor period, complex family dynamics, and stories that make familiar history feel new again, The House of Boleyn is one I wholeheartedly recommend.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Oh but for lack of knowledge of the “y” chromosome Anne Boleyn might not have been beheaded or even had married Henry VIII and history would be so different. But that didn’t happen until 396 years after Anne’s beheading in 1536 where this riveting historical fiction novel begins.
Borman has created such a wonderful story bringing a more palatable Anne Boleyn to life - and I’ve never been a fan of Anne but I felt more sympathetic toward her in the storytelling of this book. While probably untrue as Borman writes in her end notes, making Anne give up the true love of her life, Thomas Wyatt, is a tenderly written moment into the novel. Though Anne retains in the book history’s view of her strategy to stave off Henry’s advances as calculating, after that scene with Wyatt you feel maybe her family’s dynastic desires were more the reason.
The book is centered almost entirely in and around Hever Castle, where Anne grew up and which was later given to Anne of Cleves after her divorce from Henry. The books buzzes with the life of the servants, the interior descriptions and a sense of flavor about Tudor life.
The cast of characters, real and fictitious, add a depth and richness to the story. Esther’s and Robert Cranwell’s story was especially entertaining (she’s fictional but he was real though not much was known about him so Borman took some license to make him into a villain). I liked Esther and Lady Margaret’s maid, Aphra (fictional as well). Thomas Boleyn is made more palatable too than in he is in history. Loved Lady Margaret (her story was true as she was). And happy to see Jane Boleyn less of a villain as she has been made to appear. The characters are one of the strengths of this novel as is their humanness that emerges.
In Anne’s story we see the importance and power of family, the venality of men and power, and what desperation does. The book is accurate to historical events which is important (be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end) I think in assuring that while the storytelling may divert on character building, it does not on plot since it is historical fiction.
Highly recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for allowing me access to this ARC - and to Blackwell’s from whom I got the British published version of this book.
Borman has created such a wonderful story bringing a more palatable Anne Boleyn to life - and I’ve never been a fan of Anne but I felt more sympathetic toward her in the storytelling of this book. While probably untrue as Borman writes in her end notes, making Anne give up the true love of her life, Thomas Wyatt, is a tenderly written moment into the novel. Though Anne retains in the book history’s view of her strategy to stave off Henry’s advances as calculating, after that scene with Wyatt you feel maybe her family’s dynastic desires were more the reason.
The book is centered almost entirely in and around Hever Castle, where Anne grew up and which was later given to Anne of Cleves after her divorce from Henry. The books buzzes with the life of the servants, the interior descriptions and a sense of flavor about Tudor life.
The cast of characters, real and fictitious, add a depth and richness to the story. Esther’s and Robert Cranwell’s story was especially entertaining (she’s fictional but he was real though not much was known about him so Borman took some license to make him into a villain). I liked Esther and Lady Margaret’s maid, Aphra (fictional as well). Thomas Boleyn is made more palatable too than in he is in history. Loved Lady Margaret (her story was true as she was). And happy to see Jane Boleyn less of a villain as she has been made to appear. The characters are one of the strengths of this novel as is their humanness that emerges.
In Anne’s story we see the importance and power of family, the venality of men and power, and what desperation does. The book is accurate to historical events which is important (be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end) I think in assuring that while the storytelling may divert on character building, it does not on plot since it is historical fiction.
Highly recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for allowing me access to this ARC - and to Blackwell’s from whom I got the British published version of this book.
July 28, 2026
This advanced reader’s copy was provided by NetGalley.
Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic Press for this advanced readers copy of Tracy Borman‘s The House of Boleyn in exchange for an honest review. My words are my own.
What a refreshing perspective on the Boleyn family and a carefully curated look into their intimate lives. While I can’t say that I’ve read an enormous amount of fiction about them specifically, I have read several books on Henry the VIII’s reign and the positioning of the Boleyn family in it. This was such an alternative perspective because it didn’t take place in the palace, it wasn’t centered around the tumultuous nature of the two sisters’ relationship with the king, it wasn’t a book that really had much to do with the monarchy at all in fact. The setting for the book was their property in Hever and nearly all of it remained localized there. It was almost as if the trips to the palace were inconvenient heralds that called each member of the family away from their central duties, rather than the other way around.
I sincerely appreciated that we got such a broad look into Anne’s younger life and internal self. Historical reifications usually give a great deal of weight to the sequential role of the sisters in the palace, depicting their time at court as though it were either a sparring match or an outright duel. However, this novel hardly touches on Mary and characterizes Anne as an intellectual, highlighting her time at both the Netherlands, and in the French court, and giving credence to her father’s role in cultivating her education. It wasn’t until perhaps the last 40 pages that we see any of the negative, commanding or destructive behavior that is often depicted in history.
This was truly a delightful read and a surprising one. Based on the author’s body of work, I expect this to be a dense historical novel - not so. It was like gliding down a stream with interesting banks, unfamiliar birds and unexpected, but easy curves. You are buoyed through the plot with just enough drama to remind you of the subject matter, but the kind of intense detail to the characters that steals your attention without warning. This was a phenomenal piece of historical fiction, but beyond that, it was a genuinely fascinating story that I would recommend reading for that reason alone.
Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic Press for this advanced readers copy of Tracy Borman‘s The House of Boleyn in exchange for an honest review. My words are my own.
What a refreshing perspective on the Boleyn family and a carefully curated look into their intimate lives. While I can’t say that I’ve read an enormous amount of fiction about them specifically, I have read several books on Henry the VIII’s reign and the positioning of the Boleyn family in it. This was such an alternative perspective because it didn’t take place in the palace, it wasn’t centered around the tumultuous nature of the two sisters’ relationship with the king, it wasn’t a book that really had much to do with the monarchy at all in fact. The setting for the book was their property in Hever and nearly all of it remained localized there. It was almost as if the trips to the palace were inconvenient heralds that called each member of the family away from their central duties, rather than the other way around.
I sincerely appreciated that we got such a broad look into Anne’s younger life and internal self. Historical reifications usually give a great deal of weight to the sequential role of the sisters in the palace, depicting their time at court as though it were either a sparring match or an outright duel. However, this novel hardly touches on Mary and characterizes Anne as an intellectual, highlighting her time at both the Netherlands, and in the French court, and giving credence to her father’s role in cultivating her education. It wasn’t until perhaps the last 40 pages that we see any of the negative, commanding or destructive behavior that is often depicted in history.
This was truly a delightful read and a surprising one. Based on the author’s body of work, I expect this to be a dense historical novel - not so. It was like gliding down a stream with interesting banks, unfamiliar birds and unexpected, but easy curves. You are buoyed through the plot with just enough drama to remind you of the subject matter, but the kind of intense detail to the characters that steals your attention without warning. This was a phenomenal piece of historical fiction, but beyond that, it was a genuinely fascinating story that I would recommend reading for that reason alone.
August 4, 2026
Tudor history is crowded with retellings of Anne Boleyn’s rise and fall, but Tracy Borman—renowned Tudor historian and former Chief Historian of Historic Royal Palaces—carves out vivid, compelling new ground by anchoring the saga not just at court, but within the stone walls of Hever Castle, the Boleyn family home. Centering the estate as witness and refuge, she weaves together noble family and household staff perspectives, crafting a rich, immersive story that feels both rigorously grounded and deeply human.
Spanning three decades from 1512, the narrative moves beyond the familiar villainous archetypes: Thomas Boleyn emerges as a thoughtful, loving father torn between duty and ambition rather than a ruthless schemer; Jane Boleyn gains nuance, stripped of lazy portrayals as a manipulative villain; and alongside the famous siblings Anne, Mary and George, we follow memorable invented household voices—loyal maid Esther serving Anne, sharp-witted Aphra, and treacherous steward Robert Cranwell—whose daily labour, fears and loyalties reveal life below stairs with rare warmth and realism. The effect evokes the layered drama of Downton Abbey set against the lethal manoeuvring of Henry VIII’s court: royal favour floods Hever with gifts and prestige, then curdles as Anne fails to produce a male heir, enemies close in, and the family crumbles under accusation and execution.
Borman’s eye for sensory, authentic detail brings Hever’s gardens, chambers and kitchens alive, making the castle itself a character—a quiet constant through dizzying glory and devastating loss. While readers know the tragic ending, the shifting viewpoints build fresh tension, drawing empathy even for those caught compromisingly between survival and loyalty. The author’s note carefully marks the line between documented fact and thoughtful imaginative expansion, reassuring history purists while leaving room for emotional depth fiction uniquely allows.
A tightly written, absorbing read, The House of Boleyn avoids melodrama to explore how ambition fractures families, how power distorts truth, and how ordinary people endure history’s upheavals. It will delight established Tudor fans and newcomers alike, offering a tender, memorable portrait of a legendary family, and the home that outlasted their ruin to keep their story alive.
I loved this re-telling 😊
Spanning three decades from 1512, the narrative moves beyond the familiar villainous archetypes: Thomas Boleyn emerges as a thoughtful, loving father torn between duty and ambition rather than a ruthless schemer; Jane Boleyn gains nuance, stripped of lazy portrayals as a manipulative villain; and alongside the famous siblings Anne, Mary and George, we follow memorable invented household voices—loyal maid Esther serving Anne, sharp-witted Aphra, and treacherous steward Robert Cranwell—whose daily labour, fears and loyalties reveal life below stairs with rare warmth and realism. The effect evokes the layered drama of Downton Abbey set against the lethal manoeuvring of Henry VIII’s court: royal favour floods Hever with gifts and prestige, then curdles as Anne fails to produce a male heir, enemies close in, and the family crumbles under accusation and execution.
Borman’s eye for sensory, authentic detail brings Hever’s gardens, chambers and kitchens alive, making the castle itself a character—a quiet constant through dizzying glory and devastating loss. While readers know the tragic ending, the shifting viewpoints build fresh tension, drawing empathy even for those caught compromisingly between survival and loyalty. The author’s note carefully marks the line between documented fact and thoughtful imaginative expansion, reassuring history purists while leaving room for emotional depth fiction uniquely allows.
A tightly written, absorbing read, The House of Boleyn avoids melodrama to explore how ambition fractures families, how power distorts truth, and how ordinary people endure history’s upheavals. It will delight established Tudor fans and newcomers alike, offering a tender, memorable portrait of a legendary family, and the home that outlasted their ruin to keep their story alive.
I loved this re-telling 😊
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First off, I would like to thank Grove Atlantic| Atlantic Monthly Press and author Tracy Borman for allowing me to read this book, The House of Boleyn, via Netgalley. All opinions following are my own.
There are no shortage of novels about Anne Boleyn and her family, so I was worried this one would be dry, slow, and/or not tell readers anything new. However, by telling the story through multiple points of view and centering much of the novel around Hever Castle, she breathes new life into one of history's most familiar families. The pacing was absolutely perfect. It effortlessly balanced intimate family moments with the mounting tension surrounding the Boleyns' rise and eventual downfall. I found myself saying, "just one more chapter," far more times than I should have.
Anne Boleyn is portrayed with remarkable depth, but what truly sets this novel apart is the attention given to the people who surrounded her. Thomas Boleyn, Mary Boleyn, George Boleyn, Lady Margaret, Lady Jane, and even the household servants all feel like fully realized individuals rather than supporting players in Anne's story. I especially loved getting to know characters like Esther, Aphra, and even the sinister steward Robert Cranwell. The blend of historical figures and fictional characters is seamless, and every perspective adds another layer to the story.
Borman captures both the ambition and the humanity of the Boleyn family. This made their triumphs, fears, and heartbreak feel immediate and deeply personal. Even though I knew the historical outcome, I was completely invested in every chapter. The richly developed cast, immersive atmosphere, and compelling storytelling made this my favorite novel of 2026 so far.
Whether you're already fascinated by Anne Boleyn or simply enjoy beautifully written historical fiction with unforgettable characters, The House of Boleyn is an absolute must-read when it hits shelves this Tuesday, August 04, 2026! Tracy Borman has crafted a captivating, emotionally resonant novel that stands out even among the many books inspired by the Tudor court. I cannot recommend it highly enough, and I easily give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
There are no shortage of novels about Anne Boleyn and her family, so I was worried this one would be dry, slow, and/or not tell readers anything new. However, by telling the story through multiple points of view and centering much of the novel around Hever Castle, she breathes new life into one of history's most familiar families. The pacing was absolutely perfect. It effortlessly balanced intimate family moments with the mounting tension surrounding the Boleyns' rise and eventual downfall. I found myself saying, "just one more chapter," far more times than I should have.
Anne Boleyn is portrayed with remarkable depth, but what truly sets this novel apart is the attention given to the people who surrounded her. Thomas Boleyn, Mary Boleyn, George Boleyn, Lady Margaret, Lady Jane, and even the household servants all feel like fully realized individuals rather than supporting players in Anne's story. I especially loved getting to know characters like Esther, Aphra, and even the sinister steward Robert Cranwell. The blend of historical figures and fictional characters is seamless, and every perspective adds another layer to the story.
Borman captures both the ambition and the humanity of the Boleyn family. This made their triumphs, fears, and heartbreak feel immediate and deeply personal. Even though I knew the historical outcome, I was completely invested in every chapter. The richly developed cast, immersive atmosphere, and compelling storytelling made this my favorite novel of 2026 so far.
Whether you're already fascinated by Anne Boleyn or simply enjoy beautifully written historical fiction with unforgettable characters, The House of Boleyn is an absolute must-read when it hits shelves this Tuesday, August 04, 2026! Tracy Borman has crafted a captivating, emotionally resonant novel that stands out even among the many books inspired by the Tudor court. I cannot recommend it highly enough, and I easily give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
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