A Lady Raised High: A Novel of Anne Boleyn

Tudor Women Series #2

by Laurien Gardner

When she becomes a favorite in Anne Boleyn's court, Frances Pierce witnesses firsthand the political and religious upheaval that King Henry VIII causes when he casts aside his wife Catherine and marries Anne, setting in motion a chain of events, rife with betrayal and intrigue, that change the course of history. Original.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Tudor Period, Fiction, Historical, 16th Century, British Literature, Historical Romance

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Laurien Gardner is the penname for the historical author Julianne Ardian Lee. Ms. Lee currently resides in Tennessee and maintains a very interesting blog (filled with wonderful thoughts and anecdotes) on livejournal. She has a website that seems to be up to date as well. Ms. Lee does not have a website for her penname.

Reviews

[Lucy Bertoldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lady Raised High is the story of Frances Pierce, Anne Boleyn’s first maid-of-honour; loyal and faithful to her until the queen’s tragic end.

Frances‘father was a baronet in Hertfordshire and her mother, a French baron’s daughter. The family pretty much ran their own estate and took care of their lands and tenants. Against the proper order of things, such as finding a husband and living off the land-Frances, a seventeen year-old girl who cared more about writing poetry than learning how to fold linens, aspired to a life filled with poetry, romance and adventure.

The story begins with an adventure in itself when King Henry VIII, his hunting party, and the Lady Anne, his future bride, pass through Frances’ village. Contrary to Frances’s excitement of witnessing the event, some of the milling villagers had another kind of welcome in plan for England’s future queen…


Rather than the usual cheering and festive turnout for such an occasion, some of the local women had gathered mud to slay the hated woman who they thought bewitched the King into throwing their good Queen Catherine aside. Aware of their dangerous and humiliating plan, Frances immediately rides her horse to the receiving side to serve as shield and protector. Frances takes the blows of mud and stones for the beautiful Lady Anne.

Anne is grateful to Frances for her display of courage and protection. In turn, she summons the brave girl to her court where she appoints her as lady-in-waiting. Needless to say, this is a great disappointment to Frances’ family. Despite her beliefs, Frances’ mother understands that being at court could increase her daughter’s chances of marrying well. Hence, she concedes and gives Frances permission to go.


From then on, Frances is always by Anne’s side. Frances’ innocence, kindness and attempts to cheer through verses and rhymes endear her to her Queen. She becomes Anne’s most trusted confidante. A rarity in itself since life at court was a place where no one could be trusted. Deception and treachery abounded in every corner and Frances’ innocence led her to almost lose her ways. ..Enter Jack Carlisle…her savior in more ways than one- but also King Henry’s faithful servant and right-hand man…


The story, seen through Frances’ eyes is told with such clarity and flow that it was an absolute pleasure for me to read this. Throughout the book we encounter historical figures that play both key and minor roles in Anne’s life. I really enjoyed reading some of the dialog that Frances shared with Mary Howard, her then good friend. Tid-bits of other characters’ lives are also enmeshed into the plot-making it such an interesting and credible read. For instance, George Boleyn is an integral part of this book seen through the eyes of an infatuated young Frances, bringing about a completely different perspective that resulted in a course of events that I wasn’t expecting at all.

Another thing that was especially captivating was the way the author, Laurien Gardner, adds creative dimension without necessarily depriving her work of historical accuracy. Dialogs contain depth as well as spontaneity and the language is prim and typical of the times.
A Lady Raised High brought Anne closer and more real seen through such a devoted perspective. That said, there was neither embellishment of character nor misleading interpretations. The storyline flows, reads well and is completely absorbing. It is an excellent read for Anne Boleyn lovers and for those who care to learn more about this misunderstood queen and the lady who served her as friend, confidante and devoted subject.

Splendid!
-

[chucklesthescot · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another look at the story of Anne Boleyn, through the eyes of fictional maid Frances, who stops a crowd of local women from throwing mud at Anne. Anne decides to bring Frances to Court as one of her women, to the initial horror of her mother who supports Queen Katherine, until she realises that Court can provide her daughter with a rich husband.

Frances is not the greatest character in the world. She has a much too arrogant attitude for someone who is the lowest of Anne's personal servants. She is haughty, rude and lacks simple manners towards her social superiors. John Carlisle knows that Frances is gullible and clueless but every attempt at solid advice is rebuffed by haughty tantrums which got quite tiresome after the tenth time. He warns her that loyalty to Anne and the new learning is all well and good but she needs to pay more attention to which way the King's mind is turning in order to stay safe. Frances ignores him and instead spends her time mooning over George Boleyn. She is vain and self obsessed, always showing off her poetry and flirting with men she has no idea how to control. As always it is John to the rescue. John saves her from the clutches of King Francis, John saves her from an overeager courtier who is determined to marry her by 'spoiling' her so nobody else will have her. Seriously, what do all the men see in this stuck up annoying little peacock? She is untitled, far from rich and plain, yet the men all seem to want her!

John patiently tries to win the love of Frances but I don't get why he bothers with the brat. She sulks because he doesn't like her wonderful poetry, moans when he tries to look after her then complains when he doesn't show her any attention. I got tired of her very quickly. Poor John in constrant, is a solid, honest man who wastes so much time looking out for this airhead with no thanks at all. Even after they marry, it takes a while for Frances to grow up and stop being such a bitch all the time.

The 'romance' is set against Anne's story. We witness her trip to Calais with Henry, her first night with the King and her secret wedding through the eyes of Frances and John. The relationship between mistress and servant becomes cooler when Anne discovers poems that Frances wrote about George and accuses her of looking to marry above her station. Things get worse when Frances delivers a healthy boy when Anne cannot. I wish there had been a lot more of Anne and a lot less of Frances in this book as it could have been pretty good. There was nothing wrong with the actual writing, just the plot.

My real bugbear though was the changing of known facts. Why would the author write that all of the men accused of adultery with Anne were all hung when we know they weren't? That really annoyed me. Nobles were always beheaded as fits their station and it was common men who were hung. Changing things like this spoils the plot for me. This is not the best Tudor novel thanks to the dreadful fictional MC. There are much better Anne Boleyn novels that you can read instead.

[Cecilia Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I have always liked reading books on the people who served the
Tudors. Francis' life at court is well-written as she tries to stay loyal to Anne Boleyn when all the troubles start between Anne and Henry VIII. A truly refreshing book on Queen Anne and Francis who really loved her as a friend.

[Lauren - Find me on Fable! · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one much more than Gardner's novel on Catherine of Aragon. While Gardner chose to tell Anne Boleyn's story through the eyes of one of her maids, I felt that I empathized with Anne more than I did with Catherine. I really liked the character of Frances, even though she seemed to think that Anne could do.no.wrong.ever. In Frances, I felt that her devotion was endearing, especially in a court where backstabbing was almost seen as a game. I felt much more sympathetic to Anne Boleyn through the eyes of Frances. I thought this book was a fun read (okay, minus the end, but doesn't everyone know the story of Anne Boleyn?) and I really enjoyed it. I have read many novels on the Tudors, and I always enjoy reading how different authors portray Anne Boleyn. Gardner won't win any points for an exceptionally intelligent book full of historical detail, but I think she did a good job with this one. My 4 star rating is more in comparison to Gardner's Catherine of Aragon novel...I'd have rated this more 3.5 stars.

[Marie Z Johansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read this over this last couple of night and I have to say that I couldn't put this book. I thought that they story of AB told through the voice of her attendant (another nobody girl that AB herself had raised high)was a refreshing take on an oft told story. Well done and highly enjoyable I definitely can recommend this as a good read

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The tragic story of Anne Boleyn is one which continues to fascinate people to this day; however it all too frequently defeats novelists, and "A Lady Raised High" is yet another example of a novel which doesn't reach the mark. Before you read on - I make reference to the fates of Anne and her brother, which I do not consider constitutes a spoiler since it's recorded history. However, feel free to skip the last paragraph or so if you really don't want to know.

First, the positives: it's an easy read; the writing style is okay, with some lovely descriptions, and mostly managing to avoid falling into the trap of excessively florid prose. "Lady Raised High" is also a refreshing counter-balance to the one dimensional and inaccurate caricatures of Anne ("schemer," "shrew" etc) that appear in certain other novels. Kudos to the author also for bluntly dismissing the "mole and sixth finger" myth that still finds its way into other novels about Anne, and not following the convention that's recently developed that novels about real historical figures must be replete with bizarre sexual pairings to be interesting.

However, its problems overshadowed its good points for me. It's marketed as "A Novel of Anne Boleyn." It's really "A Novel mostly about a made-up Lady in Waiting." It is always a risk to insert a fictional character into the story about real people; sometimes it pays off, more often than not in my experience, especially where the original character dominates the narrative, it doesn't work. The choice of using Frances to narrate in the first person is not successful. Frances, unfortunately, is a cliché of a character - the ubiquitous smart mouthed, convention-defying heroine of historical romance. Her initial meeting with Anne comes about because, surprise surprise, rebellious Frances decides to go out riding alone, with men's breeches on under her skirts and hair uncovered. Frances is yet another one of those medieval/Renaissance misses who chafe at the notion of being married off, and run around the countryside unaccompanied; she is even happy when, due to Henry VIII putting Katharine of Aragon aside, she misses out on going to court to serve the Queen. However, when she "gallantly saves a lady" (as the chapter title proclaims), namely Anne Boleyn, from being pelted with mud by some extremely foolhardy local matrons, Anne immediately takes her under her wing and finds her a place at court. This is handy, because despite Frances's mother and aunt being loyal to Queen Katharine - they dismiss Anne as the "King's whore" and Frances's mother is horrified at the idea of her daughter serving her - Frances is already fascinated with Anne, and her motivation for riding out alone is to try to spot her. I found this to be a very contrived dramatic device, and think it would have been better and more interesting had Frances been placed in the then queen-to-be's household in the normal way, especially if it was written as Frances having misgivings, being prejudiced against the woman who supplanted Good Queen Katharine, and resisting the idea, but her mother - who shares those views - taking the pragmatic approach.

The main problem with Frances, though, is that she's a boring, one-dimensional character for whom it's hard to feel anything. Because of first person narrative choice, the focus inevitably is always on her and her uninteresting crushes, romance and marriage; consequently the events of Anne's queenship are glossed over, resulting in an insubstantial, flat and not very engaging narrative. The character development overall is pretty mediocre, with the exception of Anne Boleyn herself - the novel suffers from the common problem of telling the reader things rather than showing. Poor Mark Smeaton gets another bit of a kicking, described as "casting hungry looks at all the women" (whatever that means) at one point; at another, Frances snippily observes to the reader that he was getting too full of himself for using "madam" instead of "Your Grace" in that famous conversation the day before his arrest (ironic and arguably hypocritical, since in her narrative, if not the dialogue, she freely refers to the Queen as "Anne"), but generally we get no real sense of him or the other men as individual people at all.

While I prefer my historical fiction to have an emphasis on the HISTORICAL, I'm generally pretty forgiving of inaccuracies and literary licence, provided that they don't pull me out of the story. However, there are limits. One of the great things about the best hist-fic is its ability to recreate the world in which the story is set, and the people who lived in it. To paraphrase part of a terrific article by Anne Scott Macleod, these people weren't twenty-first century characters in costume, but lived in a world whose rules were in many ways completely foreign to ours. While no-one can be expected to get the story absolutely, 100% accurate, surely it's not too much to ask that an author put a bit of effort into getting things right.

The basic history is okay, but there are a number of historical inaccuracies, which range from the trivial to outright howlers, and which led me to question how much research was done at all. In addition to those that others have noted in their reviews (the bit about Edward II establishing the Order of the Garter, etc), for example:

According to Frances, in 1532 her "father was a baronet and therefore called Sir Lionel Pierce". Baronetcies did not exist until the seventeenth century, when King James I introduced them - I learned this in year ten (having made the same mistake in a creative writing piece set in the late 1500s, which my history teacher quickly picked up on). A basic error, which could have been avoided by even a Google search - why not simply refer to him as a knight? Ironically though, she calls the thing that covers her hair a "wimple"- not a coif or a hood. It struck me as odd that an unmarried gentlewoman of the 1530s would wear a head covering generally worn by medieval married women or nuns, and that from memory was out of fashion by the 15th century. Where was the editor?

Most egregious though is when our heroine witnesses the *hanging* of George Boleyn, and the four other co-accused. Yes that's right. Not beheading. A nobleman, three members of the gentry and a commoner whose sentence was commuted were apparently HANGED, despite all the accounts in easily accessible sources to the contrary. Yes, I know, I know - IT'S FICTION!! Altering events for the purposes of the story is one thing, but, in a novel about real people, there's just no excuse for a clanger like that. It's not an esoteric fact hidden in the primary sources; a quick read of one of the reputable biographies on the subject or even an internet search would have enabled the author to get this right. At least the author doesn't make the same error with respect to Anne's execution, but I cannot conceive how one could know Anne was beheaded with a sword, yet not know the way her co-accused died. If it was a deliberate decision, the purpose it served completely escaped me.

Much as I would like to be able to, I can't recommend this, I'm afraid. The choice of narrator lets it down badly, and unfortunately the quality of the language can't overcome the lack of substance. It's a novel that I found very easy to put down, and hard to pick up again.

[Rosie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully well written account of Anne Boleyn told by her friend/lady in waiting Frances Pierce.......tissues required

[Jean Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know the story of Anne Boleyn far too well to still be reading historical fictions about it, but there is some comfort in this tale, this history because I'm so familiar with it. A trick that historical fiction writers do more and more nowadays is to tell the same story through the eyes of another instead on first or third person voice. This book tells it through the fictional character of a maid to Anne and cleverly and effectively intermixes her story with the ill fated queen and the real history surrounding it all.

If you know Tudor history or have read any of the countless novels about Anne you may not want to read this one for the soul reason that it's not mindblowing. There a other novels that are better tellings of this tale. It's by no means poorly written, but it's not brilliant. It's a solid piece of writing that is far from spectacular and far from failure. I'd mostly recommend this to those who want to start reading historical fiction with real historical characters, it's a good beginner's novel for the genre, especially for those who don't know the history.

[Carolina Casas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, written from the point of view of a woman serving Anne, you see the events transpiring through her eyes from her mistress' rise to power to her eventual fall. There is so many fiction written about Anne, one has to be careful as some portray her as a villain and others as divine, this does neither, writing objectively about all the characters including her rivals -Which is a great achievement when it is written from the point of view of someone who is favorable to her mistress. It is one of those books that you know the end but you can't stop reading because it is so good and by the end of it you experience what you knew you would, sadness, disappointment at her fall.

[Redfox5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this part in history and I love how this book told it. The story I know and love so well of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn but also about her lady-in-waiting, Frances. She is very likable and I wanted to know what happened in her life as much as I did with Annes. Recommened Historical fiction.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

A dull read

I had read Plain Jane before this and was looking forward to it as I had enjoyed the former, but sadly it was a disappointment. The main character Frances Pierce (who may or may not have been real — the author doesn’t include an endnote) was hard for me to pin down. Her personality had been described by other characters and herself as insolent but aside from that there isn’t much to her. I felt very detached while reading the whole book, I didn’t care for Frances at all. Not to say I hated her but just that I didn’t care; I wasn’t given a reason to.

I think it’s essential an author makes you care about a main character, especially if they’re being introduced for the first time as a new element and the ‘canon’ story is seen through their eyes. This book read as more of a history book with Frances’ jumbled romantic feelings thrown in. That’s another thing too — I did not care about the romance between herself and another courtier. I didn’t believe, had no clue what they say in each other as much as the author possibly wanted us to care about them.

It was the same for me regarding Anne. I didn’t understand the bond between she and Frances that would lead to Frances accompanying her to her execution, and risking her own life and her families’. I think it’s because we were told as readers and not shown. We were told how Anne had raised Frances from nothing and so was owed, but there were no touching bonding moments between the two that offset Anne’s occasional barbs and, again, explain why Frances would stay by her side at her execution.

[Becky Raeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen. This is quite possibly my favorite Anne Boleyn historical fiction book... and that’s saying something considering the YEARS I spent getting my hands on every one I could find. Why? Because Anne isn’t portrayed as a power hungry psycho for once. She’s intelligent, charming, alluring—albeit still holding some of her notorious faults, but she is treated as the absolutely one of a kind woman I have long admired. Frances plays both an excellent foil and friend to her, and exudes her own sort of charm. Her romance with John was one I long-sighed over when I was fourteen.

It’s been twelve years since I picked up this book, and I go back to it every once in awhile just so I can read a lovely tribute to my favorite historical lady.

[Aurele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really wanted to like this one, and again just didn't. I really disliked the characterization of Henry VIII, but I usually do in Tudor fiction so my expectations for that are kind of low-- but I was disappointed anyways.

I think it takes a lot of skill and finesse to pull off a first person narrative in a way that doesn't come off as campy or schmaltzy-- unfortunately in this endeavor the author was not successful.

The narrator kind of reminded me of the narrator of Cinderella's stepsister as written by Gregory Maguire, minus the edge and minus any believability -- and minus, really, a very strong voice.

[Deborah Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

will i ever grow tired of reading novels centered around the tudor era, especially the ones specifically centered around the amazing anne boleyn? no, no i won’t.

while this book really was much the same as many other novels i’ve read centered around the period of anne boleyn’s rise & fall (with the exception of this one being from the point of view of one of her high ladies, frances) i still found it to be thoroughly enjoyable. but again, what can i say, i’m trash for all things tudor era

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Tudor book, but still pretty average. I liked the story and I think it was well written but it definitely struggled to capture my attention. I love the Tudor era, but this book seemed very dry to me, and failed to capture the intrigue, danger and drama of the court. However, the character of Frances was enjoyable, and I think the story was consistent and fitted with the history well.

[Lynn S Edgar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Clearly, the author has no understanding of Tudor history

Poorly written at best, no real research. A terrible waste of money. Dave yourselves from the inevitable disappointment. How this was published is beyond me.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a lot of books about Anne Boleyn, true and fiction. This is one of the better historical fiction— well planned. Narrated by a fictional character named Frances, who the soon to be queen befriends and the story takes off from there.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really brings Anne to life in a clear eyed and sympathetic manner.Something still needed for a woman still unfairly demonized centuries after her death.A truly engaging story.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character Frances in this book I felt so close to. She had the kind of relationship I felt like I could have with Anne Boleyn myself. If you know me, you know how much I love Anne Boleyn. This book brought her to life to me in the scenes she was in. I felt like I was there conversing with her. My only complaint being there was a very heavy focus on Frances instead of Anne but I loved both characters very much and cannot wait to reread this book someday and relive "my" relationship with Anne all over again.

[Jenn (Booksessed)]

It's not secret that I love Tudor historical fiction, and I am so glad that Sarah gave me these books because they are so unique. One of the problems that I've run into reading a lot of hf from specific periods is that there's only so much you can write about and stay true to history; things can become stagnate and it's hard to find a fresh perspective. That is not the case with A Lady Raised High.

It's told from the perspective of Frances Pierce and while takes place at the court of Henry VIII and Frances eventually becomes one of Anne's ladies in waiting, Anne is not really a major character. It's kind of odd to think of a Tudor novel on such terms, but the court and the monarchs are really just a backdrop for this story.

I loved the character of Frances. She's kind of an outcast in her family and society in general because she's very strong-willed, has no real desire to marry and admires Anne Boleyn in a time while most of the country still supports Queen Catherine. I love strong female characters and having one in a Tudor novel is fantastic. I just loved that you got to see her go from a rather naïve country girl of okay status to a woman of great influence and high rank.

What I loved the most about the novel is how Frances' love life turns out. It definitely makes up for the family that she left behind when she joins Anne's household. I wish I could go into detail and gush as much as I want to, but I would hate to spoil it. It's that great.

Sarah also sent me another novel by Laurien Gardner called Plain Jane about Jane Seymour, aka Wife #3. I'm very excited to read that one as well.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set at the beginning of Anne's raign and the fall of Queen Kathrine, Frances is brought to court by Anne from her small farm home to royalty. She is chosen for her loyalty and love for Anne and shes holds fast to this untill Anne's death. Thinking Frances cannot play the game of court life Jack Carlisel warns her to leave constantly and finally asks her hand in marriage to keep her safe and because he secretly loves her and her the same. At first the marraige saddens her because of her infatuation with George but after the two are married and have gone home Frances falls in love.
As Anne becomes Queen and has her first child Frances experiences the rewards of serving a Queen. Shortly after Elizabeth the queen is pregnant again as well is Frances. Anne loses her baby while frances has a healthy boy named John. In spite Anne sends Frances to Pennington hall where she learns to be a wife and run a home but is quickly brough back to court only to witness Anne's downfall. Until the end Frances stays true to the Queen after the Queen sends Frances aways and when it is dangerous. At the Anne is sent to her death and Frances and Jack return to Pennington to live their life quietly.

I liked this book a lot. Similar to the ones I have read but i feel it can be given to younger kids because the scenes of love and death are not as severe as others. I like this side of the reign of Queen Kathrine

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story Line:
Frances Pierce is a simple, plain country girl who enters Lady Anne Boleyn's circle after shielding her from an angry mob. Anne is beloved by King Henry VIII, and queen in all but name. And Henry is determined to cast aside his wife Catherine, marry Anne, and make her his lawful queen-no matter the consequences.

Frances delights Anne with her poetry and her forthright ways, and soon becomes a favorite. Dazzled by the glamour of the court, she pays scant attention to the intrigues that swirl around her mistress. But when the king's favor shifts, Frances will learn just how quickly those who rise far and fast can meet their downfall.

My thoughts:
This book was really entertaining even though it's probably not historically accurate. I suppose that's why it's called fiction :-) I really liked Frances Pierce even though I found her to be a bit frustrating. Sometimes I wanted her to obey her family and her husband and other times I applauded her fight for individuality. It's a very well written book and I recommend it.

[Mary Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing, after reading THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF HENRY VIII, by Margaret George, in which Henry disposes of "the Great Matter" and his queen Anne Boleyn by characterizing her, first and last, as a witch. Author Gardner is kinder to Anne than is Philippa Gregory in THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL. The first-person narrator, the fictional Frances Pierce, is devoted to Anne, though the reader is allowed to see that Frances's devotion is perhaps ill-placed or at least excessive. Even Frances arrives at that conclusion, though she loves Anne and remains loyal to her.

I have ordered THE CONCUBINE (1963), by Norah Lofts, which gets rave reviews on Amazon for historical accuracy and which, according to the reviews, is also sympathetic to Anne. Fictional portrayals of Anne Boleyn are legion, and I want to read them all, taking a break now and then for sagas about medieval England, such as Sharon Kay Penman's.

Gardner's book is well written, clean, lively, and free of intrusive anachronistic dialect, a bog that lesser writers seem mired in.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lady Raised High by Laurien Gardner is a novel written about the years that King Henry Viii courted and was married to Anne Boleyn. It is told through the voice of Francis, one of the ladies of her court.

I am a lover of historical fiction and have read many books about the Tudor years in England, both fiction as well as non-fiction. I especially enjoyed this book because it is told from a fresh perspective, through the eyes and voice of Francis. The book starts out when Francis is young, and through an unexpected event, she is called upon to serve Anne at court. We experience the maturation of Francis as she lives through many challenging years serving Anne.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Although the story is a very familiar one, the perspective was fresh. The pacing of the book was perfect....there was good detail and dialogue, and the story moved along well.

A good addition to the library of any reader who enjoys the novelist ion of the Tudor years.

[Rachel Swords · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the better fictional accounts about the Tudor era, Anne Boleyn in particular. The protagonist is Frances, a young lady who quickly rises to respectable prominence as a lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn. Frances's journey from country maiden to court poet (of sorts) is rather quick, which is better since the author's aim is to give her own take on Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, as seen through Frances's eyes. Frances is not a perfect heroine; rather, she is quite human in her actions and thoughts, which includes an unrequited crush on George Boleyn.

The only part of the book that I did not like was her relationship with Jack Carlisle. Their relationship was rather predictable, and the sudden change in feelings thus came off as slightly corny.

Otherwise, I enjoyed "A Lady Raised High." It gives a fair look at Anne Boleyn, who is painted as neither saint nor shrew.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked this novel about Anne Boleyn and the royal Tudor Court.

In this novel the story of Anne Boleyn is told from the point of view of one of her Ladies in Waiting, Frances Pierce. Frances is plucked from a rural English village to wait on Anne, who at the time is betrothed to King Henry VIII (but not yet married). It then follows Frances' journey as Anne becomes Queen of England and later branded a traitor.

Laurien Gardner has chosen to make her Anne Boleyn a pious yet determined woman who is ultimately betrayed by her family and her King. Anne is but a pitiful victim of the Tudor Court, and Henry is the evil womanising villain who will do whatever it takes to get what he wants.

A short and sweet novel that is a nice contrast to THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL by Philippa Gregory.

[Linda M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. I enjoy books about the Tudors, especially Henry VIII. Frances Pierce is a small country girl who shields Anne Boleyn from a threatening crowd while on a ride with Henry. Anne chooses Frances to be one of her ladies in waiting. Frances stays with Anne until the end. Frances learns how cruel & traitorous life at court can be. She meets Jack Carlisle, who helps her learn about court life.

I've always been fascinated by Henry VIII & his six wives. I've read theories that he had genetic disorders that caused his wives to miscarry & for his personality to change over the years. See https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2... and https://www.history.com/news/did-bloo.... In any case, this is a good book.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of all the Tudor books I've read recently (which were all fantastic) I think this one was the best! Finally, a novel that showed what I believe to be the "true" side of Anne Boleyn. I could be completely wrong, and all the other books that portrayed her as a monster could be true. But I just don't believe that, and I never will. I think Henry spread such vicious rumors about Anne after he had her beheaded and it went like a simple gossip game - each person told the next person about her, and it just got worse and worse every time.

So that being said, this book was fantastic. I loved it, and devoured it in one sitting.

[Jodotha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very satisfying read. As with Gardner's other novels of the Tudor era, this novel puts you up close and personal with one of Henry the VIII's wives, this time Anne Boleyn, though it is narrated by one of her ladies, a fictional girl named Frances. Besides being a story of Anne, this is in large part a coming of age story for Frances, and the romance that unexpectedly enters her life.
Gardner does a wonderful job incorporating both stories into one, so that you never feel out of place or wonder how you arrived at any part of the story. A solid Young Adult novel, as well as solid historical fiction.

[Elisha (lishie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

---Spoilers if you do not know Tudor history---

I loved the narrating character, Francis, a "nobody" who Anne took as her favorite lady and was an "unnamed" woman in a sketch of Boleyn's be-heading. Francis & Gardner attempt to make the reader like Anne, in my case, to no avail. I ended up feeling far more for Francis, the nobody, and preferred to read her story more than Anne Boleyn's. I read Gardner's three books out of order (this being the 2nd) but I still would have felt the same way.