The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
After "the Other Boleyn girl" which showed the rise and fall of the house of Boleyns, Mary, Ann and George, this book tells the story of the two following queens, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard.
The link with the former book being Jane Boleyn, the widow of George who, manipulated by her uncle, the duke of Norfolk, and her jealousy, helped the end of her husband and sister in law.
This time, still manipulated by the same, she watches the fall of Anne of Cleves, who, for once, is presented as an interesting character. In fact, we know so little about her that Philippa Gregory took the liberty to present her as a clever and pretty girl, which is not exactly the image we have from her.
Then Jane Boleyn helps to the fall ot Katherine Howard, who is presented as the most stupid girl in England as well as the prettiest.
The three characters speak in turn, showing their own version of the facts.
It's interesting because for once, it shows the two Henry the VIIIth's queens that we know the less about, and the vision she gives of their personalities might be a possibilitiy.
And as usual, the style is grand, and the plot evolves so that sometimes you wonder if the first one will live and the second one will survive...
Being able to create a suspense in a historical book about that period!!
