Jane
Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford ,
by Julia Fox (Read by Jenny Sterlin)
Opportunist or pawn? Schemer or innocent? Justly
punished or wrongly accused? These are some of the questions
Julia Fox poses as she tells the story of Jane Boleyn's short
life in Henry XIII's court. As the wife of George Boleyn and
sister-in law of Queen Anne Boleyn, Jane is welcomed into
the inner circle of court life. Her position is threatened
when Henry tires of Anne, but Jane retains her place at court
by providing the evidence Henry needs to condemn Anne and
George. Her continued loyalty to the monarchy and to its powerful
players ensures that she has an income and an honored place
at court. She serves three of Henry's queens after Anne, but
her loyalty to her last queen leads to her tragic downfall
and death.
Julia Fox is a student and teacher of Tudor history,
and she feels that Jane Boleyn has been treated unfairly by
history. Known as "the infamous Lady Rochford" Jane
earned the scorn of her contemporaries as well as the contempt
of modern scholars. In order to give current observers an
opportunity to judge, Fox takes listeners back to the 16th
Century through descriptions of the conditions, lifestyles,
conversations and relationships of several of the historic
figures of the time. She presents Jane as a woman who cleverly,
but not maliciously, seized opportunities that allowed her
to live well while others around her suffered and died. Jenny
Sterlin provides just the right tone of regal authority to
her narration. It's easy to imagine that the narrator really
is an informed member of the royal court.
I'm not sure that Julia Fox has succeeded in
vindicating Jane, but she has succeeded in writing a very
well-researched document about Jane's life and times. She's
infused the historic figures with plausible personalities
through arresting dialogue and vivid descriptions by seemingly
credible witnesses. The audio book is a fascinating look at
a key figure in the drama that was the court of Henry XIII,
and listening to the book is a thoroughly absorbing and enthralling
adventure.
Ruth
Mormon
1/21/08
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