Borman always makes history come alive. An intellectual and approachable description of the wives of Henry the Eighth. Expertly written and a must read for those who love Tudor history.

As with all things Tracy Borman, you really can’t go wrong with this book.

All too often historical figures, and especially royals, are presented as independent testifies - even when their stories are so deeply intertwined with those around them. With quite possibly more access to royal historical records and treasures than just about anyone else on the planet in her role as Joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, Borman offers a thorough yet completely accessible look at the impact Anne Boleyn, in life, death, and myth, had on the person that her daughter became encounter to becoming one of England’s most significant and revered monarchs, as well as the impact Elizabeth I’s reign had on rehabilitating the legacy of Anne Boleyn.

What a wonderful book. I love Tudor history and was very glad to read this intimate portrait of mother and daughter and to see how Elizabeth's life was so influenced by the mother she barely had a chance to know. I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in this period.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for the uncorrected proof of this book.

Synopsis: How interconnected are Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth Tudor's lives? We know that they are mother and daughter and that they had to navigate a deadly time that did not value women for their intellect or tenacity. However, how did these women influence each other's lives? Rather than a joint biography of these women, Borman weaves together the historical evidence to show how mother and daughter influenced decisions, purchases, and other relationships.

Thoughts: I love the Tudors and Borman's work so when I heard she was writing this book I knew I had to read it. When the opportunity came to review this book came up on NetGalley I smashed the "request" button so hard. I have been an avid reader of Tudor history since I was a child and in EVERY chapter of this book, I learned a new detail not only about Anne and Elizabeth but about their relationship. Given the premise of the book you would think that there would not be so much source material given that Anne died when Elizabeth was so young, but the way that Borman weaves the facts of Anne throughout Elizabeth's life is fascinating.

My favourite things that Borman highlights in this book are the material possessions that were passed from mother to daughter and the way that Elizabeth honoured her mother throughout her reign.

It was super interesting to learn what items Elizabeth had in her possession even before she became Queen that could be traced back to her mother. Given Henry's desire to wipe Anne's memory off the face of the planet, I was surprised to see that he did not exert more power to keep Anne's memory from her daughter. I think the tapestries Borman mentioned were my favourite item discussed.

From previous readings, I knew that Elizabeth favoured her mother's family more during her reign because they did not have a strong blood claim to the through like her father's family did. However, I was unaware of just how influential Anne was in forming Elizabeth's court. The way Borman outlines how these individuals went from Anne's patronage to Elizabeth's service was so easy to follow and really gave me a new perspective on Elizabeth's reign. Most sources cite Elizabeth's reign as the Golden Age of England that had lasting repercussions through to today, to think of how much of a role Anne played in that is as heartwarming as it is interesting.

I only had two minor complaints about this book and given that it's not necessarily the final copy of the book I am not sure if they are even relevant. Some images or sketches of the items that were discussed even if they were not contemporary would have been really helpful in visualizing things. For instance, the pageantry of the coronations. Also, I wish that there were a family tree for the Boleyns I fully might have missed this as being part of the book, but when we were discussing the Boleyn courtiers in Elizabeth's court I got confused by who was whose daughter and which Katherine was which. This however is a fault of most discussions of the Tudor era as Katherine, Mary, and Elizabeth were all popular names.

If you love the history that centers on female stories, the Tudors, material history, or just want to try something new I highly recommend this book.

Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Forever Changed British History by Tracy Borman is an excellent look at both mother and daughter and how their lives were shaped by one another.

Yes, this is a biography of both Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth I, but it also focusses on not just their lives, but how their personalities, beliefs, hopes, dreams, fears, actions, friends, family, and love for one another shaped their own respective existences. Anne and Elizabeth both lived simultaneously on this earth for about three years, but Anne would come to shape the person that Elizabeth would become as a young woman, and Queen.

It was fascinating to learn so much more from a personal aspect of both women. While I have traditionally been of team Queen Mary of Scots (and yes I know she made some abysmal personal decisions…), this book definitely helped warm me towards Elizabeth and to see things from her perspective, and I feel as if I understand her more so now than ever before. I can now see how and why she made the decisions that she did, and cam definitely appreciate and respect her so much more for it.

This book had an easy flow, read as fiction even though it is nonfiction, was impressively researched, and I highly recommend this for anyone that is Tudor/Elizabethan/English royalty fan.

Excellent.


5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Atlantic Monthly Press/Grove Atlantic 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 6/20/23.

4/5 stars

This book was a deep dive into Anne Boleyn and her daugther Elizabeth I: Their stories, their similarities and the love that connected them through their mother daughter bond. I found it very comprehensive, the author did their research and it shows. The writing was understandable and it had a nice rhythm.

I personally enjoyed the first third or so of the book that was centered around Anne Boleyn's life. It was fascinating to the point that I was sad to see how short it was though I understand that she didn't live long enough to really explore her life, unlike Elizabeth and her long reign which is more than enough to fill a whole book.

What I found most compelling about this book was the relationship beetween the two of them and all the little hints of Elizabeth's appreciation for a mother that she didn't have the pleasure to really know and cherish. The events decribed both delighted me and upset me, I think the author did a great job at portraying the court intrigue and all the political issues. Definitely give this a read.

This book really puts into prospective how much influence Anne had on Elizabeth I, even though they were separated before Elizabeth could really know her mother. The author's research was so well done and revealed things I never knew existed. I never realized Elizabeth wore a ring with her and her mother's portraits in it, until the day she died. This book shows Anne's influence on her daughter decades after her own death. A must read for Tudor fans.

This is another dual biography book, and as I stated in reviewing one previously, these books act as excellent primer books for anyone looking to start diving deeper into the historical period or the figures presented. Connecting dots that separate history books cannot, and thereby exposing fresh ideas in well trodden areas.

This is a fascinating look at the relationship between one of history’s most tragic mother and daughter relationship. However, like many Tudor authors, the author presents what the Imperial Ambassador Eustace Chapuys wrote about Anne Boleyn as gospel about Anne’s motives for various acts, especially where they impacted Queen Katherine and Princess (later Queen) Mary. As anyone interested in Tudor history knows, Chapuys hated Anne Boleyn the way Trump supporters hate Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, and this has been proven time and time again to color Chapuy’s correspondence with Charles V. At the very least, a statement that Chapuy’s reports should be taken with a grain of salt would be nice!

I have always wondered how Elizabeth I felt about her mother. She apparently thought highly of her mother despite her execution.
Anne Boleyn was very cunning and wanted to be queen. She could be very outspoken and strong willed. She could also be very cruel as her behavior towards Queen Katherine and her daughter showed. However when she did not produce a male heir the king decided to rid himself of her. She was tried unjustly for treason and adultery and even incest. None of which was true. But even her own relatives voted her guilty. She was executed by beheading a short time later.
Elizabeth was very young when her mother was executed but she heard the different stories about her mother including that she was truly innocent of all charges. She wore some jewelry belonging to her mother and often incorporated a falcon in artwork and jewelry and numerous things as this was her mother's symbol.
I highly recommend this book.

5 stars

Ms. Borman’s writing is a joy to read. She writes so clearly. She identifies the speaker. She makes history interesting and, dare I say - fun!

I have had a serious interest in the Tudor dynasty (brief as it was), for several years now, and have read all things Tudor and related. Ms. Borman has been one of my favorite Tudor authors.

This book focuses solely on Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth’s relationship. Following a brief telling of Anne’s past, we are led up to her execution on trumped up charges of incest, adultery and so on. Anne doted on Elizabeth. She especially took care with Elizabeth’s wardrobe. Elizabeth was to love fancy gowns her entire life.

We learn what personality characteristics that Elizabeth may have inherited from Anne: her quick temper, her fear of reprisals, and so on. Elizabeth was very sensitive about her birth status. She sometimes imagined criticisms when someone’s paternity was questioned. She was subject to mood swings. Elizabeth fought her whole life to defend her mother’s honor. She knew the charges against her mother were false. She was informed of the shenanigans as she aged by those who served Anne and Anne’s relatives.

It is said that the real reason Anne was executed was Henry’s tiring of her and her volatile personality and Anne’s lack of presenting Henry with an heir. Read: son.

It is a real shame that Henry VIII couldn’t have just set Anne aside like he did with Anne of Cleves, or even place her in a nunnery. Anne would have been so very proud of Elizabeth and her achievements. I cannot imagine how different Elizabeth’s life would have been if Anne survived. I think she would have been less neurotic. She might even have married. Who knows?

I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for forwarding to me a copy of this fascinating study of Anne and Elizabeth for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Thank you NetGalley, Atlantic Monthly Press, and Tracy Borman for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I really loved this book and found it to be interesting, concise, and full of fascinating comparisons between Anne and Elizabeth. I’ve always been interested in the Tudors, and especially Anne Boleyn, but some history books can be a bit boring for me. However, I was interested during this entire book, and I liked that it was short but included all of the relevant information. I think fans of this period will love this one and I highly recommend it!

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I am such a fan of Tracy Borman and absolutely devoured this
I read this in 1 sitting - I can't express how much I loved this

I do love the Tudor era so will always look out and this was just stunning

Cant recommend highly enough
If I could give it more stars I would !!!

this was such a good history nonfiction book, I always enjoy reading new books from the Tudors' dynasty. I was excited to read this and it did not disappoint, it does a great job in telling the story of Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I. Tracy Borman wrote this in an engaging way that I was looking for and it worked in the nonfiction genre. It was well-researched and did what I was hoping for.

"For all Elizabeth’s public defiance, she harboured the same fears that had plagued Anne when her influence at court had been on the wane. In late November 1553, as she accompanied her sister to chapel, there was a cry of ‘Treason!’ Instantly, Elizabeth was gripped with terror, assuming that the cry was against her."