THE LADY IN THE TOWER

Plaidy’s story of Anne Boleyn’s life begins near its end, when she is accused of adultery and witchcraft. The author then spins a fictionalized biography using the device of a journal that recounts her life at court, first in France under King Louis XII and King Francis I, and then in England under Henry VIII. Anne Flosnik reads the details and political intrigues of Boleyn's life in a cool, crisp voice. Self-centered and vain, Boleyn continually compares life in France to that in England, finding the latter lacking. Flosnik's narration echoes Boleyn's superficial coolness, though her slow enunciation of French words disrupts the flow of her narration. Told exclusively from Boleyn's perspective, the story foregrounds her character and experiences, rather than those of the kings and other members of court, as is usually the case with Tudor history. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]