Jane Boleyn

October 8, 2007
Wife of Anne Boleyn's brother George, Jane, Viscountess Rochford, has been painted by historians, beginning with the Protestant Elizabethan John Foxe, as a barren, jealous shrew who lied about George and Anne's incestuous relationship, helping send them to their deaths for treason against Henry VIII. Jane herself was executed for treason several years later for abetting the adultery of Henry's fifth wife, Catherine Howard. According to Fox's revisionist account, Jane was faithful to the opportunistic Boleyn clan; she didn't rush to slander her husband, but succumbed under Thomas Cromwell's relentless interrogation, repeating an indiscretion by Anne about Henry's sexual dysfunction. Moreover, Fox says, George's execution was a financial blow to Jane—his royal perquisites of lands and offices were seized. Jane clawed her way back to a senior court position when she was ordered by Catherine Howard to pass messages to her lover, and Jane's complicity, according to Fox, opened the door for historians to excoriate Jane for her sister-in-law's death. In her debut, Fox never quite convinces readers that her lackluster, almost faceless Jane is a courageous, mostly blameless victim of court intrigues, and this amateurish, toothless history is more a rehash of Anne's rise and fall with a tag-on about Catherine's foolhardiness.

December 15, 2007
Historian Fox does an admirable job relating the life of Jane Boleyn (née Parker), sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn. Jane was expected to lead the usual life of a noble, but she too ended up a participant in extraordinary historical events. She began her time in Henry VIII's court as a lady-in-waiting to his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, and ultimately would be lady-in-waiting to five of Henry's wives. Fox's detailed descriptions of the extravagance, arrogance, and dangerous political maneuvers of the Tudor court help readers understand how Jane's "addiction" to court life began and led to her downfall. Her infamous reputation as the woman whose accusations aided the executions of her husband, George Boleyn, and his sister Anne is undeserved and was fabricated during the reign of Elizabeth I, according to Fox. But Fox confirms Jane's culpability in aiding Catherine Howard in her extramarital affair, which led to the execution of both women. Family trees of the Parkers, the Boleyns, and the Howards are included along with notes and a bibliography. This would make an exceptional reading group selection. Recommended for academic and public libraries. (Index not seen.) [The finished book will refer readers to a conversation with the author, posted online.Ed.]Tonya Briggs, Oberlin Coll. Lib., OH

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2007
Both historians and novelists (Philippa Gregory, The Boleyn Inheritance, 2006) have traditionally painted an unflattering portrait of Jane Boleyn, the woman vilified for the sensational testimony that sent her sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn, and her husband, George Boleyn, to their deaths. Fox, however, offers a revisionist biography that portrays Jane as a victim of circumstances and court intrigue rather than an instigator. Though she gives the trial of Anne Boleyn plenty of attention, Fox moves beyond, painting a more full-bodied portrait of the woman who served as lady-in-waiting to five of Henry VIIIs six wives, including Anne and the equally unfortunate Catherine Howard. This new spin on an old subject should have plenty of crossover appeal for fans of Gregorys popular historical fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)