Congratulations to my friend and fellow MadeGlobal Publishing author, Adrienne Dillard, on the release of her best-selling novel, The Raven’s Widow: A Novel of Jane Boleyn, as an audio book.
It’s a fantastic read, and I particularly love this fresh take (and more historically accurate take!) on Jane.
The book is also available as a Kindle e-book and paperback.
The audio book is narrated by actress Breanna Judy.
Find out more or order by going to http://getbook.at/ravenswidow.
Here is the blurb:
The river was as calm as I had ever seen it. Ordinarily, the tide would have been wild by this time of year, and woe unto any man unfortunate enough to fall into the fierce currents of the Thames. Tonight the tides were still, and the surface of the water appeared glassy. When I peered down into the dark depths, I saw my tired, drawn face wavering in the reflection. I quickly turned away as I fought back a wave of nausea, frightened by the anguish I saw etched there.
“Only a few moments more my lady, the Tower is just ahead.”
Jane Parker never dreamed that her marriage into the Boleyn family would raise her star to such dizzying heights. Before long, she finds herself as trusted servant and confidante to her sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s second queen. On a gorgeous spring day, that golden era is cut short by the swing of a sword. Jane is unmoored by the tragic death of her husband, George, and her loss sets her on a reckless path that leads to her own imprisonment in the Tower of London. Surrounded by the remnants of her former life, Jane must come to terms with her actions. In the Tower, she will face up to who she really is and how everything went so wrong.
Jane’s mental illness is dealt with in the book, realistically and sensitively and at some length. I feel sorry for Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford at this time at the end of her life. She had been overwhelmed by the accusations against her by both Queen Kathryn Howard and Thomas Culpepper that she had arranged all of their meetings and everything was her idea. Both of the culprits blamed her and Jane, unable to cope with the fear and stress of being made a scapegoat had a complete mental breakdown. It’s hard to know exactly what was wrong with her but one might say she had a psychotic break or nervous breakdown, followed by deep clinical depression.
Jane had indeed helped Kathryn Howard find the oddest of places to meet her alleged lover, Thomas Culpepper and watched on guard while they talked and made out. She doesn’t appear yo have been terribly keen on keeping up her role as chaperone and escort for the young Queen but she really had no choice. Kathryn only trusted her to do her bidding and she excluded all of her other women every night. Kathryn claimed that nothing more than holding hands and kissing happened with Culpepper but it was assumed she had gone further and committed treason and adultery with him. These meetings took place for the most part during the Summer and Autumn progress to the North of England in 1541. We can’t know why such an experienced woman had agreed to this hair brained scheme in the first place, but having done it once, Jane was committed. She may have even felt sorry for Queen Kathryn and the Queen was hard to say no to, especially as she was bossy when she wanted to be. However, Jane continued to escort Culpepper to the Queen and to watch or listen from a discreet distance as the pair remained up with each other well into the small hours of the morning. As the chief offender in the King’s eyes, Lady Rochford alone was sent to the Tower and interrogated, while the others were pardoned and gave evidence against them.
Jane became ill after a few days and was removed to the home of Lord and Lady Russell to be nursed back to health before any legal proceedings could take place. Henry sent her his doctors and received regular reports but no trial followed. The Law forbade the execution of any insane person guilty of a capital crime but Henry wasn’t having this. Kathryn and Jane were Attained in Parliament in January 1542 nut the King wanted a new law passed allowing insane people to be executed in the case of treason so as Jane could be killed. This was particularly cruel and Jane was nursed back to health just so as she could be judicially killed.
Jane and Kathryn were taken to the Tower of London for their final couple of days and there on 13th February 1542 executed by beheading. Both ladies died with dignity and its totally false that Jane Boleyn admitted to betraying her husband, George Boleyn, eight years earlier, leading to his execution on false charges of incest and treason with his sister Anne Boleyn. Nor was she at that time mentioned by the trial judge, Spellman as giving any kind of testament. She said a few traditional words and followed her mistress to the block. Kathryn didn’t say she wanted to die the wife of Thomas Culpepper either and was recorded by an independent witness as making a very traditional and Godly end.
The law made by Henry Viii was repealed by Queen Mary I and the Attainder against these two ladies was also repealed by her as Henry hadn’t signed it.