The Last Boleyn

The Last Boleyn is a novel by Karen Harper

The story takes place through the eyes of Mary Boleyn, a beautiful, innocent girl. She used as a pawn through out the book, and we find her trying to find herself in the Royal Courts of England.

Plot summary

Mary Boleyn is the elder sister to the more well known Anne Boleyn and younger sister to George Boleyn. Her father, Thomas Boleyn is ambitious and clever and uses his own children to rise to power. Mary is a beautiful girl with blue eyes and blond hair. At an early age in her life, she is sent to France as a maid to Mary Tudor, the King's sister. When she is in France she becomes Mistress to the King of France-Francis I. As a young girl, she loved him and He crushes her hopes and dreams as he took advantage of her.

Along the way she meets William Stafford, a handsome man and servant to the king. She is sent back to England and is married to Will Carey, who is a gentleman of the royal privy chamber. King Henry VIII is smitten by her and askes him to become his mistress, even though he is married to Catherine of Aragon and she to Will Carey. She becomes his mistress for 5 years, but first has a child-Henry Carey. It is not known who is the father of the child is, Will or King Henry. She also has a daughter-Catherine, who is the daughter of Will Carey.

Her sister Anne is a flirty, pretty girl at court who catches the king's eye, and well the rest is history. Mary finds herself falling in love with William Stafford, the handsome man who sees and loves Mary for who she truly is. She has a love affair with him even though she still has a husband, but he loves her not. When her husband is killed in the summer sweat plague, her secret love affair with Stafford continues.

They are eventually married in secret and it remains a secret until she becomes pregnant and has to tell Anne-who had been Queen for quite some time, and the King. They are sent away to live at Stafford's Manor house. They live a very happy and peaceful life there as their love child is born.

For well I might a' had a greater man of birth, but I assure you I could never a' had one that loved me so well. I had rather beg my bread with him than be the greatest queen christened.

Citations

For quote: Mary Boleyn. http://www.geocities.com/boleynfamily/anne/