Poetry of Reading

“The Other Countess” takes place during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. At the start of the book, William Lacey, Earl of Dorset, has just become earl after the death of his father. His father left his family in dire circumstances after wasting their fortune working with an alchemist trying to change common elements to gold. William sends the alchemist and his young daughter out on their bottoms in a rage, hoping to never see them again. The book then advances a few years to William attending court for the first time, hoping to get the favor of the Queen or a rich wife to save his family from poverty. It is a court that he meets Lady Eleanor and is instantly smitten with the sassy and educated young woman. When he finds out that Lady Eleanor is the daughter of the alchemist who ruined his family in his quest for gold, he shuns her and turns back to his quest for a rich wife. Unfortunately for his family’s fortunes, Eleanor has touched his soul and when their paths cross once more, he finds he may not be able to ever let her go again.

“The Other Countess” is a classic historical romance, set in the Tudor time period. It’s full of lush descriptions though of lovely countryside, the court of Elizabeth, lavish dinners, parties, gowns, you name it. The romance moves quickly, but it’s sweet and deliciously satisfying. I loved it so much that I will re-reading it again soon. It made me feel all warm and gooey, the perfect pick-me-up book. Once you start, you won’t want to put it down.

Alison Weir’s latest novel provides a portrait of Anna of Kleve, Henry VIII’s fourth wife. It opens when Anna is fourteen and discusses the fashion, politics, and concerns of the day in Kleve (Germany). Anna is a staunch Catholic and does not want to marry Henry. She has heard the horrendous stories about his former wives and his erratic temperament. However, she has been raised to obey and her brother is Wilhelm the Duke of Kleve and he wants this alliance with England. After much haggling about the terms of the marriage, with Henry pushing and Wilhelm not wanting to appear too eager, Anna, at age twenty-four, was finally on her way to England to marry a king who was twice her age. The marriage does not go well. After Henry has his marriage to Anna annulled using the grounds that her pre-contract with the Duke of Lorraine when she was just a child was not officially canceled, Anna leads a different life. While Anna is no longer the queen of England, she lives very comfortably, keeping the friendship of Henry’s children, Mary and Elizabeth. She becomes happy with her lot. She no longer has to worry about Henry’s mercurial temperament, or his aging, overweight, and not a little smelly person. Henry has declared that she is to be called his sister. Henry visits Anna from time to time and a friendship develops between them. Rumors about their relationship and Henry’s willingness to take Anna back as his wife are rampant. It sometimes seems there is little else to do at court besides gossip. These rumors upset and plague Anna to no end.

Ms. Weir has done exhaustive research on her subject and has pulled out trinkets for information about Anna and Henry. We are introduced to the many people in Anna’s life, from courtiers to the maids and those who attended her. The reader learns about daily life in both Kleve and England in the 16th century.

I did not want the book to end. It’s not because Anna is a gripping historical figure, either. It’s because Weir captured her struggle so perfectly. Anna was a pawn, an object, with little to no say in her own life. I felt her fear when she lost favor, and I celebrated with her when she was “freed.”