The Sphere of Light: Secrets of the Boleyn Women - Ann Henning Jocelyn (Paperback) 01-06-2023

George Boleyn, Dean of Lichfield, at the moment of death finds himself in a "sphere of light", where all knowledge, all insight are supposedly within reach. Looking back on his past, he perceives all that evaded him in life: a family story seen from the inside, with the Boleyn women at the heart of it. We see Mary overcome disgrace and banishment from court, eventually ending up a beloved wife and rich heiress. Anne, after initially resisting the king's advances, gracefully accepts that she has a role to play in England's history, even to the point of her death. Jane is more of a mystery - of this family and at the same time not - until we learn that she, too, has a story to tell. It all makes for a captivating read, defying the generally held view created at the time by official sources pursuing their own hidden agenda. Thoroughly researched, with notes by the author at the end to substantiate her theories, this book gives a convincing new explanation to the fate of the Boleyns and a fresh slant to this chapter of English history.