by Norah Lofts
The Concubine was
published in 1963. The reader must
remember that as they read Lofts’ novel; feminism was in its infancy, and women
were still struggling to break free from the 1950’s era gender role ideals and
the sexual revolution had yet to occur.
Lofts does however successfully portray Anne as a woman, a mother, a
wife, a sister; wholly human. She is not
the champion of the Reformation nor is she the strong educated and opinionated
woman that many now consider her. Perhaps in the end Lofts, by staying in the
middle ground, has provided a more accurate account of Anne Boleyn as she
really was. Like all women she possessed good and bad qualities,
showed extreme kindness and loyalty and made her share of mistakes.
Lofts’ novel takes the reader through Anne’s life from her
first taste of love with Henry Percy through her relationship with Henry, her
coronation and ultimately her execution.
Henry Percy and Anne’s relationship with him is a central theme for
Loft. It is this relationship and the
disappointment of its demise that are Anne’s motivator throughout the
novel. This reader enjoyed the depiction
of Henry Percy, not as a weak drunken man who betrayed Anne, but as a tortured
soul – a more accurate representation in my mind. However, the use of the relationship as the
driving force of Anne’s life took away her strength and power that so many
admire. I attribute this to the time the
novel was written and therefore do not criticize Lofts’ account because of it. In fact, I found Loft’s notion that Anne, who
had blamed Wolsey entirely for the demise of the blossoming courtship until the
days before her execution when she realized that King Henry was the motivating
force and therefore in her quest for revenge on Wolsey she had miscalculated
and underestimated Henry and in for this she paid the ultimate cost of her life
itself.
As a historian I question Lofts’ use of Anne’s stepmother so
centrally to her account. History
suggests that Anne’s mother was alive throughout her daughter’s life; dying
after her children’s execution.
Additionally, I didn’t like the interjection of the “dose” of poppy
syrup that was liberally administered to Anne by her maid, Emma Arnett. Again, especially at the time of her
execution when Anne showed such dignity and courage, Lofts’ account robs Anne
of her strength by attributing her courage to poppy syrup.
Ultimately this reader would recommend The Concubine. Norah Lofts
is a talented writer and her account is rich with humanity. Do not expect to find the Anne as we think of
her today, rather put that aside and enjoy the novel for itself. I believe that most readers will enjoy the account. Ultimately, my love of historical fiction is
a quest of exploration. I read to
reconsider long held opinions and to have new theories brought to mind. In this way good historical fiction should
make the reader think and consider other possibilities and explanations and
ultimately move the reader to research and investigate the ideas put forth. The Concubine, though published forty years
ago, successfully interjects new possibilities into the study of the reign of
Henry VIII and for this reason alone it should find its way to your reading
list.
This review qualifies for the following challenges:
Historical Fiction Book Review #18
Tudor Book Blog Reading Challenge #16
This review qualifies for the following challenges:
Historical Fiction Book Review #18
Tudor Book Blog Reading Challenge #16
