Author: Kaia Ryden, Arts and Entertainment Editor

The other day, I was walking my dog around my neighborhood, and I came across a Little Library. Being as curious as I was, I stopped and checked inside to see if anything would catch my eye.  

My eyes landed on “The Other Boleyn Girl”, a historical fiction novel written by Phillipa Gregory. Phillipa Gregory is an English historical novelist, best known for her works: “The Other Boleyn Girl”, “The White Queen”, and “The Red Queen”, amongst others. She has been a published writer since 1987!  

I have always been fascinated by history and what things were like in different parts of the world, so I picked it up right away. 

This book is set in Tudor England (1520s-1530s), during King Henry VIII’s reign. The main character is Mary Boleyn, one of the three famous Boleyn children: Mary, Anne, and their brother, George. At the beginning of the story, Mary, the main character, is already married to her first husband, William Carey.  

As the book progresses, it shows the rise and the fall of the Boleyn family, following the romantic endeavors of the famous sisters. To spare you the details and to make a long story short, there is a lot of drama in this book. If you love drama, but are here for a slow, detailed story and plotline, this book is for you. 

I like that this book brings attention to the lesser-known Boleyn sister. I think that most people have, at least, heard about Anne Boleyn. She was a queen consort for King Henry VIII but also was accused of adultery and sentenced to death by beheading. I feel that not as many people have heard about Mary, and she played an important role in creating the image of the Boleyn family we have today.  

There is a lot of intrigue and history in this novel. It was such a fun read! If you are into historical fictions, or even just interested in English history, I would definitely recommend. 

I actually really loved this book. It definitely is a bit of a read, but if you are ready to sit for a while and dig deep into a book, this is a great choice.  

If you aren’t much of a reading type, there is also a movie you can watch! It’s available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV, as well as Youtube, and goes by the same name: “The Other Boleyn Girl”. It stars Scarlett Johannson and Natalie Portman, as well as a lot of other famous cameos.