The Other Boleyn Girl: A Novel Review

I started a book club many years back and I was thrilled to learn that most of the women, like myself, really enjoyed autobiographies. We read everything from Katherine Graham to Stolen Lives to Wild Swans (all of which are worth a read). Finally, someone suggested that we try out a book in the historical fiction category. Hhhhmmmm.... we thought. I dont really know exactly what that means, but okay, let's try it. We read some reviews (of course) and settled on the Other Boleyn Girl.

At first glance...
The book was pretty long and a bit intimidating. I didnt know what to expect. However, as soon as I opened The Other Boleyn Girl I found it to be an absolute page turner. I could not put it down for a minute!

What is historial fiction...
The book appears to be based in some historic truth but embellished to make it more engaging to fill in the blanks.  While I dont know exactly what was truth and what was fiction (at one point I did look it up!), it really didnt matter to me. I liked the story nonetheless.

Why I liked it...
I liked it because I learned a bit of history and I also got my fill of "celebrity gossip". In fact, in some cases, I even blushed reading the book. If I were a true history buff or radical feminist, I may not like the book as much. But, since I like an engaging read with a little bit of education and trash talk, I found it to be PERFECT!

How did the others react...
Of the 12 or so women that read it, everyone LOVED it. All of the women were accomplished, well educated professionals that liked intellectual reads but also enjoy their fair share of "people" gossip.