Product Description

Blood is thicker than water -- unless the King decrees othewise. A compelling first-person narration of childhood, as told by Henry VIII's daughter, Mary Tudor. History remembers her only as "Bloody Mary" because of the brutality of her reign, but this compelling recreation of her childhood brings alive the contradictions and conflicts and true danger of being the daughter of a 'divorced' queen as her father falls under the spell of the "witch" Anne Boleyn and why such an apparently privileged little girl could grow up to be such a monster. Published by Harcourt Brace in USA 1999, it has been widely reviewed and accalimed; was an ALA Notable Book, and among the ALA 10 Notable Books of that year.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #158046 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

About the Author
Carolyn Meyer lives and works in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. She is the bestselling author of many works of historical fiction.

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful Read. . .
This book peers into the soul of the infamous Mary Tudor, the queen known best for burning Protestants. But as a young girl, her father shunted her off to the side, and had take up the job of nursemaid to her younger sister, Elizabeth (if you want to hear about Elizabth from Ms. Meyer, you can look at her Beware Princess Elizabeth). In Mary, you see longing and fear, and the occasional spurt of joy. I recommend it highly to almost anyone.

Victim or Monster - this book will not help!
This is a compact book detailing the life of Princess Mary. It captures the young Princess's horror at the way her mother, Katherine of Aragon was treated by her Father Henry VIII and by Anne Boleyn. It also illustrates the shame and humiliation she must have felt when she was made to act as a serving girl for Anne Boleyns daughter, Princess Elizabeth. It is a testament to this book that I was thrilled when Queen Anne finally lost her power (and ultimately her head) and the evil women who had treated Princess Mary with such cruelty had the smiles wiped from their faces.

However the book just does not live up to the promise . . . you think you know me but do not judge my actions until you have heard my story . . . Yes it is all very understandable why Mary hated Anne Boleyn but this book does not cover how Mary came to be known as 'Bloody Mary'. It does not address her religious fanatacism. In short it does not address anything that the author cannot justify. Mary was a complex character - neither completely good or bad. Just as she was neither completely the victim or the monster but the author chooses not to discuss or explain any of this leaving us with a rather two dimensional and one sided view of Bloody Mary.

This is an exciting and interesting book!
Ok,with your worst nightmare is learning about Henry viii and his eldest daughter, you will not get on with this book, at all! I personally love history, so that is why I enjoyed it soooo much! It is exciting,facsinating,a little serious but on the whole its a really good book!