Book Review: Mademoiselle Boleyn by Robin Maxwell

By Shaina Mangino

In her historical novel, Mademoiselle Boleyn (2007), Robin Maxwell documents the infamous life of Anne Boleyn in a time surrounded by scandal, lust and intrigue. Maxwell strays from the common perceptions of Anne being an adulterous, incestuous witch. Maxwell keeps personal biases out of the equation, focusing on historical research. She tries to stay true to Anne, casting her in an impartial light.

Maxwell’s intricate tale of Anne Boleyn’s life covers Anne’s early years at the French court in Amboise circa 1515. Anne’s adventures begin when she is about eight years old. Her father, Thomas Boleyn, essentially sells her and her older sister, Mary, to the French court where they are to be a part of Princess Mary Tudor of England’s entourage when she is blackmailed to wed King Louis the XII of France. Upon his death, Louis’ daughter, Claude, with husband Francois I, take over as France’s king and queen. The Boleyn girls are now Claude’s maids and used as spies for their father at home in England.

At a young age, Anne quickly learns a woman’s value and how to use her sharp, quick-witted mind to her advantage. Anne sees that playing by the rules won’t help her succeed as she watches Mary fall prey to Francois becoming his most prized concubine. Over time, Anne watches Mary fall apart as she is coined the “English Mare”—a comment on how she’s been “ridden” by so many men. Anne consciously shapes her fate by preserving her virginity and using her intelligence and knowledge of the courts to befriend the royals and ultimately gain respect. Only then can she be of any value in society.

Maxwell gives a detailed account of Anne’s day-to-day experiences. She has smooth transitions between the chapters spanning eight years. The novel’s three sections, accounting for three different periods in Anne’s life, provide readers with a simple outline. With vivid descriptions, sixteenth century France and England come alive. Maxwell creates pictures through words and it’s easy to envision King Henry Tudor of England when described with a “curly, golden halo of hair and beard, a broad, fair, and handsome face, (and an) overwhelming confidence that radiate(s) forth from his being.”

Mademoiselle Boleyn is not only rich in history, but it also details some surprising and embarrassingly entertaining scenarios. Like a trashy romance novel, it outlines Anne’s sexual awakening. With no restraint, Maxwell writes of Anne masturbating, hearing about her sister’s painful first time, and witnessing various orgies and sexual acts. “(Anne sees) one of (Mary Tudor’s) hands move low, and when (she) hear(s) him groan with pleasure, (Anne knows) which appendage she had embraced.” With each new experience, Anne matures into a confident, self-assured young woman.

Maxwell’s explicit sexual imagery is perhaps the novel’s greatest strength and weakness. Even though these stories are essential to the structure of the novel and getting to Anne’s persona, they make the rest of Mademoiselle Boleyn seem a bit lackluster. Other parts become less fun to read. If Maxwell can write salacious stories about Anne’s sexual encounters, then she should be able to use her creative talents to draw the reader into the novel’s less sensational parts.

Writing the entire novel like a diary puts Anne’s life into perspective. Seeing things through her eyes becomes a personal experience. When Anne says, “’twas the first time I had held a tiny infant in my arms,” she and the reader will feel a connection they may not have felt if Maxwell simply wrote a straight narrative. Plus, it isn’t as easy to brand Anne with stereotypes. Maxwell notes in the Reader’s Guide following the novel that she is “always suspicious when a figure in history is consistently portrayed either too scathingly or too well, which makes (her) want to do deep research and learn the other side of the story.”

With each turn of the page, Mademoiselle Boleyn feels like an ancient artifact. The diary-like format assists in showing that Maxwell did a lot of research. She successfully strung together individual bits of history. Maxwell said she “had to piece the characters, places, and events together (…) like a linear jigsaw puzzle.” She didn’t veer from documented facts but filled in gaps with things that were “probable” and “possible.”

Mademoiselle Boleyn works as an excellent anchor for the rest of Anne’s life. By the end of the novel, the reader will want to know what happens to young Anne and what a life after France holds in store for her.