Vanora Bennett's Portrait of an Unknown Woman is definitely a cut above the usual historical fiction fare. This is a book I recently received from the Harpercollins First Look Program, which I have mentioned before. When I read the description of the book--a novel set in 1500s England combining history, politics and art--I had to try my luck in the drawing. I'm so glad I won a copy, though I would have either bought it or borrowed it eventually. This just gave me the opportunity to read it sooner rather than later.
Bennett very evocatively tells her story set against the panorama of 16th-century domestic and court life and its many intrigues. Deftly weaving together real and historical figures and events, she manages to tell a compelling tale. It was easy to get caught up in the imagined life of Meg Giggs. This is not, however, the type Of novel where you can let your mind wander. I was already somewhat familiar with what was happening historically at this time, but there were so many political players, you really do need to pay attention to the action. I was impressed with the author's attention to historical details and the building up of tension between the characters. For a while I was starting to forget what was fact and what was fiction! I do believe, though, most of what she has written is based on true historical facts. I think I know where the embroidering of the story occurred. I feel a little guilty that I read more about English history at times than American history, but those royal intrigues are hard to ignore!
Told mostly from the perspective of Meg Giggs, one of Thomas More's young wards, the story is really less about the actual court life of Henry VIII, and more about the More family. The drawing you see above (which I found in Holbein in England by Susan Foister--I came across this book in my library), is a preparatory drawing of the More family. Meg appears in a study for the portrait (above left). Bennett has taken actual people and events and created a story around them. She twists the facts only enough to bring these people to life. Hans Holbein did indeed paint the family's portrait in 1527, and he is an important character in the novel. He returned some five years later to paint the family again, and the story itself sits firmly between these two events. I loved the descriptions of Holbein's paintings--so intricate and full of symbolism! There is also a bit of a love triangle situation, but the love story is only one aspect of the novel. At the time Henry was trying hard to get rid of his first wife, Catherine in favor of Anne Boleyn. The Reformation was taking its toll, and you had to step very carefully through the political minefield of the day!
If you are a fan of historical novels, or are interested in this period (from a fictional point of view anyway), I do recommend this novel. It's a well written and well thought out tale! You can take a look at the cool book trailer, too!
My title post, by the way, was taken from a blurb on the back of the book. It may not make a lot of sense, but if you read the book through to the end--it will! It sums up so many things nicely!