Following a successful global tour for her bestselling book about the Lost Gospel of Mary Magdalene and preparing for her own nuptials, author Maureen Paschal isn’t looking for a new project—and certainly not a discovery that will tear apart the world of Tudor history. But when a cache of 16th century documents is found in the wall of the French Chateau she is renovating with her fiancé, her world is turned upside down by a new, demanding muse: Anne Boleyn.
The second wife of the infamous King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn is best known for her gruesome death by beheading—and the alleged scandalous behavior that led her to the chopping block. But as Maureen is drawn deeper into the secret world that Anne Boleyn inhabited during her youthful years in France, what evolves is the unexpected and sometimes shocking portrait of a complex, courageous and profoundly faithful woman. Anne comes vividly to life as both a heroine of religious reform and as a charitable champion of the common people who call her queen. This Anne Boleyn exists in stark contrast to the scheming, ambitious adulteress depicted in most modern accounts of Tudor history. This is an Anne Boleyn who changed the world indelibly, courageously, and intentionally. She is also a woman who died brutally for her audacity and power.
Maureen comes to believe that Anne Boleyn’s childhood years spent on the Continent were critical components of both her character and her destiny, yet these astounding details have been ignored. Anne was mentored by the most powerful and controversial women in Europe—women so colorful and important that it seems unfathomable that they have been lost to popular historical accounts. Maureen’s immersion into Anne’s life in France fuels her determination to defend this much maligned queen, but not everyone shares her perspective. History pushes back on those who try to change it, and Maureen finds herself in a deadly quest for the truth. As a body count of smart, outspoken women begins to pile up across the UK and Europe, Maureen must face the facts: a serial killer is stalking the women who would change history, and she is next. If she wants the truth of Anne Boleyn’s story to be told, she will first need to find a way to stay alive . . .
In Kathleen McGowan’s signature style of moving between the present and the past, The Boleyn Heresy—Part One is brilliantly researched, an uncommon blend of fast-paced fiction, epic love stories, and unparalleled, fresh insights into the history, art and religious turmoil of the 16th century.
