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The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 2,396 ratings · 201 reviews

In this "energetic" (Kirkus Reviews) re-creation of Anne Boleyn's tragic life -- and death -- Robin Maxwell offers a pitch-perfect version of a bawdy and exuberant time filled with lust, betrayal, love, and murder.

When the young Queen Elizabeth I is entrusted with Anne Boleyn's secret diary, she discovers a great deal about the much-maligned mother she never knew. And on l

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Paperback, 281 pages

Published May 28th 1998 by Touchstone (first published April 24th 1997)

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Mar 18, 2008 Shae rated it 2 of 5 stars

I am just starting this book and it is actually better then I thought it would be so far but really it's just a light fancifull read. While enjoyable it doesn't hold water to Sandra Gullands trilogy on Josephine Bonaparte.

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Jul 25, 2011 Tori rated it 4 of 5 stars

2004- This was my first reading of one of Robin Maxwell's books, and I must say it won't be my last. I already can't wait to read the next two! However, I'm getting ahead of myself. This novel moves back and forth in time from Queen Elizabeth in the present, to her mother, Anne Boleyns', life in the past. Elizabeth is presented with a diary that Anne kept, which chronicles her life right up to very end. Apparently, it was Anne's wish that eventually Elizabeth would read her writings. Elizabeth f...more

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Jan 23, 2009 Maggie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, historical-fiction, read-2009

This was very interesting. Of course, I've read several books about the Tudors, and obviously, since it's based on fact, you pretty much know what happens.

I liked that this book had a little twist. Elizabeth is given her mother, Anne's diary. So through that, you live mostly in Anne's world, but the book also has some insight into Elizabeth's life. That made this book a little step up from your average book about Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's relationship.

If you like historical fiction, you'll p...more

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Feb 27, 2008 Suzanne Stolz rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like historical fiction

I loved this book and would recommend it above the Other Boleyn Girl. In fact having read this book and at least one or two others about Anne Boleyn, all of which portrayed her as a woman who wanted to take control over her life instead of being having her entire life run by men and brought about her own downfall not just because she wanted too much power but because she wanted more power than a woman was supposed to want, I had trouble getting into the Other Boleyn Girl, which to me made Anne s...more

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May 02, 2008 Graceann rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: historical fiction fans

Shelves: historical-fiction

Please see my detailed review at Amazon.com Grace's "Boleyn Diary" Review

Please click that the review was helpful to you at Amazon so that my rating continues to climb! Thanks!

This one took a little while to get going, but once it did - wowee. I love these sorts of premises for novels (hidden diaries, newly-unearthed). In Maxwell's hands, it was handled in a very interesting fashion and I'm so glad I stuck with it past the first few dry pages.

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Jun 18, 2012 Autumn rated it 1 of 5 stars

So disappointed.

I enjoy historical fiction, and the addition of a little romance is usually the icing on the cake.

USUALLY.

Though this book was listed as historical fiction at my library, it's the rankest Harelquinny, bad fan-fiction drivel, full of purple prose, silly coyness, and ridiculous sex at ridiculous times.

Folks, this is just BAD. And it's really too bad, because the adventures, sexual and otherwise, of the Tudor family en toto are rife with ideas for the imaginative writer who is willi...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Jess rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

Blech. I've read books about Elizabeth I since I was in 5th grade. Hands down my favorite historical figure. I hated the little I read of this book. First off, it starts with her having sex with Robin Dudley, then makes a lame claim that she didn't have periods so she couldn't get pregnant. This has no factual basis at all, and chances are very high she was, indeed, the Virgin Queen. People watched her all the time, so she couldn't just escape for a little adult fun with Robin like this books cl...more Blech. I've read books about Elizabeth I since I was in 5th grade. Hands down my favorite historical figure. I hated the little I read of this book. First off, it starts with her having sex with Robin Dudley, then makes a lame claim that she didn't have periods so she couldn't get pregnant. This has no factual basis at all, and chances are very high she was, indeed, the Virgin Queen. People watched her all the time, so she couldn't just escape for a little adult fun with Robin like this books claims. Furthermore, she always looked down on women who gave into their passions at the detriment of their positions. She's disgusted with her cousin, Mary Stuart, for marrying unwisely. She'd never just sleep around when it would hurt her claim to the throne and the legitimacy of her rule. Besides, how was she supposed to hide any pregnancy? No, I doubt she had lovers, and if she did it would have been when she couldn't get pregnant. But even then, how was she going to hide what she was doing? People were paying off her servants to tell them info about her, and there's no way such a brilliant leader wasn't aware of this. Also, Robin once tried to order her servants around, and she famously blew up at him, telling him, "I will have here but one mistress and no master". And people still think they were lovers...
Then there's Anne. Since I've always like Elizabeth, I've read a lot about Anne as well. Right away it perpetuates the myth that Anne Boleyn had six fingers. She didn't. Her body's been examined, and no. Her body was described as 5'3'' with long fingers. Nothing else. (Besides, Henry was superstitious. He'd never marry a woman like that.)
Also, she didn't trick Henry into marrying her--judging from Henry's letters to her, and the fact she wouldn't reply to them, it seems like she never wanted his advances. But you can't say, "Thanks, but no thanks," to the King. To portray her as some conniving little home-wrecker floozy chick is both overestimating her (highly doubt she was quite that ambitious), and underestimating her (she was actually very religious, and it's unlikely she'd seduce the King one minute, then go to church the next).
Wouldn't recommend this at all. If you're really interested in either one of these ladies (and hey, who wouldn't be?) just google and look for a reputable site. There are tons out there.
And don't think that The Other Boleyn Girl or that type of novel will work better. Those make Anne out as a kidnapper in addition to everything else.
Oh, and the worst part is people think they're learning from this book. Right...(less)

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Mar 02, 2011 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2006

Oh! the poor defenseless creature! Sticking it out though rumors arose of six fingers, a myriad of warts. Such a woman was destined to be a lady of royalty running amok. Such an interesting career of choice, that dripping of charm for the king's stately arm (ouch, it seems my father's adoptive speech of Lear is getting to me). Mechanically obsessed with the Tudors, it was the main consumption of my summer and well into winter days. The 'callous' gossipy whisps of dialogue about this woman seemed...more

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Sep 16, 2009 Dana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Elizabeth I is queen and in love with Robin Dudley when she receives a diary written by her mother, Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn changed the course of English history.

After returning home from being in the French court Anne is seen by King Henry VIII. Her sister is already the king's mistress and Anne has no wishes to be another of his mistresses. She aims higher. She 'holds' out with granting the king any sexual favours and thus starts a six year engagement.

The pope refuses to dissolve the king's m...more

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Aug 10, 2009 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, england, 16th-c, anne-boleyn, elizabeth-i

The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell

Genre: Historical Fiction

There have been many books written about Anne Boleyn but I don’t think one has been written in this manner. The present time in this book is the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth I – she is 25, in love, and newly come to the throne. One day an old woman comes to her presence chamber with a diary for her – the diary of her mother, Anne Boleyn. In this diary, Anne wrote of her life from before her ascendency to the throne r...more The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell

Genre: Historical Fiction

There have been many books written about Anne Boleyn but I don’t think one has been written in this manner. The present time in this book is the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth I – she is 25, in love, and newly come to the throne. One day an old woman comes to her presence chamber with a diary for her – the diary of her mother, Anne Boleyn. In this diary, Anne wrote of her life from before her ascendency to the throne right up to just before her execution. As Elizabeth reads through this diary she learns a lot about the mother she doesn’t remember and learns many valuable lessons that she will apply during her reign as Queen of England.

I thought that this was an amazingly well written book. I enjoyed how the story bounced back and forth between the present time with Elizabeth and the time while Anne was alive, in the diary. As Elizabeth learned things from her mother she would then apply them to how she ruled her kingdom. It would be neat to think that this was actually the case. It’s a unique way to look at such a sad story.

The character of Anne Boleyn was written in a sympathetic manner. She is not depicted as a cunning, power hungry woman. Instead, she is written as a woman who didn’t really want what happened to her and absolutely loved her daughter. There are several touching scenes between mother and daughter that happen through this diary. Elizabeth learns about her mother first-hand, as opposed to what she has always been taught about her mother being a whore, traitor, and a witch. Elizabeth understands more of whom she is and where she came from and that forms the way she will carry herself from that point on.

I really enjoyed this book, mostly for the connection between mother and daughter and for the depiction of Anne as wholly human. I look forward to reading more of her books, I have Signora da Vinci on my shelf. You can check out more about this author at her website http://www.robinmaxwell.com/index.html

4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Jan 22, 2013 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this book more than I had expected. It’s a novel, a fictionalized account of what might have happened if Anne Boleyn had written a diary. Of course the author made assumptions that cannot be verified as fact--that’s what happens with historical fiction. What mattered to me was that these assumptions not clash with what is actually known about Anne, those around her, and the setting in which she lived. The events in her story must agree with those from history sufficiently for me to suspe...more I liked this book more than I had expected. It’s a novel, a fictionalized account of what might have happened if Anne Boleyn had written a diary. Of course the author made assumptions that cannot be verified as fact--that’s what happens with historical fiction. What mattered to me was that these assumptions not clash with what is actually known about Anne, those around her, and the setting in which she lived. The events in her story must agree with those from history sufficiently for me to suspend disbelief enough to enjoy the book.

I have more than a casual interest in Tudor history and found that the author was remarkably accurate in relating the known events that occurred during Anne’s life. This made the fiction mostly plausible for me. The novel is a sympathetic portrait of Anne Boleyn, told from her perspective, showing a woman living in the “man’s world” with all the struggles and tragedies this entailed. I recognized a number of quotes from Anne, Henry, and others that have been documented by historians and placed in this fictional context. This gave necessary credibility to the tale as it unfolded. Of course I knew the ending, but I still cared.

Robin Maxwell wove her story of Anne with that of her daughter Elizabeth, newly come to the throne as a young and passionate woman. For me that was one of the most effective aspects of this novel. It is the story of two women, living in an age where they were considered mere chattel, having virtually no rights or control over their lives. Neither was suited to their prescribed female roles in that society, and both struggled mightily against its constraints. The mother was destroyed while the daughter prevailed to become one of England’s greatest rulers. This novel attempts to explain how this might have come about.

I found the other reviews interesting. People seemed to love this book or hate it. I agree that there were problems with the story--elements that seem improbable knowing what we do from history. But there was a lot this author got right as well. I’ll not give it 5 stars because I did notice the occasional implausible details and they disrupted the narrative for me a bit. However, from my perspective this novel deserves 4 stars for what the author got right and for this unusual portrait she gave me of Anne, Elizabeth, and the Tudor era. Besides, it was fun!(less)

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Feb 09, 2012 Holly Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

A fantastic mixture of fact & fiction, bringing to life the intrigues of the Tudor Court.
Robin Maxwell has helped us to understand, more intricately, how Anne Boleyns' struggle for power was equally a fight for survival.
History portrays Anne Boleyn in a certain way because she was succeeded by Henry VIII's many other wives... and we know that history is written by the victors. I have great empathy for Anne Boleyn... she was pursued and seduced by a romantic yet lustful king. A married man. W...more

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May 22, 2008 Anjanette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

This is one of the most engaging works of historical fiction I have ever read. Anyone interested in the Tudor period and receptive to considering different viewpoints on the developments of that period should consider reading it. It truly humanizes Anne Boleyn, who is deemed at best a manipulative schemer and at worst a witch in many accounts of the time.

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Sep 21, 2011 P J rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

The significance of Anne Boleyn is not that she was the cause of the creation of the Church of England, nor that she was the mother of Elizabeth. It was not that she was the first ‘beheaded’ of the well-known mnemonic nor even that she had six fingers on one hand.
It is in fact embraced by those who still believe in the absolute sovereignty of the British parliament (legally the monarch in parliament) as a doctrine. This idea was first expounded by Henry VIII in defiance of a foreign pope in the...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Angela Lynn Holland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angela-s-2013-new-authors

What I didn't like: This book started out a little slow for me and in parts a little dry. I think this was somewhat me and not used to reading something actually written in the time period it took place. This was not a bad thing as the author did such a good job of portraying Anne and writing as she would have written the journal that you felt like you were reading a true journal by Anne Boleyn.
What I liked: I loved the subject of this book. Anne Boleyn is one of my favorite historical figures t...more

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Feb 11, 2009 Julie rated it 1 of 5 stars

I couldn't even finish this. It was filled with so many crude euphemisms. Totally unnecessary.

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Mar 30, 2008 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, adult-fiction

I liked this book. I did. It just took me way too long to read. I was surprised how much sexy business was going on back then especially because the people were pretty dirty. I wikipedia-ed all the major players while I was at work. What did I learn? Besides being horny, these people were pretty wacky.

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Nov 07, 2012 Rick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well worth the read especially for those who are unacquainted with the history of Anne as Robin does a good job recounting the acknowledged facts and blending them with point of view Anne may have very well had.
It's sometimes difficult to understand point of view from a different era and the sense of royal entitlement described here makes me cringe though I know it to be true. Elizabeth may or may not have held some feelings for her mother. Her age at the time of Anne's execution (three) means...more

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May 23, 2011 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, tudor-esque

First, I want to direct your attention to this section of the Wikipedia page on Anne Boleyn - particularly about the sixth finger and where those rumours began. Note the years. Note the year of the exhumation. 1876. So why do authors, particularly one who claimed to do half a decade of research on this subject, insist upon the sixth finger?

I would've enjoyed this book far more if it weren't for the glaring errors. I liked the idea, but nope, ruined by continuing falsations. I'm not sure if I wan...more

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Jul 09, 2009 Shiela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Although this book took me longer than it should to finish, I quite enjoyed the journey through the infamous Anne Boleyn's life. This "Secret Diary" took us through Anne's ascent to the throne, her tumultuous marriage to King Henry and finally, her downfall. She also left a touching message to her daughter, the currently reining Queen Elizabeth to always be true to herself and never allow anyone to come between her ambitions and true nature. From one dead mother to her daugther, Anne left a pric...more

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May 19, 2009 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tudors, historical-fiction

WOW! This was a fantastic book. The "sequel" to "Mademoiselle Boleyn", it starts off with new Queen Elizabeth being handed her mother's secret diary, that she left with a confidante. As Elizabeth reads the diary, she realizes all the things she ever heard about her mother are false. Her mother wasn't a cold, heartless whore who deserved her beheading. And more shocking of all, her mother truly loved her.

This news rocks Elizabeth's world, and leads to the shocking decision to never marry, and end...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Zillah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, historical-fiction, women-writers

It's actually more 2.5 stars, but l'll stick to this vote..
At first l really liked the book, but now when l think back it's probably due to the fact that l haven't touched a book that had nothing to do with studying for a month.. l guess it is something like- when you're hungry, you'll eat practically anything..
The writing style is ok, the story not so bad, but l think it would sound the same if you take any lady who lives in the palace from that period (except maybe the beheading part).. Toward...more

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Oct 13, 2010 Nakita rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 09, 2010 Bobbi rated it 5 of 5 stars

This first novel supposes that Anne Boleyn, second wife to King Henry VIII of England, kept a secret diary that was delivered to her daughter, Elizabeth, upon her succession to the throne. Elizabeth was only three when Anne was renounced by Henry, tried for treason, and sentenced to death. Now, despite her queenly schedule, juggling affairs of state and heart, Elizabeth finds time to read her mother's story avidly and learns lessons that will secure her reign. It is an intriguing premise that kn...more

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Mar 18, 2008 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved it. I know there are many versions of her diary and story, and I hope to read them all, however, this one was wonderful.

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May 20, 2011 Pequete rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bookcrossing

Apesar de ter ido gostando mais do livro à medida que o ia lendo, não posso dizer que me tenha enchido as medidas. Gostei da forma de escrita em diário, intercalada com a história da filha e fiquei com uma ideia muito diferente acerca da Ana Bolena daquela que tinha anteriormente. De uma vítima submissa, passei a encará-la como uma mulher forte, calculista e até um pouco arrogante, embora tudo isso se justificasse perante a "besta" daquele marido... Não gostei, por vezes, da forma como o livro e...more

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Apr 13, 2008 Desiree Alvarez rated it 5 of 5 stars

A great book to read. Robin Maxwell does a good job giving readers a book based on Anne's point of view.

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Dec 17, 2012 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this book (on kobo). What a sad period for women in general, and this went on for hundreds of years. Women were objects, literally. They married complete strangers, marriages arranged by parents since they were babies. Anyway, I digress. I get upset about the treatment of women thoughout history. In this book, we get to see another side to the famous Anne Boleyn story. It was very sad, and I don't know if Queen Elizabeth the 1st, daughter of Anne, really got to find out more about...more

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Sep 04, 2009 Carolynne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Elizabeth I is given a diary written by her mother, Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn, chronicling her days as a young headstrong girl in 1522 to her death in May, 1536. Elizabeth begins reading this account understandably feeling estranged from her mother who died when Elizabeth was just a toddler. But through the diary she begins to draw closer to the woman she barely knew, and even to learn from her mother how better to maintain her (Elizabeth's) independence from the grasping men who des...more

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Jun 16, 2009 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was an entertaining, delightful, and easy read, similar to 'Lady in the Tower', in that both are fictitious biographies of Anne Boleyn, told in a personal diary format. The basis of this book is that one of Anne's ladies in waiting had been given Anne's personal diary while she was a prisoner in the Tower, to hold onto until her daughter, Elizabeth, was crowned Queen of England, whereupon she was to give it to the new Queen. I enjoyed reading chapters about the early years of Elizabeth's re...more

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About Robin Maxwell

Robin Maxwell grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey, graduated from Tufts University School of Occupational Therapy, and practiced in that field for several years before moving to Hollywood to become a parrot tamer, casting director and finally a screenwriter. Working for the major studios and networks she wrote comedy, drama and even feature animation for Disney. Her credits include "Passions", a CBS...more

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“For men love what they cannot have, and hate what they cannot control.” — 41 people liked it

“If you find a way to write with open heart to Diary, a friend with Truth, no detail spared, your tome like Petrarch’s works will contain the scattered fragments of your soul.” — 5 people liked it

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