Review ~ The May Bride by Suzannah Dunn

Little, Brown Book Group
March 2014

I am always interested to read Suzannah Dunn's interpretation of history as I know that her modern way of recounting the past is not always to everyone's taste, but for me her novels work as a refreshing change from the more conventional historical narratives.

The May Bride is recounted by Jane Seymour, whose recollections of her sister in law, Katherine Filliol's arrival at Wolf Hall in the early days of her marriage to Jane's brother, Edward, forms the foundation for the story. Jane is irresistibly drawn towards the charismatic older girl and is devastated when that trust is later betrayed in a scandal which rocks the family’s foundation forever.

Refreshingly different, this book looks at the dynamics of a family divided, not just by infidelity, but also by the betrayal of trust, and the alteration of a family’s love and loyalty to each other.

If you want a conventional Tudor saga with the royal family playing a pivotal role, then this book may well be a disappointment to you, but if like me, you want something refreshingly different which brings the Tudor age alive in a very different way, then I am sure you will enjoy The May Bride as much as I did.

My thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Books for my review copy of this book.

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The Author

Suzannah Dunn