A king who would not be denied. A woman who would be queen. And a gentle
poet forced to watch helplessly as his one true love slipped out of his
arms forever. These are the elements in Wendy J. Dunn's poignant novel,
"Dear Heart, How Like You This?"
"Dear Heart" tells the story of
Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII. The novel is written in
first person, from the point of view of Anne's cousin, Sir Thomas Wyatt.
Tom has secretly loved Anne his entire life, but has always been told
he is not highly born enough to pursue her. He carefully masks his
feelings, especially after Anne catches the eye of the king, and remains
at Anne's side as one of her staunchest friends and supporters. Then
the unthinkable happens. After marrying Anne, the king tires of her and
falsely accuses her of adultery. Imprisoned himself on the whim of the
king's arrogant brother-in-law, Tom watches helplessly as his true love
and his closest friends go on trial for their lives...
"Dear
Heart" is a novel that grips you before the end of the first sentence
and doesn't let go until the bitter end. In Dunn's more than capable
hands, Anne Boleyn comes to life, first as a whimsical child, then as a
hurt and angry teenager, then as a woman both frightened and exhilarated
by the dangerous game she is playing, and finally as a bruised-but not
broken-victim of the king's cruelty. Through Anne's tumultuous life, her
cousin Thomas is a spellbinding narrator, reporting the events around
him with a reporter's keen eye and a poet's tender heart.