Plain Jane: A Novel of Jane Seymour

by Laurien Gardner

Book Overview

Continuing the story of Henry VIII's wives-from the author of The Spanish Bride and A Lady Raised High.

With a face better suited to a nun's habit than a wedding dress, Jane Seymour has no suitors and few hopes. Then, her prospects brighten when she is granted a position at court as maid of honor to Queen Catherine. There, Jane watches as King Henry VIII ignores his aging wife, showering favor on the beautiful Anne Boleyn,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 042522094X
• ISBN13: 9780425220948
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.2" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 17 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

This Author Gained a New Fan

I had never heard of Laurien Gardner before this book, but I'm surely glad I found her! I just finished "Plain Jane" a few minutes ago. First off, it is so refreshing to get a good book about Queen Jane. The writing style was refreshing and realistic throughout the book and helped me delve right into the mind of such a seldomly talked of queen. I can't say enough of Gardner's writing style. From childhood to her last days, the author really shows Queen Jane in a new and relatable light. 10/10, definitely recommend.

Loved!

Great story. I love how her books link together.

Great Book!

If you are interested in this part of history you will enjoy this book. I read the other Bolyn Girl and was interested in more information about Henry's next wife. This book was both enjoyable and informative.

Great book, interesting insights

I enjoyed all of the books in this series, but especially this one on Jane Seymour. She is one of the least understood Queens, and I enjoyed Laurien Gardner's interpretation.

A close look at Queen Jane, Great Harry's third wife.

Of late I've been reading a fictional series of books based around the six wives of England's King Henry VIII, he of the very many wives and mistresses. The topic of these six unfortunate ladies has always been popular with both writers and readers, and nearly every time that a book or film is published about them, the response is usually good. Now a collection of writers, working under the psuedynom of "Laurien Gardner," have written about the first three wives: Catherine of Aragon, a Spanish Princess; Anne Boleyn, who would face execution, and Jane Seymour, a rival and contemporary of Anne Boleyn. With Plain Jane, the center role is now taken by Jane, one of Henry's lesser known wives. Jane Seymour, as we see in the opening, is the eldest daughter of a minor landholding family, deep in England's Savernake Forest. With her two brothers, Edward and Tom, she's a bit of a tomboy at the age of nine, mad for horseback riding, but a chance bit of eavesdropping of her parents' conversation reveals a shattering truth to Jane. Despite her goodness and fair colouring, she is hopelessly pain and unremarkable, and very unlikely to find a suitable husband. For Jane, it's a crippling blow to her self worth and image. Sadly, it seems that the prophecy is going to be true as well, when a possible suitor appears in the shy, softspoken William Dormer, whose family spurns Jane as being not at all suitable. Stung, Jane takes the chance of entering Queen Catherine's household as a lady-in-waiting. But there is plenty of intrigue there as well -- Queen Catherine has only managed a single living child, a daughter, for the king, who only desires that a son succeed him as king. And King Henry's attention has fallen on one of the queen's ladies, the darkly beautiful Anne Boleyn, with her French ways and bold ways. Anne has been stringing the king along for a while, refusing to give in as other women have done, and angling to be his wife rather than his mistress. Jane is devoted to Queen Catherine, and views Anne as a scheming, conniving woman. But even through all this, she does get a bit of notice from the King. We get to see the rise and fall of Queen Anne, and Jane's own role in the story. Jane is reluctant to accept the king's advances, accepting a miniature portrait of the king, but not a gift of money and a letter. Instead, she takes the exact same route that Anne Boleyn did, refusing to be a mistress, but taking a stand that the king is too glorious a suitor, and that she is too meek and humble for him. It's exactly the sort of thing designed to attract a king who is tired of a shrewish wife, and hungry for a son after Queen Anne only manages a daughter, Elizabeth. With bewildering speed, Anne is charged with adultery and treason, and Jane is first engaged to the King and then Queen Jane. But will her fate be any different than Catherine or Anne? And it seems that King Henry is still a bit in love with Anne, leaving Jane questioning her own judgement. It's

An easy, entertaining read

I have read so many books, historical accounts, biography and fiction, about King Henry 8th and his marriages but it is usually Anne Boleyn who gets all the attention. It was so refreshing to read more about gentle Jane, the woman who was Queen for such a short time. She was the only one of his wives who gave Henry what he ultimately wanted, and needed so badly, a son and heir for England. She then died shortly afterwards, never fully recovering from the princes birth, and slips thorugh the fingers of history almost as a side note.This books tells her story. The book is pretty historically accurate, but not dry. The author uses her imagination a great deal to place what she thinks must have been going through Jaynes head. Its enough of the romance between her and King Henry to keep you entertained but its not a romance novel. Its an easy read that gives a glimpse inside of the heart and head of a young girl who was used as a pawn for the ambitions of her famliy who gave birth to a king. I loved it!

An entertainig novel

I've read the all 3 novels in this series and I cannot wait for the next one!