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Book Description
A comic tale of two accomplished women who lived in the shadow of the men they married ...
Product Description
Flora Chapman is in her fifties when her husband dies in a bizarre ballooning accident. Seizing upon her new found freedom, she decides to finish the history of their village that Edward had begun. A reference to Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's fourth wife who he rejected for being ugly, captures her imagination as she begins to delve deeper into the life of this neglected figure. Meanwhile, in the Louvre, Holbein's portrait of Anne of Cleves senses the tug of a connection and she begins to tell the story of the injustices she suffered and just how she survived her marriage . . .
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is Mavis Cheek back to her old form. I was quite disappointed by her last two books but I loved this one. Flora has always lived in the shadow of her husband. When he dies unexpectedly in a bizarre baloon accident, she finds she relishes her freedom to plan her own life. Casting around for something to occupy her mind she comes across a half finished local history which Edward was working on, and in it a reference to Anne of Cleves - Henry VIII's fourth wife - and her connections with the area. This sparks her interest and she decides to find out Anne's story. She visits Paris to view the original portrait by Holbein and feels as though the picture is speaking to her. Fending off her daughter's attempt to wrest her inheritance from her and some startling revelations about her husband seem minor irritations compared with her search for information about Anna (Anne) of Cleves. Her search helps her come to terms with her own life and she finds many parallels in Anna's story.
This is a multilevelled story which shows while circumstances may change people stay the same. Behaviour which works in one century may well be effective in a later one. Mavis Cheek's sentences sometimes meander along for several lines, but her style suits the story and there is much gentle humour. Characters are well realised and I will certainly look at Henry VIII's 4th wife with fresh eyes from now on.
This is a multilevelled story which shows while circumstances may change people stay the same. Behaviour which works in one century may well be effective in a later one. Mavis Cheek's sentences sometimes meander along for several lines, but her style suits the story and there is much gentle humour. Characters are well realised and I will certainly look at Henry VIII's 4th wife with fresh eyes from now on.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Mavis Cheek's "Amenable Women" is told in two voices, current-day widow Flora Chapman and Henry VIII's discarded fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. The book is a wonderful combination of contemporary life with historical fiction. Flora has recently been widowed from her larger-than-life husband, Edward, who takes up all the space and life in their marriage. The only child, Hilary, is her father's clone and is not close to her mother, who has stepped back early in Hilary's life to let Edward to the parenting. Edward and Hilary's "circle of two" rarely expanded to include Flora. After Edward's untimely death in a bizarre ballooning accident, where he manages to die by burning, blunt force trauma, AND drowning, certain secrets come out about Edward, threatening his standing in the small English village Flora and he have lived for thirty years and have raised their daughter. Flora opens the book with her thoughts and memories as she stands at the edge of her husband's grave, listening and occasionally participating in the funeral service. She realises what many widows from dull marriages realise, she's really better off without him. She sees the vain, foolish, headstrong man that her daughter cannot.
While going through Edward's belongings, she comes across a manuscript he has been writing in his pretentious manner about their village. There's a connection with Anne of Cleves that Flora finds, as a stone in a fence in their yard was found dedicated to Anna. Flora becomes interested in Henry's fourth wife - known throughout history as the "Flanders Mare" because of her plain looks - and begins to research her life. During the research, including a trip to Paris to see Hans Holbein's famous portrait of Anna, she realises that she could be Anna's sister. Both plain women, Flora and Anna largely succeed in life - and make reasonably happy lives for themselves - in spite, or maybe because of, their plainness.
The other voices in the book are those of Anna, Elizabeth, and Mary, speaking from their portraits. In those parts of the book, Cheek gives her readers some historical context to religious, social, and cultural events of the 16th century.
Cheek is an excellent writer. She makes transitions of 500 years seem easy. It's the story of two women who come together in the end to understand themselves and many of their loved ones.
While going through Edward's belongings, she comes across a manuscript he has been writing in his pretentious manner about their village. There's a connection with Anne of Cleves that Flora finds, as a stone in a fence in their yard was found dedicated to Anna. Flora becomes interested in Henry's fourth wife - known throughout history as the "Flanders Mare" because of her plain looks - and begins to research her life. During the research, including a trip to Paris to see Hans Holbein's famous portrait of Anna, she realises that she could be Anna's sister. Both plain women, Flora and Anna largely succeed in life - and make reasonably happy lives for themselves - in spite, or maybe because of, their plainness.
The other voices in the book are those of Anna, Elizabeth, and Mary, speaking from their portraits. In those parts of the book, Cheek gives her readers some historical context to religious, social, and cultural events of the 16th century.
Cheek is an excellent writer. She makes transitions of 500 years seem easy. It's the story of two women who come together in the end to understand themselves and many of their loved ones.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A really delightful book. Recently widowed Flora is trying to pick up the pieces and forge a new life for herself. But she is not helped by everyone else's memories of her larger than life husband. At his funeral her thoughts wander over their past life together as she realises that she probably won't miss him all that much and that she is in fact looking forward to being her own boss. Much of the book (especially the early part) is very funny and it would be a hard-hearted reader indeed who failed to root for Flora.
Edward, her late husband, had begun a history of their village. Flora had originally suggested that she do this but Edward quickly took over the idea and squeezed her out. So Flora was now free to work on this again and wanted to concentrate on the links that Anna of Cleves had with the village. She soon rejects the epithet of the Flanders Mare and gives us a refreshing reappraisal of Henry VIII's fourth wife.
There are a series of disappointments throughout the narrative. Flora has been disappointed by her husband and is now attracted to Ewan. But Ewan's wife admits how disappointed she has been by him. And, of course, Anna of Cleves was very disappointed in the husband that awaited her when she arrived in England!
It may not sound like the most feminist of messages but Mavis Cheek shows that amenability can lead to a woman getting what she wants! And what a lovely word "amenable" is - I will find ways to include it in future conversations!
Edward, her late husband, had begun a history of their village. Flora had originally suggested that she do this but Edward quickly took over the idea and squeezed her out. So Flora was now free to work on this again and wanted to concentrate on the links that Anna of Cleves had with the village. She soon rejects the epithet of the Flanders Mare and gives us a refreshing reappraisal of Henry VIII's fourth wife.
There are a series of disappointments throughout the narrative. Flora has been disappointed by her husband and is now attracted to Ewan. But Ewan's wife admits how disappointed she has been by him. And, of course, Anna of Cleves was very disappointed in the husband that awaited her when she arrived in England!
It may not sound like the most feminist of messages but Mavis Cheek shows that amenability can lead to a woman getting what she wants! And what a lovely word "amenable" is - I will find ways to include it in future conversations!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Enjoyable take on history merged well with present day story
The characters in this book are artistically drawn and gave me an instant feeling of familiarity, which led to me wanting to find out more. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2009 by Janie U
Parson's egg
I prefer straight history books but was drawn to this because of its treatment of Anna of Cleves. It was fascinating to learn something about her life post-Henry and find how it... Read more
Published on 14 July 2009 by Book Worm
Cheek on form
Mavic Cheek on form, a friend asked what the book was like and I replied: 'very funny and the funeral is not over yet'. Read more
Published on 6 Jun 2009 by Amjenmary
A treat of a history lesson
I was really looking forward to this book and was thrilled when I had it in the post! It is a beautiful book promising exquisite entertainment. Read more
Published on 23 Jun 2008 by Dani
Enjoyable, but unrealistic
Mavis Cheek continues to write in the lively style that has been her hall-mark, but in this, and her previous book, there has been a shift in her depiction of men with a noticeable... Read more
Published on 10 May 2008 by Bluebell
Not the Flanders Mare
I bought this book because of a very good write-up in the Telegraph but it's not really my bag. I found it full of waffle interspersed with tantalizing snippets about Anne of... Read more
Published on 9 April 2008 by Persis Gretna
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