Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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43 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic! Five Stars!, 3 Nov 2003
(Fantastic! Five Stars!)
Once in a while a special book comes along that sweeps you into another world, makes you set everything else aside until you've finished reading, and entertains and educates you at the same time. Wendy Dunn's 'Dear Heart, How Like You This' did all this for me. The story is told from Sir Thomas Wyatt's point of view in the first person, and I thought one of the charms of the book was Dunn's poetic prose which reflects the way a poet would use language so that I completely forgot this was not really Sir Thomas Wyatt telling his story. Another facet that I found particularly interesting was learning about Anne Boleyn as a child and watching her grow up to meet her destiny. Until Dunn's book, I only knew her as Henry VIII's mistress and eventual queen. I had never really given any thought to her early life. Wendy Dunn imbues Anne Boleyn with spirit: she is a dark, impatient, ambitious, alluring tomboy who captures the poet's heart early in life, but they can't marry, because Sir Thomas's father has other plans for him, and Anne Boleyn has other plans for herself.
I also never knew much about Sir Thomas Wyatt. It was a pleasure to be introduced to his poetry here and there throughout the novel, and to see how these historical people thought, and to visit their world (although I forgot I was visiting, I was so immersed in the period). The author makes you feel Sir Thomas's pain as he recounts the story of his love for Henry VIII's tragic queen, and many of the details of the events of that period came as a surprise to me. For example, I didn't know that Anne Boleyn had miscarried a deformed child, and that Henry VIII took this as a personal insult. With his enormous ego, he refused to believe that such a hideous child could be his, and so this sad event in Anne's life helped to seal her fate.
The setting is not limited to England. The author takes Sir Thomas to Italy as he serves Henry VIII on a diplomatic mission, and I found Dunn's description of life at this time in this part of the world absolutely intriguing. She really puts you there and makes you feel how dangerous and uncertain life was at that time, especially for a woman.
I loved this book. It's one of my two favorites that I've read over the past two years. The other one is Crichton's 'Timeline', but it's Dunn's Anne Boleyn and Thomas Wyatt that has stayed with me.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Do Yourself A Favour - Read This Book, 7 Jan 2005
Those with an interest in history, romance or those who are simply in search of a good book should definitely read 'Dear Heart, How Like You This'.I found it to be, quite literally, unputdownable. The story is both beautifully written and gripping. Through the narrator (Sir Thomas Wyatt) the characters, particularly Anne Boleyn, come alive. They stop being remote historical figures and become real people, people who love, who hope and who make mistakes. I really cared about the characters and, despite knowing the inevitable conclusion, I found myself wishing it could end differently, happily. This is definitely a must-read.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dear Heart, How Like You This?, 13 Nov 2002
Wendy J Dunn's "Dear Heart, How Like You This?" is a glimpse into Tudor England that has yet to be achieved by any other author. There have been many books written about the ill-fated Anne Boleyn but through the eyes of poet Sir Thomas Wyatt, Anne is portrayed as never before. For instead of a queen, we see a child with a love of life unsurpassed, an innocent spirit whose path to the execution block was paved by betrayal, untruths and heartbreak. A woman who could trust only two men in her life, her brother George and the man who loved her from childhood, Thomas Wyatt.Based on documented history, Wendy J. Dunn has indeed added the exact amount of spice to create this superb historical novel. As Thomas shares his love for Anne, he also shares the fickle character of the Tudor time period where passions ran high and a sentence of death could so easily be achieved. Loyal to each other unto death, Anne, George and Thomas' lives are entwined so steadfastly that what could not tear them apart was instead used to destroy them. As we come to know Anne, George and Thomas through Thomas' own words, we learn of a friendship that truly transcends time. Spun beautifully by the author, it is a camaraderie most have witnessed and yearn for. It is the familiarity established by the author that carefully captures you and heaves you right into the nucleus of Tudor England. It is not without surprise then that once the book concludes, you feel Thomas's loss keenly and it is with an element of sadness that you allow the cover to close on his life. What I admired most about this book is not only its sensitivity to the time period but its incredible grasp of human nature. In an era where life was unpredictable and fate often lay in the palms of others, Wendy J. Dunn captures the people that dwelt within it simply but effectively and ensures their vibrancy to the every end. Cleverly and thoughtfully composed, the author imparts a tale that she herself states is -- "conceived around people who were once flesh and blood." Historians will enjoy this book for the insight it offers on Tudor life, for the politics of the English court and for the dominance of Henry VIII. Others will enjoy this work simply because it is a tale of tragedy that cannot fail to strike at the heart of the soul.
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