Review 482: Sutton Place

Sutton Place by Dinah Lampitt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A historical novel about Anne Boleyn, the early days of her at the royal court, to the end of her sentence of death. The book is also about the Sutton Place estate. This is the frame of the novel, with the lands being cursed by Queen Edith. Her husband Kind Edward (the Confessor) refused to consummate the marriage then banished her to a nunnery which caused her to curse the lands that he loved.

Although the majority of the book is during the time of King Henry VIII during his affair with Anne Boleyn, there are also moments of other time, modern and otherwise, to show how the curse effected those who lived at Sutton Place.

Richard and Anne Weston upon being granted the estate by King Henry VIII built a new grand house. They had three children, two girls and Francis who was known as the handsomest man in England. We follow Francis more than his siblings.

The writing style was a bit odd to me, it would switch point of view quite often. Before getting used to this constant shifting, it made for some confusion about who was thinking these thoughts. The book would’ve been stronger with less of this switching around between characters. And there were many, many characters.

The book made me realize how little I know about the English history other than some vague generalities. The general outline of events appear to be accurate, at least for the major players. This is a first in a short series, but I will not be seeking out any others by the author. This one was enough. I’d rather try different authors and a clear sort of writing style.

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