To Die For

To Die For, by Sandra Byrd, is a novel about Anne Boleyn. It is told from the perspective of her lifelong friend, Meg Wyatt.  Meg and Anne have been close friends since they were children.  They shared dreams of what their lives would be like and hoped to get married and raise their children together.

Meg is with Anne throughout all of the turning points in her life:  when Anne meets King Henry VIII and during Anne and Henry's turbulent romance.  In the meantime, Meg is dealing with her betrothal to a man she doesn't love while watching the man she does love give his life to the church.  Finally, Meg watches Anne's marriage begin to fail after delivering a daughter instead of a son.

If you don't know much about Anne Boleyn or this time in history, this is a good novel to begin.  Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII's lives were fascinating.  As a Christian, it is also interesting to learn more about the Reformation and how it came about that everyone is now able to read the Bible, rather than just priests.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  It was a bit slower in the beginning, but really began to pick up after Anne met King Henry.  The author really made the characters come to life.  While the story is fiction, it is based from facts and actual historical events.

Another bonus of this book is that the author was able to tell the story in a way that was appropriate for Christian readers.  So many books about this time in history focus on what went on in the bedroom between Henry and Anne.  This novel is not considered Christian fiction, but the author often writes Christian novels so she kept the book interesting without going too far.

Rating:  I would give this a 4 out of 5.