Konnichiwa Hivers! A pleasant day to all of you. It's me again, your one and only ridgette. For today, I'm going to share another book review of a novel about one of the most prominent women in history, Mary Tudor, commonly known as Bloody Mary. She was the first female monarch to rule England from 1553–1558. Her reign was controversial because of the bloodshed it caused.
Intent on restoring the Catholic Church, she launched a reign of terror. Converting the Protestant England into a Catholic Church, she rectified the changes within the Church that her brother Edward VI had made. She commanded that all images that were once removed from the altars of the Church to be returned again. She also banned The Book of Common Prayer and prohibited the priests from marrying again. Further, during her five-year reign, Queen Mary persecuted countless hundreds of protestants and condemned more than three hundred heretics to burn at the stake. This brutality made her known as Bloody Mary, but before you judge her, let's delve first into how and why this Mary became the Bloody Mary that history remembers.
Mary, Bloody Mary was one of the historical fiction novels that really got me hooked up. Honestly, it didn't immediately pique my interest way back when I saw it the first time. The cover of the book was worn out, and it kind of looked old. After my aunt gave the collection of books to us, I decided to repair it. I can't really stand seeing a damaged book without repairing it. While mending the book, I somehow got tempted to read the prologue, and after reading it, I totally got absorbed in its story.
About the Book
Mary, Bloody Mary is a novel written by Carolyn Meyer, and it was published by Scholastic Inc. in 1999. The novel is about Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII, king of England, and Queen Catherine of Aragon, the former princess of Spain. Even at her young age, Mary experienced a lot of betrothals to ensure the best interests of their kingdom. For them, daughters are not as highly prized as a son could be, but they can still be a valuable tool in forging strong alliances between kingdoms. This got me quite upset because I usually don't like this kind of genre where women are treated less than men, but Mary's feistiness somehow compelled me to finish the novel.
Even though Mary knew that she wasn't the son that her father wanted, she was pretty determined to be the queen someday. It's a dream that she and her mother shared, but unfortunately, that dream is bound to be tested. Will Mary prevail over the ordeals and humiliations that she's bound to face? Or will she crumble in the face of the harsh reality—the reality that she's no longer the king's beloved daughter that she used to be?
How It Started
Mary was ten years old when she was bethrothed by the King of France. She inherited his father's features and, unfortunately, his unfavorable temper as well. Mary grew up being pampered, but despite being pampered, she knew that she needed to do whatever her father wanted her to do. Even at her young age, Mary already knew that her happiness would not matter to his father because he merely saw her as a tool for forging alliances that would benefit his kingdom. Despite that, Mary adored his father and saw him as the most noble and handsome man in the world, but things started to change when a certain woman came into their lives, and it was Anne Boleyn, a lady-in-waiting in her mother's court.
Lady Anne is the daughter of England's ambassador to the French court, and even though she's not of royal blood, she behaves as though she's royalty. Mary thought it was fascinating until she noticed that Lady Anne was able to catch the attention of the king, and after that, unfortunate things started to happen not only to her but also to people around her. Everything was gradually slipping from her: her rightful place in her family, her mother's presence, her father's devoted affection, and even her chances of having a fruitful marriage. Little did she know, those were just the beginning of the unfortunate events that would happen in her life. Losing a friend, a lover, and a mother will somehow shake Mary's will to live, but her will to fulfill her and her mother's ambition propelled her to do everything to survive in her harsh new life, but a certain question lies ahead of her: will she endure it all up until the end?
How It Ended
Mary was stripped of everything she had, and after the unlawful divorce of her parents, she was declared bastard, but her misery doesn't end there because after the divorce, Mary was forced to take a double oath that acknowledges her father, King Henry VIII, as the supreme head of the Church of England, as well as her being an illegitimate child of incestuous marriage. Mary was a devout Catholic, and she's also stubborn about insisting that she's a legitimate heir to the throne, so she adamantly refused the King's order for her to sign the oath. By doing so, she made her father loathe her the same way he loathed Mary's mother. Also, Anne Boleyn was still determined to get rid of Mary and her mother because she saw them as a threat to her throne.
Anne's pregnancy made Mary's situation worse because she was forced to serve Anne for months. Anne announced that they were expecting a son, but true to Mary's warning, another daughter was born. That's where the King's affection for Anne started to wane, but later it's somehow restored when another pregnancy is announced. They were expecting a son again, but unluckily, an accident that was bound to doom the fate of Anne Boleyn happened. A tournament was arranged to cheer on the king, but unfortunately, it didn't go well. The king got himself whacked out of his saddle and onto the ground, and the word of the king's injury sent Anne into early labor, and now it's a son. Unfortunately, it was stillborn.
Anne was truly finished because she wasn't able to give the king a son. The king was quick to dispose of her since he was the head of the Church of England. After finding another woman to give his affections to, he set up Anne with the other five men. He accused them of adultery and had them publicly beheaded. Even after Anne's death, her father's madness did not stop. He continued to execute those who refused to acknowledge him. Wanting to live, she was forced to sign the double oath.
The story ended with Mary, Chapuy, and little Elizabeth (Anne Boleyn's daughter) strolling among the Knot Garden. Little Elizabeth was dashing along the flowery path of the garden and snatching the flowers off their stems. She poked it into her red-gold hair and ran back to them. She playfully struck a pose, then said she's a queen. Chapuy looked at her and told Mary that a new enemy had declared herself. Mary just dismissed it because, for her, Elizabeth was just a child, and she somehow got attached to the child within the months she tended Little Elizabeth, but years later she would remember that day and understand the truth and wisdom of his words. Her sister would become her nightmare, and unfortunately, her greatest enemy.
After the last chapter, a historical note was provided by the author. It narrated the events that happened after the last chapter. It seems that Anne's death wasn't the end of Mary's torment, for the king imprisoned Margaret Pole, Mary's beloved friend and governesses in the tower. Mary wrote to the king, begging for pardon on behalf of the countess, but there was no reply. The only woman who connects her to her beloved deceased mother's memory was brutally executed. Margaret was weeping hysterically when she tried to flee from the executioner, but unfortunately, the inexperienced axman did not give her a chance. He slashed at her over and over until he managed to hack her to pieces.
Mary was extremely shocked and horrified when she heard of Margaret's death. She vowed to atone for the blood of martyrs spilled by her father. On January 28, 1547, King Henry VIII died at the age of fifty-six. He left three heirs: Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward. In his will, the crown was to go first to his son, but within six years, Edward was dead of consumption. Now it was Mary's turn to rule, but an intrusion came, and after nine days of reign, the supporters of Mary imprisoned the poor girl and her ambitious family. At last, in 1553, Mary was crowned as the first queen of England.
Narrated from Mary's point of view, the novel really managed to capture the possible emotions that a woman can feel inside the palace. She made me realize that behind the majestic facade and the lavish banquets lies a horrid treatment of women. Women were treated dismally there, and honestly, there's no freedom there because women are not entitled to their own decisions and opinions. That somehow made me ponder the current state of gender equality. Women are still not free because, even though our situation has improved, we're still not free of the shackles of prejudice and misogyny.
Overall, the novel is a good read if you're looking for a novel with a more realistic plot. Although some of the details have been altered to enhance the story, the author was still able to somehow portray Mary's character realistically. Her point of view was never bland, for it's like I'm listening to her thoughts. I'm grateful that the author didn't use many complicated and archaic terms to narrate Mary's point of view. With that, I'm able to grasp and feel the emotions narrated in the novel. It was indeed worth reading, so if you're looking for a historical fiction novel, then Mary, Bloody Mary is definitely the novel that you must try, and I rate it 4.6/5.
As women's month draws near to an end, may we not forget to build a society where all are thriving and free. We should get rid of the idea that women are created by and for men. Despite the challenges we face, like Mary, let us all aspire to chase our dreams and make them come true. The path to success and happiness is always not an easy one, so let us be brave and face each day with courage. We are not only women, we are women, and we're not any less than men. We are all created with the potential to do great things, so woman stand up and try! Don't limit yourself only to the things that you expect you can do. Explore and discover the possible greatness in you!
That's all for now, bookworms. See you again next time for my next book review—and take note, it's not spoiler-free!