In her historical fiction debut, “Portrait of an Unknown Woman,” Vanora Bennett has brought a crucial slice of English history to life with compelling characterizations and a keen eye for period detail. Based on the rise and fall of humanist author and statesman Sir Thomas More during the English Reformation and the German artist, Hans Holbein, who created a painting of More’s family during that time, “Portrait” is a work rendered in stunning clarity and often breathtaking prose.Although some readers may find the idea of Thomas More torturing anyone in the name of God quite bizarrely out of sync with his character as they understand it, Bennett’s characterizations all have the ring of authenticity within the framework of her novel. She has made Meg Giggs (Thomas More’s ward) a strong and thoughtful character and has believably placed her centrally in the vortex of the political and religious convergence of Reformation England. By doing so, Bennett is able to present the details of that turbulent era through Meg’s intelligent and sympathetic eyes.The actual plot points move rather slowly during the book’s first half but the reader is far too carried away by the novel’s intriguing, shadowy forebodings and compelling characterizations to actually notice this. When the plot does quicken its pace, Bennett reveals her genius – evident throughout her entire book – for seamlessly interweaving fiction with fact: “All through the spring and summer we lived apart from reality in our own joy. We paid no attention the day the poor devout queen went on her knees in the divorce court and swore, in her Spanish-accented voice, that she had come to the king’s bed a virgin all those years before, or to the stories of the look of disgust on the king’s face as he publicly pushed her away.”In the current climate of increasingly strident ideologies, Bennet’s remarkably balanced and sympathetic portrayal of the novel’s central religious dispute is nothing short of miraculous. For instance, a Protestant character describes his new devotion to God in the following way: “there are people – like me – who believe that being a Christian means they’re allowed to have a simple conversation with God without having to pay a priest for the privilege. People who believe that . . . all you have to do is truly believe and your sins will be forgiven. . . “But Thomas More waxes no less lyrical regarding the beauties of Catholic worship when he describes it as “the sacred continuum that joins everyone alive now with every Christian from St. Augustine onward who has believed what we believe and worshiped as we worship. Take that away . . . lose the beauty of Latin, the common language that unifies all believers . . . and you’re left with nothing but the ranting and babbling of lunatics.”.There are a few sexy scenes/situations in the book which seem extremely out of place considering the high moral principles espoused by the Thomas Moore family, but I suppose these additions are a nod to 21st century readers hungry for a bit of bodice-ripping in all their historical fiction. These scenes don't overwhelm the narrative but they do seem quite out of place.Although the enjoyment of this book is greatly enhanced by a general understanding of Plantagenet/Tudor history, it is sure to please anyone with the slightest interest in beautiful writing and realistic characterizations set within a historical framework.
I enjoyed this perspective on those crazy power mongers who lived during the reign of Henry VIII. Vanora Bennett creates a fictional account of the life of Meg Griggs, Thomas More's adopted daughter. Thomas More being one of King Henry VIII's devoted servants and a staunch defender of Catholicism. Bennett offers us insights into the mind of those who are so devoted that they would risk their lives to defend their ideals and harshly punish those who criticize them.Meg More is a skilled healer, a young woman who has been educated by scholars. Her father has not made a marriage match for her, as he has for all of his other children and she is lonely. Hans Holbein the younger has been commissioned to paint a portrait of the More family and arrives at their home at the same time as John Clement their former tutor. Meg has always loved John Clement despite the fact that he is older than her father. Hans Holbein finds Meg's beauty captivating and they become good friends while he paints the family portrait.While Holbein painted the family portrait Thomas More was in the king's good graces and a position of power and esteem. Years later when Holbein returns to London many things have changed for England as well the More family. As a way to pay his respects Holbein paints a second portrait. (I highly recommend reading the hardcover copy of the book so that you can see the second family portrait.) The second painting is a story without words and the truths within it come tumbling out.I really enjoyed this novel. I enjoyed the reoccurring theme of mistaken identity and the story of the princes in the tower. Though I have to agree that it has some dry patches and sometimes came off sounding like a lesson from Art History class. But having been a student of art history I didn't mind too much. And I also thought that the momentum built up to the middle and then I wondered where it was going to go. But I think that Vanora Bennett did a very nice job of bringing the story back around again and the ending was well done. In fact the ending was my favorite part. She has created a moving story that touches on truth, honesty, trust and betrayal.
Ever since I read the second book in Cynthia Harrod-Eagles' Morland Dynasty series, I have been completely and totally in love with English historical fiction. I will happily read just about anything set in England prior to 1945. Yum! So far, this novel is filling the basic requirement of filling my appetite, without really tempting my palate. My main issue with this book is that it is set in the 1520s, and yet the author has no compunctions about putting modern words and terms into the mouths of her characters: so far, the most annoying words have been "so and so has a crush on so-and-so." Seeing as how the first known use of the word "crush" in the context of infatuation did not occur until 1884 (Oxford English Dictionary), I think this book has some MAJOR editing issues.Other than that, I suppose it told a good story. The vernacular didn't really set the mood and frame as thorougly as it ought to have done. The characters were somewhat annoying. Overall, this was a "meh" title.
—The Book Maven
Ever wonder about the real story behind the Princes in the Tower? Portrait of an Unknown Woman presents one version that is plausible, even probable. Thomas More, a powerful and influential part of Henry VIII's court, his family, and Hans Holbein are brought to life again and shown with both shining perfection as well as dismal human failings. The mystery of the ultimate fates of the Princes in the Tower is deftly told, incorporating many historic figures, but primarily focuses on the perspectives of Thomas More's family.An entertaining story that gives the reader a peek behind the curtains of court life, and an overview of court politics. Henry VIII's power, his astute understanding of his people and his ability to leverage his loyal followers (such as More, Cromwell, etc) caused immense changes in the relationship of church and state. Ms. Bennett successfully brought the people and the political climate of the era to life and inspired belief in the story. It's easy to imagine many of the secretive plot lines taking place. I enjoyed reading the book, both from a historical point of view, as well as from an entertainment point of view. Her description of the inspiration and relationship between the artist (Holbein) and his patrons (More, etc) was very interesting.
—Eileen
(*Review written in January 2011. Updated to add some missing words that had accidentally gotten deleted, which I only discovered years later.)This could have been a great book. Thomas More was a key figure during the reign of Henry VIII and played such an important role in shaping posterity's negative view of Richard III that the story of his family should have been a compelling one. And "Portrait of an Unknown Woman" has plenty of admirable qualities (I'd like to have given it 2 1/2 stars). The main character, More's adopted daughter Meg Giggs, is well drawn, and Bennett has clearly done a lot of research on the period and on the paintings of Hans Holbein, the German master of 16th-century portraiture. But several things kept this from being a truly top-notch historical novel. First, Bennett's language doesn't always ring true. Some of it just sounds too modern for the 1530s. Writing historical dialogue requires walking a fine line of reflecting the period of the story without jarring the sensibilities or understanding of a modern reader, and Bennett doesn't quite manage it. The switches between Meg's first-person narration and the third-person sections seen through Holbein's eyes were also a bit awkward; I was continually thrown off when I discovered that the perspective had changed with only a brief section break to warn me. Furthermore, Bennett's theory of what really happened to the Princes in the Tower is interesting and thought-provoking, but I didn't quite buy its plausibility. With the exception of Meg - and to some extent Holbein - the characters were not fleshed out enough. Meg's husband John Clement holds a central place in the plot, but he seemed rather flat.Finally, the title bothered me. There really was no unknown woman in the story, let alone in Holbein's portrait(s) of the More family. The title makes it sound as though the identity of Meg Giggs were unknown, but in fact, she is clearly labeled in the paintings, and there has never been any doubt about who she was. The book could possibly have been called "Portrait of an Unknown Man" -- referring to a somewhat mysterious figure in Holbein's second version of the family portrait (whose identity is clear in the book) -- but a better title could surely have been found. This wasn't a bad read, and I enjoyed the story and the look at a tumultuous time in British history. It just can't compare to the true masters of historical fiction such as Sharon Kay Penman, Margaret George, or the late Dorothy Dunnett.
—Annika Hipple
