Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn
    Unavailable
    To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn
    Unavailable
    To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn
    Ebook381 pages6 hours

    To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn

    By Sandra Byrd

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    Listen to the audiobook instead

    About this ebook

    Sandra Byrd takes readers back to the court of Henry the Eighth in a novel that imagines the life of Anne Boleyn’s best friend, a young woman whose fortunes depend on the queen’s.

    When Anne Boleyn’s star begins to ascend, of course she takes her best friend Meg Wyatt along for the ride. Life in the court of Henry VIII is thrilling at first, but as Anne’s favor rises and falls, so does Meg’s. And though she’s pledged her loyalty to Anne no matter what the test, Meg just might lose her greatest love—and her own life—because of it.

    Meg’s childhood flirtation with a boy on a neighboring estate turns to true love early on. When he is called to follow the Lord, she turns her back on both the man and his God. Slowly, both woo her back through the heady times of the English reformation. In the midst of drama and intrigue, Meg finds her place in history and follows her own calling to the Lord. Meg and Anne must determine what love really means and what, in this life, is worth dying for.

    Readers continue to be captivated by the Tudors, that most famous of English ruling families. To Die For seamlessly blends fact and fiction in an unforgettable tale of two fascinating lives and one unshakable faith.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHoward Books
    Release dateAug 9, 2011
    ISBN9781439183137

    Related to To Die For

    Related ebooks

    Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Boleyns

      Jul 18, 2019

      The Boleyns
      11 min read

    • Article

      Anne Boleyn’s Final Battle

      Sep 3, 2020

      Anne Boleyn’s Final Battle
      8 min read

    • Article

      Two Houses Divided

      Mar 27, 2020

      1390-1411 The mother of Richard Plantagenet and grandmother of King Edward IV and King Richard III, Anne de Mortimer was descended from royalty through her mother and grandparents. She died during childbirth. 1375-1415 The father of Richard Plantagen

      3 min read

    • Article

      The White Rose & The Tudors

      Mar 19, 2018

      The White Rose & The Tudors
      3 min read

    • Article

      Worlds Of Ink And Paper

      Nov 22, 2022

      As a young girl, I still remember my dear mother, smile on her face, curled up with Family Circle magazine in her lap. She was engrossed in an article titled “Butternut Wisdom,” written by Gladys Taber. At my age, it didn’t mean a thing to me. But as

      6 min read

    • Article

      Books Only a Mother Could Love

      May 10, 2019

      Books Only a Mother Could Love
      5 min read

    • Article

      To Catch A Woozle

      Apr 1, 2020

      To Catch A Woozle
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Story Pilgrimage

      Jun 8, 2021

      A Story Pilgrimage
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Courage To Be Happy

      Feb 1, 2023

      MARRIAGE and columns have this in common: you tend to repeat yourself. More than once in these pages, I have quoted the New Yorker’s legendary film critic Pauline Kael. After President Nixon’s landslide victory in 1972 she wrote: ‘I live in a rather

      3 min read

    • Article

      Robin Ince Is On The Road

      Mar 7, 2022

      There are too many books in Hay-on-Wye. Finding a treasure does not have the same sense of victory as finding something at a jumble sale in Invergordon or a junk shop in Stalybridge. But it doesn’t stop me browsing. I find a tiny pocket book of myths

      3 min read

    • Article

      Share Your News

      Jan 6, 2022

      To feature in subscribers’ news contact: tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk ‘I’ve loved writing ever since I was a child,’ writes subscriber Glenda Young. ‘I live in the north-east and my novels are set in the coalmining village of Ryhope where I was born a

      5 min read

    • Article

      Winning Letter

      Sep 30, 2022

      I’m a single mother who struggles financially to get through each month. When my washing machine broke I had no funds to repair it, so I asked my neighbours if I could do my washing at their place. On a Wednesday afternoon my bell rang. At the door w

      5 min read

    • Article

      Ancestor envy ANYONE?

      Aug 31, 2023

      Ancestor envy ANYONE?
      4 min read

    • Article

      Out to Pasture

      Nov 14, 2019

      Out to Pasture
      6 min read

    • Article

      ‘In The Country Of Women’ Is A Powerful American Memoir

      Aug 29, 2019

      Acclaimed writer Susan Straight shares a poignant and vivid reflection on her family’s journeys.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Austen Translation

      Aug 4, 2022

      Austen Translation
      10 min read

    • Article

      Writing Family History

      Dec 15, 2021

      Writing Family History
      5 min read

    • Article

      Now Is the Time

      Nov 24, 2020

      Now Is the Time
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Beatrice Kilat

      Dec 13, 2019

      By that I mean that he’s a little practical and a little dreamy, a little horny and a little precious, which is just how I like a person. The post A Year in Reading: Beatrice Kilat appeared first on The Millions.

      3 min read

    • Article

      6 Best Jane Austen Books: From ‘Sense And Sensibility’ To ‘Emma’

      Feb 2, 2021

      Ranking Jane Austen’s six witty, wise, and utterly moreish novels changes over the years. You might have found Northanger Abbey absolutely unreadable when at school, but were rendered helpless with laughter when you picked it up again years later. Pr

      6 min read

    Reviews for To Die For

    4/5

    16 ratings8 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      I can't process the multitude of emotions that rush through me after I've finished this.

      This book chronicles the story of one of England's most controversial queens, Anne Boleyn, second wife to King Henry VIII. Anne was beheaded for incest and treason. She left behind an heir, Elizabeth I, who as History would hold, became one of England's most powerful rulers of all times.

      I feel now that Anne was grossly injusticed throughout history and Henry VIII certainly must be burning in hell for his numerous infidelities.

      I have loved this book. I have laughed with Anne, sat stunned at her with and resource and grieved with her. Indeed, I even grieved her death, however much of fiction was embedded in this. Anne left an heir who would change England forever and is perhaps considered one of England's greatest Monarchs.

      I really do wish Anne's soul rests in peace, even after all these years.

      I grieve, I really do, because concepts like dowry were prevalent even then. To all the people who curse India for harbouring such thoughts, it was mayhap borrowed from the British too, because they too treated women as mere tools to provide them heirs with a girl child being a waste, or merely a burden whose dowry a rich father could partake. It sickens me to the core. In that sense, I'm glad Anne made the king bow down to her wishes, albeit a few times, rather than vice versa.

      This was indeed a time machine to take me back in time and witness everything as lucidly written from Meg Wyatt's perspective

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Sunday, August 24, 2014To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn ~ Book 1 in the Ladies in Waiting series by Sandra Byrd, ©2011Author Sandra Byrd has written a very thorough account of the Tudor period under the rule of King Henry VIII through the eyes of Anne Boleyn's trusted and truest friend, Anne (Meg) Wyatt, her childhood companion and wardrobe mistress at Court.I liked the first person telling as only a dear friend can; one who is an honest and forthright teller of day-to-day happenings and conversations. Historical fiction is my very favorite genre. Are we to repeat history or reclaim what is rightfully ours? A choice to be made, for sure.In this telling of Anne Boleyn, I liked Meg and her character very much. She rose above a mistreated home life to become very valuable in following a calling she believed was hers. In putting her life solely for the betterment of her friend, in servitude, she gained a worthy stand above reproach. Trust and fidelity brought her a remarkable outcome.Notice the necklace on the cover of this novel! Anne Boleyn, whether innocently or contrived became entangled in the life of Henry VIII, a villain in his own right ~ possibly starting out with good intent but becoming ensnared in his own deceit and power. During this time, the Tyndale New Testament of the Bible was being printed in English. Secret meetings during the English Reformation were attended not only by those in agreement, but by those wishing to stand by the king and his rulings. Anne sought to set in power those with alliance to the reform; Henry wanted to affirm his sovereignty. He passed acts beneficial to himself. Seeking a male heir, he found ways to dismiss his wives.Included are listings of Family Trees showing their connection to each other within the story; author notes, research sources, reading group guide, and author Q&A.***Thank you to author Sandra Byrd for this copy of To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn and the insight of the Tudor period. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I have always loved the Tudor era and in particular the lives of Henry VIII’s wives. Sandra Byrd’s book To Die For offers an interesting look into the life and times of Henry and Anne Boleyn. Told by Anne’s longtime friend, Meg Wyatt, the novel is a fresh look at the woman who did much to bring the Reformation to England.Meg Wyatt, sister of poet and courtier Thomas Wyatt, is the narrator of To Die For. She is truly a woman of her time, bound by the patriarchal society that determines a woman’s future while controlling her present. Meg is the childhood friend of Anne Boleyn and attends her rise and fall with loyalty and love. Although Meg’s story is fictionalized, Byrd brings to life the historical events and people surrounding the court of Henry VIII. The politics, power and greed are all shown through the mostly unbiased eye of Meg. And while Anne’s tale is fascinating, it is Meg’s story that holds the reader’s heart. Controlled by her family, Anne’s court and the laws of the land, Meg finds her way by committing herself to service to God and Queen.For those of you who love historical details, you will enjoy To Die For. King Henry’s court — its extravagance and glory and its intrigue and deception — comes to life. The royal excesses are aptly contrasted with the sacrifices of men and women seeking religious reform. To Die For is book 1 in the Ladies in Waiting series, and I am looking forward to more great reading from Sandra Byrd.Recommended.Great For Book Clubs.
    • 4/5
      To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Sandra ByrdSource: PurchaseStars: 4/5I don’t think I am ever going to get tired of reading Anne Boleyn’s story. I know her story, beginning, middle, and end, and yet I still keep picking up novels related to her life. Not unexpectedly then did Sandra Byrd’s To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn catch my attention. I set upon this historical fiction read expecting what I have read in many other accounts of Anne Boleyn’s life; what I found was something wholly different and exciting.To Die For opens in 1518, with Anne Boleyn still a maiden living in her father’s home. She is but a child and often found dallying with her best and most loyal friend, Meg Wyatt. The two girls are young, naïve, and living only for the moment when their respective father’s will make them a marriage match both agreeable and beneficial. For Anne, there is little concern this will happen as she is smart, beautiful, and from a respected and wealthy family bordering on noble. Meg Wyatt on the other hand is also intelligent and quite lovely but her family is neither as wealthy nor noble as Anne’s. Neither girl can imagine the journey they are to embark on in the ensuing years.Byrd recounts what is historically known about Anne Boleyn’s life but is one of the very few authors who does not make Anne out to be a conniving, scheming, and heartless bitch bent only on achieving her own goals and desires. Instead, as Byrd traces the events of Anne’s life she takes care to present her as an intelligent girl who unfortunately falls prey to the desires of a man significantly more powerful and persuasive than herself. Anne is presented as a girl who well and truly loved Henry Tudor and wished nothing more than to be by his side and please him with the birth of a male heir. Furthermore, Byrd goes even further and presents Henry (as I have always imagined he was) as a grown and selfish child who repeatedly set aside or killed those he thought could no longer further his plans or fulfill his desires. As we well know, Anne was one of those who fell from Henry’s favor.As Anne’s story progresses, she is attended almost constantly by her long-time friend Meg Wyatt. In her own way, Meg is just as tragic as Anne and is often subject to the whims of the men in her life – if she is parted from Anne, it is due to one of those whims. Meg feels called to be by Anne’s side and truly believes it is her duty to advise and guide Anne as well as to protect her at every turn. In many ways, Meg is far, far more intelligent and insightful than Anne and warns her friend of the trouble she will face at Henry’s side. Unfortunately, even Meg’s guidance will not be enough to save Anne from her fate.The Bottom Line: I enjoyed this reading and accounting of Anne Boleyn’s life and very much appreciate that Byrd took care to present Anne as something more than she is often presented in historical fiction. I also appreciate that Byrd does not expound on every moment of lust and sex between Henry and Anne but focuses more on the issue at hand, the conversion of England from Catholicism to the Protestant faith which made Anne’s marriage to Henry possible. Bound in all of this is Meg Wyatt, a character who, to the very end remained loyal to her friend. Byrd has made sure to entwine Meg’s story with Anne’s thus creating a far more interesting account of these events. For those who are as fascinated by Anne Boleyn as I am, I heartily recommend this read as it is a refreshingly new view of an old story.
    • 3/5
      3.5 stars

      Meg Wyatt grew up as a neighbor to Anne Boleyn and the two were best friends since childhood. When Anne is sent to court in the service of the king’s sister, Meg is married off to an elderly baron while her heart belongs to Will Ogilvy who chooses priesthood over her.
      But when Anne starts to rise at court, Meg joins her as one of Anne’s ladies and finds herself in the middle of court intrigue.

      I really liked the idea of telling the story from the point of view of Anne’s friend and it was nice change as well. And I loved that she was a real person who could have actually been Anne’s friend.
      Meg was likeable person but she could also see the flaws of her friend while still being loyal till the end.

      I would have liked to hear and see more about Anne’s relationship with Henry Percy and what did Meg make of the rumors about Anne and George. Since Meg and Anne were childhood friends Meg probably knew George also and it would have been interesting to see her view of it,

      Religion is a major theme in the novel thankfully it doesn’t come off as preachy as I feared.
    • 4/5
      Where I got the book: purchased on Kindle.This book was recommended to me by another author, as an example of how an author can portray a historical character from the point of view of a friend. This technique, and the Christian angle, are what set Byrd's book apart from the many kings-and-queens novels written about the Tudor era--Philippa Gregory is the inevitable example of the narrower point of view.The shifting of the POV means that the author can stay true to the Christian arc of the novel while sticking to the story; Anne Boleyn certainly had strong religious principles, but she certainly hasn't come down through history as a Christian heroine since we've all tended to focus on the stories of seduction and even witchcraft that have followed her through the centuries.I think Byrd does something to rebalance the picture here. Meg's experience gives the reader a first-hand taste of what it was like to be a young noblewoman in Tudor times, completely at the mercy of your father and brothers and compelled to abandon your own preferences if the family's interests ran in another direction. In addition, it brings out the importance of religion in this time of turmoil, and shows how religion, politics and personal relationships were intertwined in this era. I still wouldn't describe Anne Boleyn as any kind of a martyr, but I think she's been given short shrift by history and I'm glad to see this imagining of her short life.All in all, an interesting novel that stands out from the pack of Tudor novels and also works well as an inspirational. Recommended.
    • 5/5
      About:Best friends Meg Wyatt and Anne Boleyn grew up together in Kent. When Anne is sent to live at King Henry VIII's Court, Meg follows soon after. Meg herself lived a difficult life at home, her father having been a harsh man and often beating her. She falls in love with Will Ogilvy, but when he is sent off to become a priest, her heart is shattered. Not before long, Meg's father arranges a marriage for her, to a man who is decades older and whom she could never possibly love. Life at court is tantalizing as well as dangerous, and when Anne gets herself into trouble, Meg follows her best friend in her downward spiral. My thoughts:The Tudor period is my favorite era. What historical fiction I've read concerning the Tudors has been by Philippa Gregory. I am so glad to have had the chance to read Sandra Byrd. She is a fantastic storyteller and superb writer and I enjoyed reading To Die For from start to finish. I was instantly transported to England in the 1500's and could easily envision King Henry VIII's court, with its luxury, scandal and drama. We all know how the story of Anne Boleyn plays out, but here we get to see her best friend alongside Anne. Meg's story takes a life of its own and I was really interested in what would become of her. Meg and Anne were very close, and I could imagine the two of them living life in the King's court. "The first young man trained his eyes on me and smiled flirtatiously. I was unused to courtly manners. Did he intend to pay me such intense attention? Or was this a part and parcel of the illusory world of the court, where nothing was as it seemed?"p.56, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn Meg is truly heartbroken over Will. You can feel her pain as you read. Her heart breaks when Will tells her his plans to join the priesthood."I loved him to the point of anguish." I liked seeing some well known people in this story; George and Mary Boleyn, Jane Parker and King Henry himself.I recommend this one to fans of historicals and Tudor fiction, or to anyone looking to get swept up in a great story with plenty of drama, glitz and heartache. Actually, I think To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn is a must read for Tudor fans. On a final note, I really like the cover on this book. It suits it perfectly.
    • 4/5
      Yes, another Anne Boleyn novel. They seem to be coming off an assembly line. Mistress Bolyen has been explored so much lately in popular fiction, TV and nonfiction lately that I'm getting a little sick of her. Not only is Anne being overused, but so is Henry VIII and his entire Tudor court. Sure, it's hard to not enjoy the soap opera-like life of Henry VIII with his six wives and countless mistresses, but really- enough already! This was exactly what I was thinking when I saw To Die For. How could it be worthwhile when I already know how the story is going to end, and there isn't any way they could change it? But, since I had the opportunity to read the book through Simon & Schuster's Galley Grab program, I thought it would be worthwhile to at least check out. May be a good summer read, and I could get my Anne on. But, To Die For was different from the multitude of Anne Boleyn novels out there. Instead of following Anne's story exclusively, To Die For tells Anne's story through the eyes of her best friend, Meg Wyatt. The sister of the somewhat famous Thomas Wyatt, Meg had lessons alongside Anne, her sister Mary and her brother George in their younger years. While Meg hears or sees little of Anne after she Anne goes to France, their paths cross again when Anne and Meg is married off in a loveless marriage. Though she is soon widowed, Meg finds herself at court, and thoroughly pulled into the tangled threads of Anne's intrigue with the king, and her ambition to get rid of Katherine and take the crown.What fused this novel so much refreshing originality was the use of Meg as the narrator, so readers could enjoy something unexpected by experiencing her story. Though it was mostly fictional, Meg's tale is based on some known facts about her life, and naturally and easily intersects with Anne's well-documented rise to power and ultimate fall from the king's favor. Told in excellent prose, author Sandra Byrd weaves together fact and fiction do perfectly, that most readers won't be able to tell the difference. Byrd does a great job of painting the period while ] exploring the character's world and portraying Anne as a sympathetic, yet ambitious woman whose luck simply ran out. Highly recommended for fans of Tudor-era fiction.