Tarnish

by Katherine Longshore

Overview

Anne Boleyn is the odd girl out. Newly arrived to the court of King Henry VIII, everything about her seems wrong, from her clothes to her manners to her witty but sharp tongue. So when the dashing poet Thomas Wyatt offers to coach her on how to shine at court—and to convince the whole court they’re lovers—she accepts. Before long, Anne’s popularity has soared, and even the charismatic and irresistible king takes notice. More than popularity, Anne wants a voice—but she also wants love. What began as a game becomes high stakes as Anne finds herself forced to make an impossible choice between her heart's desire and the chance to make history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101602461
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	06/18/2013
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	448
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Katherine Longshore is also the author of Gilt, a story of friendship and betrayal in Henry VIII's court. She lives in Northern California with three British citizens and one expatriate dog. You can find out more about her at www.katherinelongshore.com.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for Katherine Longshore's first book, GILT: 

"A substantive, sobering historical read, with just a few heaving bodices." —Kirkus 

"...royally riveting for the reader." —Booklist

"This is an enjoyable novel to recommend to girls interested in history, love, and betrayal." —VOYA

Praise for TARNISH:

"An un-put-downable historical romance." —School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Katherine Longshore's first book, GILT: 

"A substantive, sobering historical read, with just a few heaving bodices." —Kirkus 

"...royally riveting for the reader." —Booklist

"This is an enjoyable novel to recommend to girls interested in history, love, and betrayal." —VOYA

Praise for TARNISH:

"An un-put-downable historical romance." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Gr 8 Up—In this companion novel to Gilt (Viking, 2012), Anne Boleyn arrives in King Henry VIII's court amid whispers and stares from the courtiers. She knows her position is precarious; that she is talked about because of what she's done in the past and for the fact that her sister, Mary, is mistress to the king. Yet she is determined to be held in high esteem at court. Her brother, George, tells her she is too different to obtain that goal. She speaks her mind and gets into trouble. Enter renowned ladies' man Thomas Wyatt. He bets Anne that he can turn court favor to her side if she does as he asks. If the plan succeeds, he will have her in his bed because she will want to be there. After some thought she concedes and their game of courtly love begins. He pursues her and she encourages it. Soon she realizes that Wyatt's plan is working. People-especially men-are beginning to notice her. More importantly, the king has turned his attention to her. These developments excite her, but what she doesn't count on is Wyatt falling in love with her, and realizing that she loves him as well. She comes to understand the importance of love, but in the end rejects Wyatt in favor of the king. An un-put-downable historical romance.—Wendy M. Scalfaro, G. Ray Bodley High School, Fulton, NY

School Library Journal

Longshore’s novel is a fictionalized account of Anne Boleyn's early years in Henry VIII’s court, before she became queen. The story drops the listener right into the middle of Tudor England, complete with courtly intrigue and gossip. Bellair gives emotion to the drama and intrigue of the courtiers’ competition for popularity with the king, which required sophistication and knowing whom to trust. She also creates a sympathetic character in Anne Boleyn, who starts off as an outsider and eventually becomes a strong, independent woman whose voice demands that she be heard. Bellair gives listeners a treat with her accents and portrayal of emotions in this well-voiced drama. S.B.T. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2013 - AudioFile

Longshore’s novel is a fictionalized account of Anne Boleyn's early years in Henry VIII’s court, before she became queen. The story drops the listener right into the middle of Tudor England, complete with courtly intrigue and gossip. Bellair gives emotion to the drama and intrigue of the courtiers’ competition for popularity with the king, which required sophistication and knowing whom to trust. She also creates a sympathetic character in Anne Boleyn, who starts off as an outsider and eventually becomes a strong, independent woman whose voice demands that she be heard. Bellair gives listeners a treat with her accents and portrayal of emotions in this well-voiced drama. S.B.T. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2013 - AudioFile

Following on Gilt (2012), which told the tale of Henry VIII's doomed fifth wife, Catherine Howard, is another beheaded wife's story. The oft-rehearsed tale of King Henry VIII's second and best-known wife, Anne Boleyn, is recounted in this mostly factual reconstruction of the years before Henry's divorce from Queen Katherine and marriage to Anne, an event that is said to have changed the course of English history, since Henry broke with the Roman Catholic Church in order to secure a divorce. Anne's confident, present-tense narration conveys her tempestuous personality, her feelings of alienation from the ladies of the court and her desperate ambition to secure a position there. Flirtations with figures of history, including the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt and noble Sir Henry Percy, as well as Anne's strong attraction to the king himself, a deeply charismatic individual, propel the narrative. They add spice to a complex tale that occasionally gets bogged down in historical detail and is sometimes marred by linguistic anachronisms. However the raw emotions and unflinching honesty of a young girl caught in a whirlwind of history shine through, keeping readers engaged to the end of this sizable novel, which ends before her marriage to the king and subsequent beheading. Teens with a love of history will not be able to resist this skillful retelling of the remarkable achievement of Anne Boleyn, who rose from tarnished foreign outcast to the king's bride. (Historical fiction. 13-17)

Kirkus Reviews