The 2009 Man Booker Prize Winner is a juicy Tudor history with a humanist twist.  While the larger-than-life historical characters of the time— Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Anne’s sister Mary, Utopia author Thomas More, and Cardinal Thomas Wolsey,— all play large parts in this richly imagined retelling of Henry’s reign from 1527– 1535, the real star is yet another Thomas, Thomas Cromwell.   Mantel creates a fascinating, empathetic character in Cromwell, a common-born man who uses his wits, his personal influence, and his money to rise in Henry’s court. I found this to be a powerfully sympathetic portrait of Cromwell as a duty-bound man with strong family feelings, loyalty, and generosity. Cromwell is portrayed as a thoughtful, prudent, respectful man, giving a different take on the Protestants vs. Catholics struggle.  History comes alive as Mantel builds the human tensions that led to the creation of the Church of England. 
You may feel that you’ve been Tudor-ed out (The Other Boleyn Girl, “The Tudors”), but this smart, cunning, and surprisingly moving novel will give you a whole new perspective— and a new hero to be fascinated with amidst all the drama.             ~Tegan