by Nicola Clark
Release Date: January 7, 2025
2025 Pegasus Books
Ebook ARC; 400 Pages
ISBN: 978-1639368099
ASIN: B0CW1MJXTT
Audiobook: B0DPLFGY72
Genre: Non-Fiction / Historical / Tudor Period
Source: Review copy from publisher
4 / 5 Stars
Summary
The Waiting Game explores the daily lives
of ladies-in-waiting, revealing the secrets of recruitment, costume,
what they ate, where (and with whom) they slept. We meet María de
Salinas, who traveled to England with Catherine of Aragon when just a
teenager and spied for her during the divorce from Henry VIII. Anne
Boleyn's lady-in-waiting Jane Parker [Jane Boleyn] was instrumental in the execution
of not one, but two queens. And maid-of-honor Anne Basset kept her place
through the last four consorts, negotiating the conflicting loyalties
of her birth family, her mistress the Queen, and even the desires of the
King himself.
As Henry changed wives—and changed the very fabric of the country's structure besides—these women had to make choices about loyalty that simply didn't exist before. The Waiting Game is the first time their vital story has been told.
As Henry changed wives—and changed the very fabric of the country's structure besides—these women had to make choices about loyalty that simply didn't exist before. The Waiting Game is the first time their vital story has been told.
My Thoughts
The Waiting Game focuses on the lives of the women who played a pivotal role in the service of King Henry VIII’s wives. Through their stories, their roles, their influences, their relationships and their actions, as they navigated a very difficult and dangerous time period, we get an understanding of the important roles they played as well as the treacherous path they sometimes had to lead. I found this quite interesting even with a background in this time period.
Ladies-in waiting were the closest to the queens and it was very difficult to hide anything from them. But, they played a much larger role than how they are portrayed in film and television as their access to the queen gave them an advantage that was often used and exploited, sometimes to the woman’s advantage, sometimes to her detriment. They were advisors, spies, messengers, nurses, chaperones, and so much more, often being sought out by those seeking favours from the queen. Because of this position, it could be used to manipulate and coerce as well and not all of the ladies were friendly to those they served.
The author focuses on the women surrounding the six wives of Henry VIII and highlights as many of them as possible. Because women were so marginalized during this time period, not a lot of paperwork or correspondence exists today in comparison to the men, so it is often difficult to piece together the full lives of these women, what they thought about events (such as the imprisonment and execution of Anne Boleyn) or other people, including their spouses. But the documentation that does exist shows women were quite skilled at playing the courtly game, were used as spies, and were quite manipulative; they had to be in order to survive in a world that valued men’s contributions and might over women’s. As Henry’s reign continued, it also became a lot more dangerous for these ladies-in-waiting, and the author includes a lot of women who were in his crosshairs and how he changed the laws to prosecute them, women like Anne Askew or Jane Boleyn. And while the author tries to stick to the research that is available, I did like it when theories were included (based on research, technology, and medical knowledge available to us today) due to scarcity of information as it made you think.
Verdict
The Waiting Game was a fascinating look at the women who were fundamental to Henry VIII’s reign. The writing was quite clear and accessible, though I would think it would still be a more difficult read for those who are new to reading this time period as the similar names and the way the titles are used can be quite confusing. The book shows the author spent a lot of time in the archives and includes a lot of original quotes, but does leave it to the reader at times to interpret them, something that is not always easy to do as the language during that time period is a bit more difficult to read. However, the story was in chronological order and did focus on some women we don’t often read about so I did find that intriguing. This time period is so incredibly chaotic, but personally, I think I keep coming back to it for that reason. What I really liked was how pragmatic the women were with the shifting alliances, but then, they didn’t really have much of a choice unless they played the game.
Ladies-in waiting were the closest to the queens and it was very difficult to hide anything from them. But, they played a much larger role than how they are portrayed in film and television as their access to the queen gave them an advantage that was often used and exploited, sometimes to the woman’s advantage, sometimes to her detriment. They were advisors, spies, messengers, nurses, chaperones, and so much more, often being sought out by those seeking favours from the queen. Because of this position, it could be used to manipulate and coerce as well and not all of the ladies were friendly to those they served.
The author focuses on the women surrounding the six wives of Henry VIII and highlights as many of them as possible. Because women were so marginalized during this time period, not a lot of paperwork or correspondence exists today in comparison to the men, so it is often difficult to piece together the full lives of these women, what they thought about events (such as the imprisonment and execution of Anne Boleyn) or other people, including their spouses. But the documentation that does exist shows women were quite skilled at playing the courtly game, were used as spies, and were quite manipulative; they had to be in order to survive in a world that valued men’s contributions and might over women’s. As Henry’s reign continued, it also became a lot more dangerous for these ladies-in-waiting, and the author includes a lot of women who were in his crosshairs and how he changed the laws to prosecute them, women like Anne Askew or Jane Boleyn. And while the author tries to stick to the research that is available, I did like it when theories were included (based on research, technology, and medical knowledge available to us today) due to scarcity of information as it made you think.
Verdict
The Waiting Game was a fascinating look at the women who were fundamental to Henry VIII’s reign. The writing was quite clear and accessible, though I would think it would still be a more difficult read for those who are new to reading this time period as the similar names and the way the titles are used can be quite confusing. The book shows the author spent a lot of time in the archives and includes a lot of original quotes, but does leave it to the reader at times to interpret them, something that is not always easy to do as the language during that time period is a bit more difficult to read. However, the story was in chronological order and did focus on some women we don’t often read about so I did find that intriguing. This time period is so incredibly chaotic, but personally, I think I keep coming back to it for that reason. What I really liked was how pragmatic the women were with the shifting alliances, but then, they didn’t really have much of a choice unless they played the game.
