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Dear Heart, How Like You This?

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A king who would not be denied. A woman who would be queen. And a gentle poet forced to watch helplessly as his one true love slipped out of his arms forever. These are the elements in Wendy J. Dunn's poignant novel, "Dear Heart, How Like You This?"

"Dear Heart" tells the story of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII. The novel is written in first person, from the point of view of Anne's cousin, Sir Thomas Wyatt. Tom has secretly loved Anne his entire life, but has always been told he is not highly born enough to pursue her. He carefully masks his feelings, especially after Anne catches the eye of the king, and remains at Anne's side as one of her staunchest friends and supporters. Then the unthinkable happens. After marrying Anne, the king tires of her and falsely accuses her of adultery. Imprisoned himself on the whim of the king's arrogant brother-in-law, Tom watches helplessly as his true love and his closest friends go on trial for their lives...

"Dear Heart" is a novel that grips you before the end of the first sentence and doesn't let go until the bitter end. In Dunn's more than capable hands, Anne Boleyn comes to life, first as a whimsical child, then as a hurt and angry teenager, then as a woman both frightened and exhilarated by the dangerous game she is playing, and finally as a bruised-but not broken-victim of the king's cruelty. Through Anne's tumultuous life, her cousin Thomas is a spellbinding narrator, reporting the events around him with a reporter's keen eye and a poet's tender heart.

I would recommend "Dear Heart" to anyone who enjoys a love story or who has even a passing interest in English history. It is a beautifully written novel of love and betrayal. In fact, I'm off to read it again, just as soon as I dry my eyes.

Wendy J Dunn's "Dear Heart, How Like You This?" is a glimpse into Tudor England that has yet to be achieved by any other author. There have been many books written about the ill-fated Anne Boleyn but through the eyes of poet Sir Thomas Wyatt, Anne is portrayed as never before. For instead of a queen, we see a child with a love of life unsurpassed, an innocent spirit whose path to the execution block was paved by betrayal, untruths and heartbreak. A woman who could trust only two men in her life, her brother George and the man who loved her from childhood, Thomas Wyatt.

Based on documented history, Wendy J. Dunn has indeed added the exact amount of spice to create this superb historical novel. As Thomas shares his love for Anne, he also shares the fickle character of the Tudor time period where passions ran high and a sentence of death could so easily be achieved. Loyal to each other unto death, Anne, George and Thomas' lives are entwined so steadfastly that what could not tear them apart was instead used to destroy them.

As we come to know Anne, George and Thomas through Thomas' own words, we learn of a friendship that truly transcends time. Spun beautifully by the author, it is a camaraderie most have witnessed and yearn for. It is the familiarity established by the author that carefully captures you and heaves you right into the nucleus of Tudor England. It is not without surprise then that once the book concludes, you feel Thomas's loss keenly and it is with an element of sadness that you allow the cover to close on his life.

What I admired most about this book is not only its sensitivity to the time period but its incredible grasp of human nature. In an era where life was unpredictable and fate often lay in the palms of others, Wendy J. Dunn captures the people that dwelt within it simply but effectively and ensures their vibrancy to the every end. Cleverly and thoughtfully composed, the author imparts a tale that she herself states is -- "conceived around people who were once flesh and blood."

Historians will enjoy this book for the insight it offers on Tudor life, for the politics of the English court and for the dominance of Henry VIII. Others will enjoy this work simply because it is a tale of tragedy that cannot fail to strike at the heart and soul.

Anne Boleyn appears in many novels, but most of them are pretty crude productions, rarely written with the nuance and feeling of this one. Anne, George and Thomas are complex, believable people. I would rank it next to Norah Loft's The Concubine and Margaret Campell Barnes' Brief gaudy hour,: A novel of Anne Boleyn.

This is actually the story of Thomas Wyatt, Anne's cousin and admirer, recalling his life, intertwined with the Boleyns, recalled just after Anne's execution. As such, it follows him to Italy and Calais - he sometimes loses contact with Anne for years at a time, or only hears of her at a remove. Those who are not admirers of Anne may also wish to argue that it allows the author to avoid dealing with some of Anne's less attractive behavior. It has the advantage of allowing the author to quote a number of his luscious poems.

In contrast to some reviewers that felt that the novel should have stayed more strictly focussed on Anne, I felt that one of its flaws is that it scanted some aspects of Tom's life, such as his relationship with his children. Mary Boleyn tends to fall out of the story as well.

That said, this was a delightful novel and I would be happy to read more by this author.

I recently read "Dear Heart How Like You This?" by Wendy J. Dunn and I was so impressed and touched that I wanted to write a brief review to thank the author. I have never done anything like this before, so I read someone else's review of this wonderful novel to get an idea of how to write mine. The review I read was so eloquent I thought how could I possibly add anything to something so complete. All I can add are the deep personal feelings this book brought out in me. Sir Thomas Wyatt is my blood kin. I have always had a history of my family with pictures of Allington Castle and stories of Sir Thomas. I had this image of Sir Thomas, larger than life, possessing no human frailties or weakness. After reading "Dear Heart", I realized he laughed when he was happy and cried when his heart was broken, as it often was. While I read, I had to keep reminding myself that it is a work of fiction, but it did not feel like fiction to me. The characters and events are not fiction. It is not fiction that Sir Thomas loved Anne Boleyn for most of his life. Tom's grandson, George Wyatt, speaking of Thomas and Anne, said Sir Thomas "could gladly yield to be tied forever with the knot of her love." If I had inherited Tom's way with words, I could express how deeply this novel touched me. I do not know what else to say except thank you Wendy.

T. Wyatt

I had been thinking of reading this for quite a while, but something kept scaring me off--perhaps Wyatt's habit of using "Verily" to start his sentences. Verily, Wyatt does say "Verily" quite a bit, but this isn't particularly bothersome once one gets into the rhythm of the book.

Dear Heart tells the very familiar story of Anne Boleyn's rise and fall through the eyes of Wyatt, her devoted childhood companion who loves Anne hopelessly. Wyatt nonetheless takes a fairly clear-eyed, albeit partisan, view of her character and her situation, and he's sensitive enough to feel compassion for Catherine of Aragon and Princess Mary as well. He's a likable narrator, whose lovesickness doesn't stop him from making pointed observations from time to time, and for all his poetic sensitivity he has his hard edges--at one point he beats his unfaithful wife, though of course he feels guilty about it. I was disappointed, in fact, that the novel ended shortly after the death of Anne Boleyn, having wanted to spend more time in Wyatt's company. The scenes between him and his aging father--evidently a very interesting character in his own day--are quite moving.

So what about Anne? In Dunn's version of events, Anne, determined to take revenge for the forced parting of herself and Henry Percy, sets out to break the king's heart, only to find herself unable to break away from the king without risking her own life and those of her family. That's all quite credible, and Anne, recognizing the role that her own folly has played in her fate, courageously accepts it. Unfortunately, in Wyatt's sympathetic company Anne tends to become lachrymose and hysterical, and too prone to reminiscing about her childhood. Though we see glimpses of the considerable charm and wit that she must have possessed, those qualities are somewhat muted here.

All in all, though, this is one of the most enjoyable novels about Anne Boleyn I've read. I was sorry to see it end.

DEAR HEART, HOW LIKE YOU THIS? is a heart-rending tale of love and loss. Narrated by the poet Thomas Wyatt, the reader embarks on a fascinating journey that takes us from the yews of Hever Castle in Kent to the intrigue-laden courts of England, France, and Rome, as Wyatt recalls his desperate, and often helpless, desire for a woman whom he cannot save - the ill-fated Anne Boleyn. By turns wildly romantic and imbued with poetic melancholia, Dunn's assured prose brings to life the charismatic Wyatt, depicting through his eyes Anne Boleyn's transformation from a spirited child to wronged woman bent on exacting vengeance from a heartless king, and a queen tormented by her own ambitions, until her final horrifying hour on Tower green - an hour that destroys Wyatt's innocence forever.

Dunn depicts Anne, and her brother George, as warm-hearted, intelligent persons, confidants in a triptych that includes Wyatt. Each in their own way is caught up in Henry VIII's brutal machinations, but it is Wyatt who truly captures the imagination: a man with an abiding curiosity in the world around him, who cannot help but bear witness to the Boleyns dizzying rise and terrifying fall, even as he, too, is swept up in events beyond his control. His own faithless alliance with an adulterous wife; his love for a father succumbing to a relentless illness; his ambivalence toward his children; and his self-doubts as to his ultimate importance in a society overturned by the tumult of the Reformation underpin this tender story that dares to ask the question: What does it mean to love?

Though framed as an account of arguably the most famous of Henry VIII's six wives, DEAR HEART, HOW LIKE YOU THIS? is far more than another re-telling of a well-trodden tale. For entwined with the glamorous, ultimately tragic, story of Anne Boleyn's life and death, is that of an inherently good man's struggle with the evils of his time, and of the toll that is often exacted of those who finds themselves immersed in the sweeping tides of historical change.

A magnificent book of great emotional intensity and beauty of speech. I must admit it brought me to tears on a couple of occasions because Wendy J. Dunn has really tapped into the great personal sadness, not only of Tom Wyatt himself but of Anne and all the Boleyn set - thwarted in love and caught up in a great spider's web of political and courtly intrigue with the monstrous Henry at the very centre of the web. It was wonderful to hear Tom Wyatt's POV which Dunn does so poetically- you really do feel like you are hearing his true voice. It is a vivid book, beautifully researched - it just flows from scene to scene- and is the perfect antidote to Philippa Gregory's Other Boleyn Girl. A wonderful and enchanting novel. It is going to be a favourite of mine.  

I have read every novel I ever found about Queen Anne Boleyn and enjoyed them all. This one was special and very refreshing! While adhering to main historical events, Wendy Dunn takes us on a mental and emotional adventure into possibilities of personal relationships which may well have been true. I came away from this novel more aware of the minutes and hours and days apart from the public events of Anne's life and emotions, and those of her friends and family, than ever before. "Dear Heart, How Like You This?" turns Anne, George,& Mary Boleyn and Thomas Wyatt from historical personages into very real personalities. It is an enjoyable read for anyone interested in people and a delight for anyone interested in Tudor times.

Some books inform. A good book informs and entertains. A great book changes your perceptions. Dear Heart, How Like You This? is a great book. Before reading this novel I knew very little about Renaissance England. I knew about the size, gluttony and arrogance of King Henry VIII and the tragic death of, as I thought, a cold and calculating Anne Boleyn. Such little knowledge about this incredible period of time.
Dear Heart, How Like You This? turned the dusty bones of history into living flesh. Via the memories of Sir Thomas Wyatt, Anne's cousin, I eagerly followed the lives and loves of people who lived in extraordinary times.
Wendy J. Dunn's visually descriptive style transports the reader into the sunny world of childhood happiness and of a young carefree Tom and sweet and gentle Anne.
From childhood, the romantic poet Thomas Wyatt is besotted by Anne Boleyn and will do anything to be by her side.I found myself entertained by the human experiences of the characters. As an adult, Anne is vibrant, regal, and full of courage but it is the little touches that endear her to the reader. We see a glimpse of feminine vanity when she designs peaks on her sleeves to cover her slightly deformed hand and throat chokers to disguise her neck's sensual mole. The ladies of the court slavishly follow Anne's example and it becomes the fashion of the day. We understand her need for family and friends and her desire to be connected to those around her.
Wendy J. Dunn slowly and inexorably draws us into Anne's life and her world. We grieve with her over her lost love, and then gasp when she later seduces Tom. The loss of her baby son makes us cry, as does her ultimate destruction by a lustful, despotic king. We see her strong and willful, then courageous yet vulnerable, as we follow her tragic journey from happy childhood to her cruel death on the block. But it is the tragic unrequited love of Tom for his Anna and his devastation at her cruel death that carries the reader along.
I couldn't put this novel down. Dear Heart, How Like You This? opened a window to this part of history in such a profound way that it changed my perceptions forever.

When I was a senior at Dennis-Yarmouth High School, my teacher Mrs. Lucock showed a movie on the courtship of Anne Boleyn to Henry the Eighth. Anne was young, vivacious, and intelligent. Henry seemed the perfect complement - lusty, charming and powerful. But after reading Wendy Dunn's DEAR HEART, HOW LIKE YOU THIS, I realized a terrible truth. Henry was in-love with himself. Yet another man, Sir Thomas Wyatt -- renowned poet and Anne's first cousin -- grew-up loving Anne. He is "DEAR HEART'S" rightful speaker: As a child he evolved intellectually and emotionally with Anne, transformed by her childlike life-love. Ultimately, Thomas would do anything for Anne's happiness. Prior to marrying King Henry, Anne fell madly in-love with the noble Hal Percy, who returned her affection. Yet, till Anne's beheading by King Henry (and beyond) Thomas hurt for Anne's loss of Hal, inflicted by the King. Wendy reveals a painful yearning from Thomas's capable viewpoint.