Customer Reviews

Threads: The Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Never, ever have I even considered writing a review, but this book deserves far, far more praise than it has received. The language is elegant and jewel-like and the story is transcendant. The use of the Hindu concept of reincarnation and the historically notorious relationship of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII are wonderful devices to explore love, trust, betrayal and forgiveness, in all types of relationships, throughout time. "Each society-each group within each society-chooses something with which to assign inferiority. ... Among the powerful, it is the powerless; among the rich, it is the poor; among the men, it is the women. ... Neither side sees the humanity in the other. Both sides are equally wrong in this." There are so many levels to the passionate, intricate and exquisitely expressed stories told here. It is a story of love, forgiveness, choice and redemption with some of the most beautiful contemporary prose I've ever had the pleasure to read. And I'm really glad my copy is hardcover, although I may have to order a softcover to loan to friends. I'm not letting my copy out of the house.

Threads is a great book for the history buff. Though it is fiction, it is more like a historical fiction (it has a bibliography in the back). It is not quite a historical fiction either though as the disembodied spirit of Ann Boleyn relates in the first person the details of her life with Henry VIII as well as their relationships in several other lives, including more recently in America. Although the context of the review is that this was just one of many lives, the bulk of the story deals exclusively with her life as Ann Boleyn with occasional references to a former life in Egypt as a wife turned prostitute and a enjoyable stint in a traveling circus in another time and place.

Ms. Gavin is careful to try to maintain historical accuracy about the characters involved even though this is a fictional novel. A short notes section tells readers when she has deviated from accepted history in favor of plot. I can't help but feel that the selection of the historical figure of Ann Boleyn constrained Ms. Gavin's apparent talent. Each additional "character" is by nature a historical figure requiring ever more restraint by Gavin to maintain historical accuracy. Therefore, there are comparatively fewer characters involved throughout the story than there might have been had the main character not been a figure of historical reknown. Character development of Hal and the Chinese mother-in-law, as well as dialogue between Ann and Henry in their American life shows that Ms. Gavin has what it takes to write enjoyable fiction. I would love to see what she could do with her imagination not given such boundaries from the outset.

Nell Gavin has brought Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, to vibrant life in her unusual historical novel, "Threads." Anne's path from that of an unloved and abused young girl, to the position of Queen of England, is presented by Anne herself as she looks back upon the circumstances that eventually led to her execution. Although there really isn't a lot of actual historical information about Anne, Gavin has created believable personalities with strengths and weaknesses, imperfections and understandable desires. Using a combination of fact and legend, she tells a story of passion, obsession, and heartbreak that will capture readers with its depth and humanity.

Gavin uses the fictional concept of reincarnation to showcase all of the characters that make up what is truly a tragic tale of love and betrayal. In several different "reincarnations," Anne and Henry, along with family, friends, and lost loves, are placed into different life situations, each one exploring another facet of personality and circumstances. The technique is unique, intriguing, and in the end, beautifully coaxes the dark ghosts of a long dead past into the present for an introduction readers won't soon forget.

"Threads" is a remarkable effort. It is, without a doubt, one of the best historical novels I've every read. I give it my very highest recommendation!

I am a HUGE fan of Tudor England and especially a fan of Anne Boleyn and King Henry. I was facinated by the premise of this story and quickly made my purchase. Please, grab this story now if you love this period, and if you love a good story!

Not preditable at all, the story takes you on a very original ride through the many experiences of these people in past existences! It's great. A.L.F.

I've always had a fascination with Anne Boleyn, but after reading THREADS, I feel like I understand her in a way I never have before. Yes, the book is fiction, but it's obvious that Ms. Gavin did some extensive research to explore the life of this charismatic but unpopular queen. It's so well written and the tale so eloquently spun that you feel it very well could've happened just as it's described. The execution scene in Anne's viewpoint is masterful. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Tudor history, and Anne Boleyn, in particular. I couldn't put it down!

It isn't enough that Anne Boleyn is executed for adultery and treason. Just days before, her marriage to Henry VIII was annulled - she was never married in the first place - and her daughter Elizabeth's claim to the throne is in jeopardy.

Instead of a happy ending - a commoner chosen by a smitten king to be his queen - her marriage to Henry has resulted in her losing everything, and the time she spent as queen was a nightmare.

Anne and Henry are basically incompatible - forever and truly in love with each other, but having a difficult time learning to live with each other without hurting each other. This has been true for lifetimes, and they keep being thrown together like in the movie Groundhog Day so they can figure it out and learn to get along.

Threads is told from the point of view of Anne Boleyn. It starts at her execution, and goes through her "life review" as she studies the things she did in her lifetime, good and bad. She's told she has to forgive Henry VIII for having her put to death, and the story follows her as she tries to do this.

Each time she reaches a point in her life review where she needs to know why things happened the way they did, her memory shifts back to earlier lifetimes to show her what she did to deserve things, or to put things in perspective for her when she's inclined to be bitter and angry. It also introduces the other characters in their previous identities, and shows how she's interacted with them.

Even though it's a story about Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, it's also a story of personal growth, personal accountability and learning to forgive. What she gives, she gets, and the story is about her learning to not invite punishment by hurting others.

This book gives you food for thought, whether or not you believe in reincarnation, and will stick with you after you finish it.

Recently my sister and I caught a television special about Anne Boleyn, and it left me wanting to learn even more about her and her family. I wasn't expecting much from this premise, quite honestly. Many an author has written about Anne and the entire tragic and enigmatic Boleyn cast, but they rarely do them justice. The reincarnation aspect in Threads further enhanced my skepticism.

What a pleasant surprise when I gave it a chance and read it while on vacation! I was gripped from the first page. Threads is well-written, intriguing, and surprisingly emotional at times. I truly loved it. I carefully brought it back with me from my trip instead of leaving it on the plane, and even bought another copy to give to my sister. Threads was just what I was looking for - an excellent story. I've discovered a new favorite author.

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. Nell Gavin does an excellent job with weaving together the stories of two souls who travel together through time and space to learn important lessons about love, loss and loyalty. The main story is about the life of Anne Boleyn as seen by Anne in her life review after her death on the gallows. Then Anne reviews her many lives with Henry VIII and others from that life as they live again and again together in good times and bad. I highly recommend this book.

Nell Gavin's THREADS is extraordinary. From somewhere in time (the Memories) Anne Boleyn, lately beheaded by her husband, King Henry VIII, must review her life to learn from her mistakes, as well as her successes. Many of the wonderful moments in her life, however, do not come from the 16th century, but from earlier, far less regal lives. In THREADS, Gavin advances the theory of Heaven as a resting place where the soul must review life and choose another to return for learning lessons necessary for the refinement of the spirit. For Anne, the lesson is forgiveness. Her bitterness toward Henry, a man she has loved through many lifetimes, is the roadblock on the journey of her soul, and she must find a way to move it from her path. In THREADS Anne's voice is strong, consistent, clear, and most importantly, never self-serving. The book is haunting. I could not get it out of my mind after I finished it, and sent it to several friends. The response as been uniform: everyone has loved it. Filled with dialogue authentic to the times, characters so viable they might be sitting with you as you read, and an exploration of the spiritual plane so believable you may rethink all your beliefs on the subject, THREADS is a remarkable and striking achievement.

This is an exquisite book. I absolutely loved it - to the point that I actually stopped reading it so it wouldn't end (sick,yes!!). This is a beautifully crafted story and it has stayed with me ever since I finished reading it. Even though it is a work of fiction, the story appears so "real" you feel as if you are there experiencing everything that Anne Boleyn did thru her several reincarnations. Nell, please write more books!!!!