Threads: The Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn - Nell Gavin

It's 1970. Anne and Henry still have issues they need to address. It's been 434 years since they parted - on bad terms - and they haven't spoken since. Henry now has problems with alcohol, drugs and irresponsibility, and Anne is still holding onto a grudge.

They don't know they were married 434 years ago. They don't know they parted on bad terms. Anne has no idea why she has a compulsion to punish him, a man she's only just met, and Henry has no idea why he can't be near her without falling in love.

Threads, a reincarnation fantasy, opens with Anne's death in 1536. Her husband Henry, seemingly in defense of Anne (but more likely acting out of "stubborn perverseness," she observes), has terrorized England and decreed murder after political murder to protect her. Ultimately, to Anne’s horror, he made the decision to have her executed as well.

Anne’s fury at her husband’s betrayal has enough momentum to survive centuries, but in "Threads" she learns that she has been assigned a hard task: she must forgive him. This may prove difficult and take some time. The husband in question is Henry VIII. The narrator is the stubborn, volatile Anne Boleyn, who is not at all inclined to forgive. .

It is a very unusual love story.

2000 William Faulkner Competition Finalist for best novel.

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This is an unusual love story. Strictly speaking, it's not Historical romance and it's not just about the Tudor's, but because the main character is Anne Boleyn you'd be forgiven for thinking so.

It's all a bit far fetched and confusing... but in a good way. It's a new slant on Anne and Henry, iconic 16th century lovers at war.

The main storyteller is Anne Boleyn, she has to go through a series of reincarnations to learn her 'lesson'. Obviously she has to forgive Henry VIII, who it transpires has been her husband over many lifetimes. It always ends the same way, Henry lets Anne down and Anne dissapoints Henry. They have issues that they need to work through and it's taking centuries to get to the bottom of the problem.

The problem is, whilst living the life (any and all of the reincarnations) Anne and Henry have no notion of what they are here to do.

It's heartbreaking and rewarding and frustrating all at the same time, for us the reader AND Henry and Anne. I got so involved with the story and kept wanting to shout and tell them what they needed to do to be happy, to save them further heartache.
I can't do it justice in a few paragraphs, I wouldn't know where to start. There's Anne and Henry from Tudor times, there's egypt, the circus, modern America....it's all here.

I loved it. It's different to most books with a Tudor theme and it's an unusual book with just enough familiar things to make it enjoyable, and just enough unfamiliar to make it exciting.