England - During the Reign of Henry VIII

Meg Giggs, Sir Thomas More's adopted daughter, has been treated as a family member since her arrival at age nine, even to the point that her education has been every bit as thorough as More's own children. Since she was a child, she has admired and adored the tutor More hired for the family, John Clement. But it isn't until she is a grown woman that Meg realizes how much she deeply loves the older man. When John admits his mutual love, More demands that before he allows a marriage, John must be admitted to the College of Physicians. Eventually John, who shares with Meg an enthusiasm for healing, is elected to the College and they wed, but not before he reveals a secret that, until now, only he and Thomas More knew.

Sir Thomas More, intelligent, devout, and loyal to the crown, is struggling to deal with a new menace -- the lust his king feels for Anne Boleyn. As Henry's Lord Chancellor, More agonizes over the encroaching "new religion" that Anne espouses, worried that her influence could change the future of England. More's response is to punish every "heretic" he can find. Meg, who cares deeply for her adopted father, is terrified by his behavior as she, too, struggles to deal with a rapidly changing world.

Into this world comes Hans Holbein, an artist from Germany who arrives at the More's, commissioned to do a portrait of the family. He's immediately attracted to the bright, inquisitive Meg, and is disappointed to discover that she is promised to another. It is Holbein's intuitive observations of Thomas More's family that will affect More, Meg, and John Clement.

PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN is Ms. Bennett's first novel and it's a brilliant, beautifully written account of an amazing man and those who loved him. Most of the story is seen through the eyes of Meg as she matures, falls in love, deals with her family's secrets, and learns to become the incredible woman whom two men will love. Although readers are well aware of the volatile Henry VIII, most of the tale takes place well away from his court, in the streets of London and in the Chelsea countryside where the Mores live.

Meg is a dynamic, intelligent, but very normal young woman of her day. Through her observations, we see the confusion and terror of the common people as sickness sweeps the land, and can visualize the gruesome reaction to heretics. Meg will have to make difficult choices, and the conclusion of this novel will both surprise and please most readers.

Don't miss this fantastic book. It's an incredible beginning to what I hope will be more novels from Vanora Bennett. Count me as a fan!

Jani Brooks