Wolf Hall

Synopsis: Set in the English court of Henry VIII, this first book of a trilogy outlines the rise to power of Thomas Cromwell. The son of a blacksmith, Cromwell rose to power as an advisor to King Henry VIII. He’s kind of a Michael Cohen type figure, a “fixer.” Henry has been married for 20 years to his wife Katherine of Aragon, but she has not produced a male heir! In the 1520’s, the Pope still effectively rules the spiritual world, including England, so he can’t just get a divorce. He has to persuade the Pope that his marriage isn’t valid. And if that path to second wife Ann Boleyn is not smooth, why not separate from Rome and form your own church where Henry is the head? Then you don’t need permission! Cromwell is tasked with helping to make this happen. If he is successful, then material wealth and the king’s favor will be his. If not, well, off with his head.

Review: It’s taken me a while to get to this book. Published in 2009, it won both the Booker Prize as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award. The whole trilogy had been published before I even started. (SPOILER: yes, I will tell you about all 3 books in time). Thomas Cromwell has been portrayed as a villain in most accounts of the Tudor era, a ruthless, unprincipled yes-man. And let’s face it: Henry wants and needs a yes-man. If you don’t indulge ALL of his whims, you’re done for. This novel makes Thomas a somewhat likable person. Ruthless, yes, but also a family man who could be kind and generous, and even humorous. Of course, this is historical fiction, so who knows if that’s true, but it makes a good book. Henry is a most exasperating regent. He’s like a teenager in his whims, and its the job of his advisors to make things happen. So, wife of 20 years, you must not only be discarded, you must be embarrassed and humiliated, then I will move on to wife #2, because I must have a male heir. It’s not a spoiler to note that there are quite a few after Ann Boleyn as well! It was not news, but still depressing to revisit how little agency women had in those days. Katherine was promised in marriage to Henry’s older brother Arthur when she was three years old, travelled to England at age 15 not speaking the language and having no allies. She married Arthur, but only a few months later he died, leaving her in total limbo! For 6 years, negotiations were taking place between her parents and Henry VII. Naturally, he wanted to get the remainder of her dowry so he proposed marrying her to his second son, Henry VIII. It took awhile, but finally happened, and at first, it seemed like they actually loved each other. Alas, the lack of a son was a her downfall.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: As Queen, you get to choose all kinds of symbols and badges to represent your essence, which then get emblazoned on EVERYTHING. Henry’s first wife, Katherine of Aragon, had the pomegranate as part of her coat of arms. Ironically, the pomegranate is an ancient symbol for fertility and regeneration, and an apt symbol for Katherine and the promise of heirs to come. Unfortunately it was not to be. Still, this inspired me to try something that included pomegranate seeds, and this recipe from the Food Network was perfect. Discovering that you can find frozen pomegranate seeds at the grocery was even better.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 strips lemon zest

1 1/4 cups basmati rice

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup chopped mint

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

1) Cook ginger and garlic in butter in a saucepan, 2 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, and lemon zest and toast additional 2 minutes.

2) Stir in rice, water and salt, bring to a boil. cover and simmer until done.

3) Fluff with a fork, toss with pomegranate seeds, mint and pistachios.