Portrait of an Unknown Woman: A Novel

By Vanora Bennett

Hidden identities, rising political and religious tension, sensual awakening, and artistic vision come together in Vanora Bennett’s luminous and absorbing historical novel of Tudor England reminiscent of the works of Phillipa Gregory, Sarah Dunant, and Tracy Chevalier.

1527. A dark curtain has fallen across Europe. Martin Luther’s break with the Vatican has led to civil war and artistic censorship, forcing the renowned portraitist Hans Holbein the Younger to flee to the safety of Tudor England. Under the patronage of one of Henry VIII’s most trusted and brilliant advisors, Sir Thomas More, Holbein painted two portraits of the More family over the course of five years. Though nearly identical, the second is different. Why? And what do these subtle differences mean?

In this sweeping epic, Vanora Bennett uses these two pictures to weave a wondrously imagined tale of Tudor England, witnessed through the eyes of Meg, More’s intelligent and headstrong young ward. Set against the turmoil, intrigue, and tragedy of Henry VIII’s court, Portrait of an Unknown Woman is the story of a woman torn between two remarkable yet radically different men—one she will love, the other she will marry. It also the story of a country torn apart by fanaticism, corruption, and the desires of a headstrong king. Rich with colorful detail, full of vibrant characters drawn from the pages of history, this magnificent novel hails the arrival of a visionary new writer and is sure to become one of the most talked about books of the year.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061749674

Vanora Bennett

Vanora Bennett is a journalist and writer. She lived and worked in Russia for 7 years, writing for Reuters and the LA Times. She has been a foreign correspondent and feature writer and contributed to publications including The Times, the LA Times, the Guardian, the Observer and the Evening Standard. She lives in London with her husband and two sons. She has written two previous novels: Portrait of an Unknown Woman, Queen of Silks and Blood Royal.

Reviews for Portrait of an Unknown Woman

[vhartpowers · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Meg Giggs lost her mother at birth and then her father at nine. She goes to live with Thomas More's family. She feels like an outsider. She's the last of the More daughters to be married; and she marries John Clement. (his story is just as interesting.)
Hans Holbein is hired by More to paint a family portrait. he has a painters eye and sees all the family secrets, including one about Elizabeth Dauncy, on of the sisters.
Book is historical fiction with a lot of historical facts.

[bhowell_35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

a great historical read,this book takes you into the home of St Thomas Moore, and covers the time period of the several Holbein paintings of him and his family (a mystery in themselves). Thus it takes place in Tudor England and the main character is Meg Gibbs, one of the great man's foster daughters. Enjoy

[mairi_k · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Another historical page-turner which takes a turn round the household of a historical figure, seen through the eyes of a step-daughter/wife/maid/etc. Step up Meg Giggs, attempting to marry the portrait in her head of her kindly humanist step-father Thomas More with Hans Holbein's sketch of the thin-lipped heretic-burning horror he has become. But that's not enough because the family tutor and dedicatee of Utopia she has just married has turned out to be one of - wait for it! - the princes in the tower. What a lot of twaddle. I don't think we can really get into the minds of men like More - unless, perhaps, by looking to those carrying out jihad around the world? - and Meg's character's facile wrestling with what seems like a very un-Tudor faith and her husband's totally improbable history does the history no justice.

[queenreader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Erasmus, Holbein, Thomas More, Henry VIII - their all here. Actually, this is an engaging novel about relationships set in humanist circles in Renaissance England. Accurately portrays the period thinking and society. Main character is Margaret Clemens (nee Roper) - interestingly drawn Renaissance woman. Loved the story, though the ending was kind of a dud.

[lizzy2x · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Decent plotline, a good book in general, but it could have gotten the message across in a lot less words. I feel like there was a lot of filler in here.

[dianaleez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Clever idea and fascinating book. I spent a lot of time looking at the portrait. Well researched and pleasingly written.

[cookiecat_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Boring !The passages on Holbien's paintings were interesting but the rest was drivel.Not recommended.

[jaelle_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Engrossing literary fiction with lots of accurate historical detail. If you like historical fiction and Jane Austen's depictions of family and social life, you will probably enjoy this novel.

[needmoreshelves · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My first time reading this author, and I loved it! If the ending hadn't felt a bit rushed, this probably would have received a perfect score. I will definitely look for more by this author -my new favorite historical!

[mishker-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story follows Thomas More's family during the reign of King Henry VIII. It is told through the eyes of Hans Holbein, who is invited into More's household in order to paint his family portrait and Meg Giggs, an adopted daughter.There is a lot of factual history in the book as well as some fun fictional stories.

[maryreinert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In order for historical fiction to be really good, it must ring true which this certainly does. There is enough "fictionalization" to make it really interesting (yes, the premise of the two princes in the Tower may be a stretch)while at the same time leading the reader down an accurate historical path.I especially enjoyed all the background material in the back of the book. A copy of the final More Family painting would also have been helpful.I had never read anything by Vanora Bennett -- I love Sharon Kay Penman, but I would not pass by another by Bennett.

[priscillam_80 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. Well researched and written, it is the story of Meg Gibbs, a ward of Sir Thomas More's during the turbulent times of 15th Century England. Royalty, religion, art, secrets and romance all combine in a great story, while at the same time presenting a wonderful easy to read lesson in history. I especially liked how Vanora Bennets described the creation and intricasies of Hans Holbeins works of art and found myself researching his paintings to better understand what the author was saying. I would definitely recommend this book and intend to look for other books written by Vanora Bennet

[evelynbernard · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When I read the book, the expression 'You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear' repeatedly came to my thoughts. This book is basically a Harlequin romance set in the time of Sir Thomas More and Tudor England. It is the story of Thomas More's ward, Meg Giggs - her education, her interest in medicine, her relationship with her husband (is he who he seems?). The book is set during a time of religious and political upheaval. Twice, the painter Hans Holbein the Younger stays in the More home and paints a portrait of the family. The descriptions of the paintings and the clever descriptions of the hidden meanings in the paintings kept me interested and kept me reading. I even looked up the two More family paintings on-line and referred to them as I read. The rest of the book? The boy meets girl, the unrequited love, the eventual marriage, the second love interest, the happy(ish) ending? Maybe not so much.

[memccauley6 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book tried to tell too many stories, and therefore ended up not telling any of them very well. The writing wasn’t bad, but it didn’t give me the insight into the life of Thomas More I was looking for - and don’t get me started on the character development (or I will have to break my self-imposed minimum snark rule).

[koalamom_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Meg Gibbs was orphaned at an early age and became the ward of Sir Thomas More, who was soon to become Lord Chancellor of England under Henry VIII.At 22 she yearns to marry John Clements but Sir Thomas wants the man to complete his education as a physician and have a position on the College of Physicians before that can happen. And then the secrets start coming out, secrets that will change lives.John, it seems, isn't who he says he is and his real life should it become known, could cause it to come to an end. Meg turns to helping the poor and Catholic people in an era when Catholicism is becoming forbidden, but she hides it from those she loves. Sir Thomas works against his king and resigns and his life and his family's changes dramatically. Then Meg learns a truth about herself that explains many things and who is the father of her foster sister's child?Intrigue is the name of the game in Tudor England. Many are losing everything, including their lives for beliefs that are fast changing.And all this is shown in two portraits painted by Hans Holbein, an artist with a gift for painting the truth in his subjects and what truths he sees and what feelings he has for Meg - feelings that are returned, but only briefly as she discovers just how hard it would be to turn away from the family that loves her.In the author's note, the author states plainly that there is a lot more history here than in some historical novels and she gives a synopsis of what happened after the story she wove.

[bridgetmarkwood · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a great book! First, it is well written- easy to get lost in. Second, history has never been more alive. I learned a lot about medicine, family, art and other issues of the day. Well researched. Third, the author had great fun playing with some of the mysteries surrounding the royals and the More family. I found myself getting really excited about the historical connections and explanations. Also enjoyed that the author included factual history tidbits at the end of the book, so one could see what was fiction and what actually did happen. Cannot wait to read more Vanora Bennett. A real treat for historical fiction Anglophiles!

[cindyloumn · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Lots of history, not real good, but not real bad either. So kept reading. Life of the painter Hans Holien and his relationship with the Sr Thomas Moore family during King Henry period. Lots of secrets, and hx details. 7/20/07