The Raven's Widow: A Novel of Jane Boleyn

Jane Parker never dreamed her marriage into the Boleyn family would raise her star to such dizzying heights. Before long, she finds herself as trusted servant and confidante to her sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn—King Henry VIII’s second queen. On a gorgeous spring day, that golden era is cut short by the swing of a sword. Jane is unmoored by the tragic death of her husband, George, and the loss sets her on a reckless path leading to her own imprisonment in the Tower of London. Surrounded by the remnants of her former life, Jane must come to terms with her actions. In the Tower, she will face up to who she really is and how everything went so wrong. 

"Jane is compassionately and meticulously drawn and given a voice that is vibrant, sometimes poignant and sometimes irrational, but always enticing to the reader." Historical Novel Society Reviews

"An absorbing story that draws you into a vividly created world." 

Amy Licence, best-selling author and historian

"Dillard...[depicts]...Jane as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and, truly, the way the author achieves this is masterful. The challenge of giving someone the symptoms of a disease centuries before it was understood, let alone named, is something Dillard rises to with aplomb. It dawns on you, very slowly, piece by piece, as Jane herself remarks that she 'hovered somewhere near the border between madness and sanity.' Those are the only words she has for what’s happening to her mind, so Dillard does not allow self-analysis to go further for her character. For a modern audience, however, the breadcrumb trail of Jane’s mental anguish is harrowingly and perfectly delivered. 

Gareth Russell, historical presenter and author of Young, Damned, and Fair

"Adrienne Dillard is a natural writer. What I mean is that she seamlessly mixes believable dialogue, dramatic story, and true emotions, all while incorporating actual Tudor history. I found myself immersed in the past and tied to the characters immediately. The time jumps added the perfect amount of suspense, and even though I knew how it would end, I found myself turning pages at a feverish rate to find out what would happen next."

Kathryn Holeman, illustrator of Colouring History: Tudor Queens and Consorts