'Girlbossification': British literature puts women in their place

She is the shrew, the traitor, the schemer who denounces her husband and sister-in-law before playing the fool to try to save her life. Jane Boleyn (1505-1542) is far from a favorite in the history of the Tudor dynasty. When female authors mention her, it is for her role in the downfall and executions of her husband, George Boleyn, and his sister, Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII of England, in May 1536. Jane Boleyn would die on the scaffold six years later after unsuccessfully pleading insanity for helping Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of the same king, arrange rendezvous with her lover. Jane Boleyn has played a supporting role in a number of historical novels, notably Philippa Gregory's Two Sisters for a King (2001, translated by Archipel in 2008). And this time it's the same bestselling author who is dedicating an entire book to her, Boleyn Traitor , which will be released in October. For the first time, Jane Boleyn will be able to give her version of events: "She's been called a liar and a traitor. And if she knew the truth..." says the back cover.

She's not the only supporting actress who becomes the heroine of a novel and, in turn, of her own life. For women, in history and historical novels, have long tended to be portrayed as victims or at the mercy of patriarchy. History is being re-examined by scholars to uncover how they negotiated their lives in a world