First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

Synopsis:

By 1535 Thomas Crowell, the blacksmith’s son, is far from his humble origins. Chief Minister to Henry VIII, his fortunes have risen with those of Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife, for whose sake Henry has broken with Rome and created his own church. But Henry’s actions have forced England into dangerous isolation, and Anne has failed to do what she promised: bear a son to secure the Tudor line. When Henry visits Wolf Hall, Cromwell watches as he falls in love with the silent, plane Jane Seymour. The minister sees what is at stake: not just the king’s pleasure, but the safety of the nation. As he eases a way through the sexual politics of the court, its miasma of gossip, he mus negotiate a ‘truth’ that will satisfy Henry and secure his own career. But neither minister nor king will emerge undamaged from the bloody theatre of Anne’s final days.

In Bring Up the Bodies, sequel to the Man Booker Prize-winning Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel explores one of the most mystifying and frightening episodes in English history: the destruction of Anne Boleyn. This new novel is a speaking picture, an audacious vision of Tudor England that sheds its light on the modern world. It is the work of one of our great writers at the height of her powers.

It’s the end of the workweek—yay! I hope the week has been kind to everyone and that you’re all ending it on a high note. Just like that, we are already in the last Friday of the third month of the year. How time flies! March was supposed to be a typical month, but then chaos ensued. I hope that the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict will start to de-escalate—or, if not, be resolved soon. The world has become cruel and is growing even crueler every single day, as men in power continue to instigate hate and chaos. In a matter of days, the world started to unravel. Still, I hope the year is providing everyone with plenty of opportunities to grow and improve. With the weekend looming, I hope everyone has a great one and ends the workweek on a high note. It is now time to dress down and wear more comfortable clothes. I hope everyone spends the weekend wisely—whether by resting from the rigors of a demanding career, pursuing passions, completing household chores, spending time with loved ones, or simply relaxing. I hope you’re all doing well—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Currently, my venture into European literature is in full swing. After spending the first two months of the year reading the works of Latin American and Caribbean writers, I decided to cross the Atlantic and explore the lush and diverse tapestry of the European literary landscape. Honestly, toward the end of February, I had no idea what my March literary journey would look like. Then I realized that my reading challenges are also filled with works of European literature. This realization led me to dive into the continent’s lush and rich literary tradition. I began this new journey with Polish writer Władysław Stanisław Reymont’s (born Rejment) The Peasants. It was one of the books on my 2026 Top 26 Reading List. After finishing this massive work, I shifted to something more traditional: Jane Austen’s Persuasion. The switch also aligns with this month’s motif. March is, after all, Women’s History Month, and International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8. Since then, I’ve been reading works by female European writers.

My current read takes me back to the United Kingdom to another familiar name. It was during a visit to a bargain bookstore that I first encountered Hilary Mantel over a decade ago. Riding the wave of her Booker Prize win, her novel Wolf Hall was ubiquitous. However, I felt like the book was not for me, hence why I dismissed it. A decade later, I would encounter Mantel again during the pandemic. Her latest novel, The Mirror and the Light, was longlisted for the Booker Prize. Had it won the prestigious prize, all the books in her Thomas Cromwell trilogy would have won the Prize, an unprecedented feat. It fell short, but it was still impressive. Also, it made me reconsider reading the trilogy. After the pandemic, I secured a copy of all three books. Last year, I read the first book in the trilogy, and as part of my venture into the works of European women writers, I resolved to read Bring Up the Bodies. Actually, it has become imperative for me to read the trilogy after Mantel’s passing back in 2021. I do lament the fact that it is only now that I am reading her works.

Just like its predecessor, Bring Up the Bodies opens with a list of the characters and a family tree, outlining who is who. Story-wise, it picks up where Wolf Hall left off. Thomas Cromwell, whom we first met in Wolf Hall as a runaway blacksmith’s son, has risen above his ranks. From juggling different jobs in continental Europe, he returned to Great Britain and remarkably rose to prominence in King Henry VIII’s court. He played a seminal role in the King’s separation from his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, effectively separating the British court from the papal influence in Rome. This gave rise to the establishment of the Church of England. The King had his way. He got separated from Katherine, his wife of over two decades, and married Anne Boleyn. The events of the second book in the trilogy take place three years after their union. Cromwell was now designated as the Master Secretary to the King’s Privy Council.

It is September 1535, and we are once again transported to the court of King Henry VIII. The British monarch has become exasperated with his second wife. Sure, their marriage was often affectionate. However, they often descend into angry quarrels. At the start of the novel, the King and Cromwell went on a hunting trip and stayed as guests of the Seymour family, one of the “ancient families” of English nobility, at Wolf Hall. Cromwell started to notice how the King was becoming fonder of the family’s daughter, Jane; Cromwell himself was attracted to Jane, although she is often described as timid and plain-looking. Back in London, Cromwell was faced with several challenges. The separation of the King from his first wife created a diplomatic vacuum. Tension with Emperor Charles V of the Habsburg territories was building. To de-escalate the tensions and avoid war, Cromwell was in constant negotiations with Eustache Chapuys, the Emperor’s ambassador. 

This was just one of Cromwell’s concerns. He wanted to seize assets from the country’s wealthy monasteries and redistribute funds to those in need. The annulment of the King’s marriage created a chasm between the Vatican and London. Cromwell’s growing concern, however, was Anne. Anne was temperamental, and Cromwell must strike a balance to maintain peace. It did not help that Anne’s arrogant brother, George, often intervenes in her affairs. Meanwhile, Katherine of Aragon has fallen ill in her estate in Kimbolton, England. She worries that her daughter and only child, Mary, would be usurped by the newly born Elizabeth. As history would have it, her concerns were legitimate. Back in London, the King informed Cromwell he wanted his marriage to Anne to be annulled. She has not conceived a son, nor did she provide the King a semblance of peace.

With everything going in different directions, how will Cromwell handle all of them? He is cunning and wise, hence his position in the King’s court. However, he is also not infallible. It is interesting to see how Mantel lays out the story. It is both intriguing and compelling. Mantel’s writing is atmospheric, perfectly capturing the period. I am nearly halfway through the novel, and I will be able to complete it over the weekend. How about you, fellow reader? What are you reading this weekend? I hope you’re enjoying your current book. Happy weekend!