Wolf Hall

Hilary Mantel was born in Glossop, Derbyshire, England in July of 1952. Her novel, Wolf Hall was the winner of the Man Booker prize in 2009. Mantel is a former social worker and film critic who has written short stories, the memoir "Giving up the Ghost" and novels including 2005's "Beyond Black," which was shortlisted for a Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Orange Prize for Fiction.

In this novel, Wolf Hall, the book centers on the real-life figure of Cromwell, depicted as a ruthless but compelling figure straining against the certainties of his age. Mantel calls Cromwell the chief fixer and spin doctor as well as propagandist for one of the most eventful decades of English history, and the question driving the book is “How did he do it?” This tale of political intrigue is set during the reign of King Henry VIII and is a fabulous and intelligent retelling of a familiar story, with an unfamiliar angle.