Helpful Score: 8
Philippa Gregory does a fantastic job with historical novels. I gained a newfound respect for a Queen who is typically portrayed as a simpering, jealous older woman. Gregory shows us the strength in Catherine...I thoroughly enjoyed this new insight into this historic character.
Helpful Score: 7
I have always had sympathy for Katherine of Aragon, and now I have even more. What a lovely story of courage, fortitude, and love. Once again, Philippa Gregory has written a well-researched fictional account of historical events. While no one knows exactly why Katherine did things as she did them, Gregory's book provides a plausible and compelling reason. I hope you will enjoy this book as thoroughly as I did.
Helpful Score: 7
The story of Henry VIII's first queen, Katherine (or Catalina, if you will) of Aragon. Despite his later infidelity, Henry would always regard Katherine as superior to his other queens in terms of dignity and regal bearing. This novel describes Katherine's upbringing and reign as queen of Henry's heart up to the entrance and rise of Anne Boleyn. It reveals much of the source of her sense of her own destiny as a born princess and queen. It's heartbreaking to read of the trials this woman went through, first as the abandoned widow of Henry's elder brother Arthur, then as the Queen rejected by her husband. However, because of her nature as a "constant princess", this novel is not quite as dishy and enjoyable as Boleyn Girl or Virgin's Lover. Still, a great read.
Helpful Score: 5
Katherine of Aragon is mostly ignored in books about this time in history, other than that she was pushed off the English throne by Anne Boleyn and was the mother of Queen Mary. This is a fascinating account of Katherine as a person in her own right and relates how she helped shape the early years of Henry VIII's reign -- another Gregory triumph.
Helpful Score: 3
Great insight into Henry VIII's first wife. She may not have been quite as famous as Anne Boleyn, but after reading this novel I'm certain she was more interesting and compelling.