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Wives of King Henry VIII
The Unfaithful Queen: A Novel of Henry VIII's Fifth Wife
Amid the turbulent, faction-ridden late reign of the fearsome Henry, eager high-spirited Catherine Howard caught the king's eye—but not before she had been the sensual plaything of at least three other men. Ignorant of her past, seeing only her youthful exuberance and believing that she could make him happy, he married her—only to discover, too late, that her heart belonged to his gentleman usher Tom Culpeper.
As the net of court intrigue tightens around her, and with the Tudor succession yet again in peril because of Prince Edward's severe illness, Queen Catherine struggles to give the angry, bloated and impotent king a son. But when her relations turn against her, she finds herself doomed, just as her cousin Anne Boleyn was, to face the executioner.
The Unfaithful Queen lays bare the dark underbelly of the Tudor court, with its sugared rivalries and bitter struggles for power, where a girl of noble family could find herself sent to labor among the turnspits in the kitchens or—should fortune favor her—be exalted to the throne.
As the net of court intrigue tightens around her, and with the Tudor succession yet again in peril because of Prince Edward's severe illness, Queen Catherine struggles to give the angry, bloated and impotent king a son. But when her relations turn against her, she finds herself doomed, just as her cousin Anne Boleyn was, to face the executioner.
The Unfaithful Queen lays bare the dark underbelly of the Tudor court, with its sugared rivalries and bitter struggles for power, where a girl of noble family could find herself sent to labor among the turnspits in the kitchens or—should fortune favor her—be exalted to the throne.
293 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
37 people are currently reading
2356 people want to read
About the author
Carolly Erickson
32 books709 followersDistinguished historian Carolly Erickson is the author of The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette, The First Elizabeth, Great Catherine, Alexandra and many other prize-winning works of fiction and nonfiction. She lives in Hawaii.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/caroll...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/caroll...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
October 28, 2012
Whether one believes Catherine Howard was an innocent child begging for love or instead a slut who deserved her fate; her story as the “rose without a thorn” turned executed wife is well-known. Carolly Erickson explores Henry VIII’s fifth wife in her historical entertainment, “The Unfaithful Queen”.
“The Unfaithful Queen” begins with Erickson attempting to immediately shock readers by describing Anne Boleyn’s execution, a lemon in a “honeypot”, and a self-induced abortion just to name a few events. Although these are somewhat surprising, the constructs are far-fetched and not executed smoothly. Rather than supplement the story, these instead add annoyance and falseness to the already thin narrative.
The writing style, plot, and characterizations in “The Unfaithful Queen” are flat and rather juvenile. Each character fits into a specific stereotype with no personalization or explored elements. Catherine is portrayed as much too innocent for my taste. Plus, her character development is inconsistent as she is a naive child in one moment but then acts much older during the next. Although that may be how the mind of a typical teenager actually functions; I found it to be disillusioning (that, along with Catherine’s extreme pleasure the first time she has a sexual experience… yeah, right!).
Surprisingly, on a whole, the general premise of “The Unfaithful Queen” is more accurate than usual, although the implementation of the story is best described as “silly” and more suitable for teen readers. Elements of the historical events don’t “stick out” and therefore don’t teach much to those new to the life of Catherine. Often, “The Unfaithful Queen” has a rushed pace (even skipping years from one page to the next) which also adds to the lack of depth and truly “feeling” the story.
“The Unfaithful Queen” does improve slightly as it progresses; however, it produces irritations such as a lack of chemistry between Henry and Catherine, an absence of any historical settings or feelings (too modern), and the introduction of odd characters such as the “Dowager Duchess of Cleves” who yells at Henry accusing him of intending to eventually behead her daughter (?!). Did I mention Catherine also has an adorable (sarcasm) pet monkey?
The best conceived portion of the novel (although that isn’t saying much); is the rendering of Catherine during her suspected treason and adultery. The conclusion of these proceedings has a creative flair which ties into the first chapter.
Overall, “The Unfaithful Queen” is diaphanous, lacking detail, and is more of a day at “Tudor High School”. Readers are better off watching Catherine Howard’s season on “The Tudors” television show. This is another Erickson fictional entertainment which is only recommended to intro historical fiction readers.
“The Unfaithful Queen” begins with Erickson attempting to immediately shock readers by describing Anne Boleyn’s execution, a lemon in a “honeypot”, and a self-induced abortion just to name a few events. Although these are somewhat surprising, the constructs are far-fetched and not executed smoothly. Rather than supplement the story, these instead add annoyance and falseness to the already thin narrative.
The writing style, plot, and characterizations in “The Unfaithful Queen” are flat and rather juvenile. Each character fits into a specific stereotype with no personalization or explored elements. Catherine is portrayed as much too innocent for my taste. Plus, her character development is inconsistent as she is a naive child in one moment but then acts much older during the next. Although that may be how the mind of a typical teenager actually functions; I found it to be disillusioning (that, along with Catherine’s extreme pleasure the first time she has a sexual experience… yeah, right!).
Surprisingly, on a whole, the general premise of “The Unfaithful Queen” is more accurate than usual, although the implementation of the story is best described as “silly” and more suitable for teen readers. Elements of the historical events don’t “stick out” and therefore don’t teach much to those new to the life of Catherine. Often, “The Unfaithful Queen” has a rushed pace (even skipping years from one page to the next) which also adds to the lack of depth and truly “feeling” the story.
“The Unfaithful Queen” does improve slightly as it progresses; however, it produces irritations such as a lack of chemistry between Henry and Catherine, an absence of any historical settings or feelings (too modern), and the introduction of odd characters such as the “Dowager Duchess of Cleves” who yells at Henry accusing him of intending to eventually behead her daughter (?!). Did I mention Catherine also has an adorable (sarcasm) pet monkey?
The best conceived portion of the novel (although that isn’t saying much); is the rendering of Catherine during her suspected treason and adultery. The conclusion of these proceedings has a creative flair which ties into the first chapter.
Overall, “The Unfaithful Queen” is diaphanous, lacking detail, and is more of a day at “Tudor High School”. Readers are better off watching Catherine Howard’s season on “The Tudors” television show. This is another Erickson fictional entertainment which is only recommended to intro historical fiction readers.
October 20, 2018
tw: derogatory slang toward women, sexist remarks, graphic descriptions of death and murder
This was an okay book. Wasn't great by any means but I enjoyed it somewhat. This book did make me excited for Allison Weir's book about Catherine Howard. But that was about the only thing I really took away from this book.
I think my main problem with this book was Catherine herself. There were times that she acted mature and other times where she was an actual child dressed as a teenager. She was very much concerned about her looks or how other people looked. It started to really get to me after a while. I didn't care that she thought someone was gross looking or had stains on their dresses.
One of the biggest things that really bothered me was the relationship between Kitty (as I have seen her called in other books) and Henry. Okay, yes, I know that Henry was horrible and lusted after young girls. I was bothered by that, of course. But what really bothered me was the reason Henry loved Kitty so much was because she looked just like her mother. Her mother and Henry were passionately in love and had a child that died. It just seemed like borderline incest to me and I wasn't keen on it.
The book itself was written weird. It was in the form of a diary but with no dates. Words like mother and father were not capitalized. Grandma was also used and I'm not entirely sure the word grandma was used during that time. (correct me if I'm wrong though.)
Overall, despite my less then stellar review, this was an alright book. I branched out of my normal historical fiction authors and that is something to be proud of. On to the next book.
This was an okay book. Wasn't great by any means but I enjoyed it somewhat. This book did make me excited for Allison Weir's book about Catherine Howard. But that was about the only thing I really took away from this book.
I think my main problem with this book was Catherine herself. There were times that she acted mature and other times where she was an actual child dressed as a teenager. She was very much concerned about her looks or how other people looked. It started to really get to me after a while. I didn't care that she thought someone was gross looking or had stains on their dresses.
One of the biggest things that really bothered me was the relationship between Kitty (as I have seen her called in other books) and Henry. Okay, yes, I know that Henry was horrible and lusted after young girls. I was bothered by that, of course. But what really bothered me was the reason Henry loved Kitty so much was because she looked just like her mother. Her mother and Henry were passionately in love and had a child that died. It just seemed like borderline incest to me and I wasn't keen on it.
The book itself was written weird. It was in the form of a diary but with no dates. Words like mother and father were not capitalized. Grandma was also used and I'm not entirely sure the word grandma was used during that time. (correct me if I'm wrong though.)
Overall, despite my less then stellar review, this was an alright book. I branched out of my normal historical fiction authors and that is something to be proud of. On to the next book.
August 10, 2016
Its not very often that I can say I loathed a book, but I can't think of a better word to describe how much I hated this one. I've read Carolly Erickson books in the past and I've been a little put off by how she skews history, but for the most part she's remained faithful to the big details, and they're fiction so she gets leeway. The Unfaithful Queen, however, portrays Catherine Howard in a way that is so fundamentally different from who she was that I can't honestly say this is a book about Henry VIII's fifth wife.
Catherine was a vain, silly girl who was raised in a household that didn't care overmuch about her upbringing. She was barely literate, couldn't speak any language other than English, and spent her days worrying more about her looks than her future. She didn't meet Henry until Anne of Cleves was already in England, not months before as the book suggests. Her family ignored her for the most part and her father was in France for most of her life. Perhaps other books and historians have been a trifle harsh, but the basics of her history remain the same.
Save yourself some time and skip this novel
Catherine was a vain, silly girl who was raised in a household that didn't care overmuch about her upbringing. She was barely literate, couldn't speak any language other than English, and spent her days worrying more about her looks than her future. She didn't meet Henry until Anne of Cleves was already in England, not months before as the book suggests. Her family ignored her for the most part and her father was in France for most of her life. Perhaps other books and historians have been a trifle harsh, but the basics of her history remain the same.
Save yourself some time and skip this novel
November 16, 2012
Like the other works in his Erickson's "entertainments" this one is fun, fast paced read. Fans of Tudor fiction know how Catherine Howard's story ends. A young girl married to an old, cranky, and ill man is never going to end well. And when the old, cranky, man is the King Henry VIII, it will end very badly if he finds he has been betrayed. Interestingly this book portrays Anne of Cleves as much nastier than she's ever been portrayed. Its an interesting twist. The story of course ends the way it is expected, but getting there is very entertaining. Its a nice fast paced fun read- perfect for those who are Phillipa Gregory fans or fans of Tudor historical novels.
December 12, 2012
So disappointing. Exponentially more fiction than history. Not just distorted but made-up and goofy. Not written well. Just a lot of crap, reading this was a waste of time.
If you're going to make it all up, make it worth the effort! Such crap!
If you're going to make it all up, make it worth the effort! Such crap!
October 4, 2015
The characters were flat without anything to draw the reader in. Coupled with Erickson playing very fast and loose with history, the book was overall a disappointing presentation of Katherine Howard's life.
February 11, 2013
I enjoyed this book to an extent. Erickson gives Catherine a voice and a personality that explain her actions while a girl and then Queen without resorting to the standard "she was fifteen and stupid" explanation. I did have some quarrels with the material: it wasn't historically accurate (which the author admits, but it bothered me), I hated the portrayal of Anne of Cleves (personal nitpick), and I felt that the book was front-heavy and the ending rushed. Still, it's a sympathetic portrayal of Kathryn Howard and you don't get a lot of those. May be worth it just for that.
Prospective readers should be advised that this book contains triggers for violent death and sexual assault, as well as lying about sexual assault, an induced abortion with unclear consent, and rampant adultery.
Prospective readers should be advised that this book contains triggers for violent death and sexual assault, as well as lying about sexual assault, an induced abortion with unclear consent, and rampant adultery.
January 11, 2014
I love,love, love Tudor books! This one did not disappoint. It showed Catherine Howard in a more sensitive light. It is always interesting to see the different points of view this historical fiction novels can have.
February 16, 2013
I tried to like this book. I was one for one with Ms. Erickson's novels in that I loved "The Last Wife of Henry VIII" but couldn't stand her novel on Mary, Queen of Scots. This book fell somewhere toward the latter category. To its credit, the historical accuracy was significantly better than the author's outright falseness in telling Mary Stuart's story. On the flip side, there are only so many facts that can be distorted when it comes to Catherine Howard -- she was a silly child, married to a man who was dying and who had vast mood swings regarding his worldview.
Catherine was a self-centered child, raised without proper supervision and a pawn for the never ending ambition of her family. Henry was dying by the time they married; suffering from constant pain and barbaric medical treatments. But Henry VIII was the King and his word was law. To some extent, all of Henry's wives were victims of His Majesty's moods. There is a hint in this novel of the fickleness of Henry being a theme of is life, but the idea is not fully developed. The writing of this book seems incomplete to me -- as if Ms. Erickson is going to fill in details that might add texture to the story and then just stops because the author has run out of story.
I would suggest the non-fiction "Wives of Henry VIII" by Alison Weir if you have a real interest in the time period. Or Philippa Gregory's "The Boleyn Inheritance" if you want more fiction.
Catherine was a self-centered child, raised without proper supervision and a pawn for the never ending ambition of her family. Henry was dying by the time they married; suffering from constant pain and barbaric medical treatments. But Henry VIII was the King and his word was law. To some extent, all of Henry's wives were victims of His Majesty's moods. There is a hint in this novel of the fickleness of Henry being a theme of is life, but the idea is not fully developed. The writing of this book seems incomplete to me -- as if Ms. Erickson is going to fill in details that might add texture to the story and then just stops because the author has run out of story.
I would suggest the non-fiction "Wives of Henry VIII" by Alison Weir if you have a real interest in the time period. Or Philippa Gregory's "The Boleyn Inheritance" if you want more fiction.
October 13, 2012
If you like Phillipa Gregory you will love Carolly Erickson. This book is about Catherine Howard, and how she went from being a young girl who witnesses the beheading of Queen Anne Boleyn to her own beheading as the Queen of England. She is the pawn of her family, who must put her true love aside for that of becoming Henry VIII's wife and queen. As anyone knows, you must never cross Henry VIII or you will be beheaded. Catherine plays with fire and continues to secretly meet with her lover Tom Culpepper. They hope that the king will die soon so they can finally marry each other. However, disaster strikes when her first lover arrives on the scene and blackmails her. This man along with another distrustful servant of Catherine's end up bringing the end of her reign and life. She is then labeled a traitor and is guilty of treason and as a result is beheaded.
If you love anything about Henry VIII then this is a definite book to read.
If you love anything about Henry VIII then this is a definite book to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2016
This was so bad I could not read it. I seem to have bought a few awful books lately and this was one of them. OK Erickson isn't much good, but this was bad even by the wretched standards of many "historical writers" nowadays. She makes Catherine sympathetic.. well tries to. I cant remember what happens with Lady Rochford, is she too nicer than she problably was in real Life? I dont know! She has Henry having an affair with Catherine's mother, for some reason best known to herself. It was almost as bad as the "memoirs of Jane Rochford" novel I read a few years ago. That was ludicrous too but it was SO bad that it was laugh out loud funy...
March 3, 2021
I know that the author of this book specifically says that this is supposed to be historical entertainment and that she twisted some facts, but this was ridiculous. Key moments in Catherine’s life were glossed over, completely changed or nonexistent. And the portrayal of Anna of Cleves?!? Terrible!
If this is your first time reading about Catherine Howard maybe you will enjoy the book, but if you know her story at all you will be very disappointed.
If this is your first time reading about Catherine Howard maybe you will enjoy the book, but if you know her story at all you will be very disappointed.
August 5, 2016
really undeveloped. The author spent so little time showing us the interactions between the characters that they never became sympathetic. I really didn't care at the end that Catherine died (not a spoiler, it's HISTORY, people), because I never really got to know her throughout the book. And if our point of view character is this lifeless, imagine how stock the other characters are.
October 12, 2018
I kept wavering between one and two stars. I didn't like this book from the start... Wasn't interested in how the tale was being woven... Which I found puzzling, as I love historical fiction and anything about the tudors. I decided on two because I liked how Erickson chose to write the ending of the book. This is the first book I've read by her and I would not read another.
April 4, 2015
So disappointed! Of course we know little about Catherine Howard, but adding in such obvious fictions (Catherine's mother was King Henry's one true love who sdly died in childbirth) cripple the book as enjoyable "historical" fiction.
July 30, 2017
Well, that's a few hours of my life I won't get back. I won't be reading any more of this author's "hysterical (oops I meant historical) entertainments" any time soon. I hope her non-fiction works are better.
Read
February 10, 2017DNF @54%
February 12, 2020
A lot better then the last one I read
August 1, 2019
DNF @ page 181
Just couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters. None of them had any redeeming qualities. And it being historical fiction, I already know how this story turns out. Nothing to keep my interest here.
On to the next!
Just couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters. None of them had any redeeming qualities. And it being historical fiction, I already know how this story turns out. Nothing to keep my interest here.
On to the next!
May 26, 2024
This was far more fictional of a take on Katherine Howard that I anticipated. I don’t like how it pitted her against Anne of Cleves or the weird element of her mother being the king’s mistress. The fictional elements went way against the true history.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2023
Really enjoyed the book. Obviously a lot of fiction but still, was good to read about one of Henry VIIIs wives that is one the least spoken about. Makes me want to go and look more into Catherine Howard. Would recommend.
July 20, 2013
Erickson returns with another novel in the Tudor history saga, specifically the many wives of Henry VIII. While the book seeks to explore the life of Catherine Howard, it could be considered a novel of both Howard (Henry's fifth wife) as well as Anne of Cleves (his fourth). The book begins at the execution of Anne Boleyn (his second), with whom Howard is a cousin. From there, the reader learns more about Howard and her life in England, as well as her search for love. Introducing a number of the Howard family, Erickson helps familiarise the reader with the entire brood, including references to Howard's mother, a past lover of Henry VIII, who bore him a son that also died. With Anne of Cleves set to come onto the scene, Howard plays a role as one of her ladies (seems future wives start here for Henry VIII) and Erickson focusses a great deal of time on this interesting union, which is more a war marriage for Henry VIII than anything. As the King's eye turns towards Howard, her past lovers must fade away for her to become Queen. She plots her future and hopes Henry will not live long. Alas, as has happened many times in the Tudor Court, short tempers and shorter lust cycles prove a queen's downfall. Like her cousin, Catherine Howard will face her husband's ultimate wrath, all to justify his feelings.
A long-time fan of Erickson and her Tudor work, I was expecting a much more Howard-focussed book. While I understand she played a role in the Cleves queenship, the strong focus and almost shared spotlight of Henry VIII's previous wife overpowers the book. It could be said that Catherine of Aragon overshadows Anne Boleyn, but there are ways around that as well. I was also surprised at the angle at which Erickson chose to approach portraying Cleves (a poison-tongued, bitter woman) and Howard (somewhat naive and seeking love of a man who captures her heart). My entire previous experience was that Cleves was a mild-mannered woman who, while not liking her fate, accepted it and lived in England for years to come, a happy life. Howard was the flighty and loose young woman who would sleep with whomever she could at whatever chance she got. Some Tudor historians may cringe when I say this, but THE TUDORS did not support Erickson's presentation either. That said, it was a decent book, but nothing about which I would consider falling off my chair because of its excellence.
Kudos Madam Erickson for a decent depiction of Henry VIII's fifth wife, with a great deal of mention of the fourth as well. I am eager to see how to tackle his first one, in your upcoming publication.
A long-time fan of Erickson and her Tudor work, I was expecting a much more Howard-focussed book. While I understand she played a role in the Cleves queenship, the strong focus and almost shared spotlight of Henry VIII's previous wife overpowers the book. It could be said that Catherine of Aragon overshadows Anne Boleyn, but there are ways around that as well. I was also surprised at the angle at which Erickson chose to approach portraying Cleves (a poison-tongued, bitter woman) and Howard (somewhat naive and seeking love of a man who captures her heart). My entire previous experience was that Cleves was a mild-mannered woman who, while not liking her fate, accepted it and lived in England for years to come, a happy life. Howard was the flighty and loose young woman who would sleep with whomever she could at whatever chance she got. Some Tudor historians may cringe when I say this, but THE TUDORS did not support Erickson's presentation either. That said, it was a decent book, but nothing about which I would consider falling off my chair because of its excellence.
Kudos Madam Erickson for a decent depiction of Henry VIII's fifth wife, with a great deal of mention of the fourth as well. I am eager to see how to tackle his first one, in your upcoming publication.
March 31, 2015
I have always been a big fan of Carolly Erickson's work, but I really cannot what she was thinking when she wrote this book. It is certainly not Erickson's best work. There are too many historical discrepancies that it should be considered fiction only, not historical fiction.
In it, the reason for Henry's deep infatuation with Catherine is that he supposedly had an affair with her mother, whom died while giving birth to his stillborn son. But if there where any truth to this at,all would Erickson have not mentioned it in her biography "Great Harry"? But she did not. Also, if that were the case, he would have been able to declare the marriage invalid rather than having her sent to the block because if they were never married, she could not have committed adultery.
The book has her father go to see her frequently (which I have never read in any source), and has her confide in her Uncle William (whom I have also never heard of in another source---not to say he id not exist, but if he had been that close of a confidante I am sure he would have been mentioned more in the history books).
We are supposed to believe that Catherine is the helpless prey to all men she has dealings with, and not the thoughtless, fun-loving person, that was known to make sport of those that might show some decorum, and encouraged her to do the same.
But worst of all is how she portrays Anne of Cleves as not only physically ugly, but also morally repulsive as a selfish, heartless, jealous, & conniving instigator. Although it would have been a normal reaction to be somewhat jealous of losing one's husband (and a crown) to a younger rival, Anne of Cleves has been noted in almost all historical records as having been accepting of her fate, & charitable & kind (as well as not unattractive, except to Henry, which was his way of dealing with his own hurt pride when she had offended him by her less than enthusiastic reaction to his unexpected surprise visit to her while masquerading as a highwayman) .I can only hope that the injustice is made up for in a later book
In it, the reason for Henry's deep infatuation with Catherine is that he supposedly had an affair with her mother, whom died while giving birth to his stillborn son. But if there where any truth to this at,all would Erickson have not mentioned it in her biography "Great Harry"? But she did not. Also, if that were the case, he would have been able to declare the marriage invalid rather than having her sent to the block because if they were never married, she could not have committed adultery.
The book has her father go to see her frequently (which I have never read in any source), and has her confide in her Uncle William (whom I have also never heard of in another source---not to say he id not exist, but if he had been that close of a confidante I am sure he would have been mentioned more in the history books).
We are supposed to believe that Catherine is the helpless prey to all men she has dealings with, and not the thoughtless, fun-loving person, that was known to make sport of those that might show some decorum, and encouraged her to do the same.
But worst of all is how she portrays Anne of Cleves as not only physically ugly, but also morally repulsive as a selfish, heartless, jealous, & conniving instigator. Although it would have been a normal reaction to be somewhat jealous of losing one's husband (and a crown) to a younger rival, Anne of Cleves has been noted in almost all historical records as having been accepting of her fate, & charitable & kind (as well as not unattractive, except to Henry, which was his way of dealing with his own hurt pride when she had offended him by her less than enthusiastic reaction to his unexpected surprise visit to her while masquerading as a highwayman) .I can only hope that the injustice is made up for in a later book
February 2, 2013
The wives of King Henry VIII have always been fertile ground for historical fiction writers. After all, who hasn’t fantasized about beheading their spouse? In //The Unfaithful Queen//author Carolly Erickson elegantly takes up the cause for Catherine Howard, Henry’s fifth wife. While Catherine’s marital indiscretions are historical facts, her motivation for them is the stuff of compelling fiction.
The book is not a typical rehash of Henry’s poor leadership, but a look at a complex man with political and personal desires. Erickson bravely explores the interworking of court life and reveals sharp insight into the burden of the Crown.
As a girl, Catherine was sent to live with her step-grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, whose extensive holdings and aristocratic background had made her the guardian of many wards who were usually the children of poor but aristocratic parents. Catherine was still a teenager when she became a lady-in-waiting for the German Anne of Cleves, Henry’s fourth wife. Having caught the eye of the much older Henry, Catherine’s fate was sealed.
Eventually, her inability to conceive a child eventually lead to charges of treason and even though many of her sins were committed before her marriage to Henry, in an age where political liaisons meant life or death, the circumstance of her youthful indiscretions were ignored during her trial. Even though Catherine never admitted to infidelity, her former lovers’ heads were displayed on top of the London Bridge while she awaited her own fate.
The book is not a typical rehash of Henry’s poor leadership, but a look at a complex man with political and personal desires. Erickson bravely explores the interworking of court life and reveals sharp insight into the burden of the Crown.
As a girl, Catherine was sent to live with her step-grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, whose extensive holdings and aristocratic background had made her the guardian of many wards who were usually the children of poor but aristocratic parents. Catherine was still a teenager when she became a lady-in-waiting for the German Anne of Cleves, Henry’s fourth wife. Having caught the eye of the much older Henry, Catherine’s fate was sealed.
Eventually, her inability to conceive a child eventually lead to charges of treason and even though many of her sins were committed before her marriage to Henry, in an age where political liaisons meant life or death, the circumstance of her youthful indiscretions were ignored during her trial. Even though Catherine never admitted to infidelity, her former lovers’ heads were displayed on top of the London Bridge while she awaited her own fate.
August 5, 2013
I truly wish there was more to Katherine Howard's life than what has been surmised throughout history. On the one hand, I can't help but feel sorry for her. Even her father seemed to have let her down, seeking favour rather than being a support to his daughter. As far as her indiscreet behavior pre-queen, there's much blame to be had, especially the men she'd trusted--Henry Manox and Francis Dunham. Her actions, at least in this account, are those of a teenage girl with romantic notions of love. Unfortunately, there was no room for those starry-eyed ideals in Henry VIII's court.
On the other hand, there were times I wanted to reach back through time and slap some sense into the silly chit. I mean, a love letter to Tom Culpepper? What on earth had she been thinking? If anything, I still find her scheming uncle Thomas incredibly loathsome and self-serving. Amazing how quickly he could denounce those who were no longer of use to him. He sold both Anne and Katherine down the river.
This was an enjoyable read about a young woman we still don't know all that much about. Katherine Howard for the most part, just felt like a pawn in a much larger and far more dangerous game.
On the other hand, there were times I wanted to reach back through time and slap some sense into the silly chit. I mean, a love letter to Tom Culpepper? What on earth had she been thinking? If anything, I still find her scheming uncle Thomas incredibly loathsome and self-serving. Amazing how quickly he could denounce those who were no longer of use to him. He sold both Anne and Katherine down the river.
This was an enjoyable read about a young woman we still don't know all that much about. Katherine Howard for the most part, just felt like a pawn in a much larger and far more dangerous game.
September 5, 2014
I have read a couple of Carollly Erickson's books and I have enjoyed them. This book on Catherine Howard, Henry VIII 5th wife was pretty entertaining. I don't know as much about Catherine Howard as I do about Anne Boleyn, but Carolly Erickson's character was the sweet, unknowing, innocent type of girl that really had no instruction or "parental guidance" which led her astray. She made her the teenage girl that was just looking for love in all the wrong places, along with an ambitious family that really cared nothing for her by throwing her to the wolves, a.k.a King Henry.
The book overall was a great read and I read it in about a week, so it must have had me hooked in some way. Compared to other versions of Catherine Howard where she is usually depicted as a harlot who wantonlly lusts after every single man, this Catherine had you feeling so sad for her and her situation, especially when she finds love with Tom Culpepper. Though it is not exactly historically accurate, it is a different version of what could have been, and it was very enticing. I highly recommend this book.
The book overall was a great read and I read it in about a week, so it must have had me hooked in some way. Compared to other versions of Catherine Howard where she is usually depicted as a harlot who wantonlly lusts after every single man, this Catherine had you feeling so sad for her and her situation, especially when she finds love with Tom Culpepper. Though it is not exactly historically accurate, it is a different version of what could have been, and it was very enticing. I highly recommend this book.
October 5, 2012
Carolly Erickson weaves her vivid imagination into authentic history to create yet another page-turner. This is the heartbreaking story of young Catherine Howard with the rich red-brown hair who catches the king's attention when he meets the realm's beauties. Fearing the worst for his only legitimate son, the frail and sickly Prince Edward, Henry VIII longs for a young wife who can produce a healthy male heir to the throne. After negotiations disintegrate in forming an alliance between England and Germany through the marriage of England's king to Lady Anna of Cleves, Catherine is selected to become Henry VIII's fifth wife. Erickson paints vivid pictures of the nuances of court life as she brings the ill-fated Catherine's plight into sharp focus. Excellent reading!
June 5, 2014
Written well but too many blatant wrongs that I couldn't over look and just felt were stupid.
SPOILERS
For example, Catherine's mother being the true love of his life and his marrying Catherine was due to her reminding him if her mother. Catherine faking 2 pregnancies, and the worst of the worst was how Anne of Cleves was written. And ugly person inside an out; and get this, it is her fault Catherine dies because she sent people to spy on her and to tell the council what she found out. Of course this is all done to absolve Catherine from her wrong doing. If I had to do it over again I would not spend $12 on this book. It wasn't horrible, it's just a book I would rather borrow than buy.
SPOILERS
For example, Catherine's mother being the true love of his life and his marrying Catherine was due to her reminding him if her mother. Catherine faking 2 pregnancies, and the worst of the worst was how Anne of Cleves was written. And ugly person inside an out; and get this, it is her fault Catherine dies because she sent people to spy on her and to tell the council what she found out. Of course this is all done to absolve Catherine from her wrong doing. If I had to do it over again I would not spend $12 on this book. It wasn't horrible, it's just a book I would rather borrow than buy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2012
2.5
When am I going to learn to just check out her books from the library instead of buying them?
Maybe I just don't agree with her take on any of the Tudor queens. I would never say that Catherine Howard is boring or that Anne of Cleves is mean-spirited, which this book apparently wants me to think.
I felt the same way about this as I did about her last book which focused on Jane Seymour. I like my historical fiction a little more on the historical side.
When am I going to learn to just check out her books from the library instead of buying them?
Maybe I just don't agree with her take on any of the Tudor queens. I would never say that Catherine Howard is boring or that Anne of Cleves is mean-spirited, which this book apparently wants me to think.
I felt the same way about this as I did about her last book which focused on Jane Seymour. I like my historical fiction a little more on the historical side.
October 15, 2012
I have a bit of an issue with this author. I keep trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I like historical fiction that actually errs on the side of history. By all accounts Catherine Howard was not shrinking violet or sappy romantic, nor was Anna of Cleves a cruel, cold woman who manipulated Catherine and Henry as the author would have the reader believe. This story completely missed the historical mark and left me not even wanting to finish it.
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