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Six Tudor Queens #6
Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife
Two husbands dead; a life marred by sadness. And now Katharine is in love for the first time in her life.
The eye of an ageing and dangerous king falls upon her. She cannot refuse him. She must stifle her feelings and never betray that she wanted another.
And now she is the sixth wife. Her queenship is a holy mission yet, fearfully, she dreams of the tragic parade of women who went before her. She cherishes the secret beliefs that could send her to the fire. And still the King loves and trusts her.
Now her enemies are closing in. She must fight for her very life.
KATHARINE PARR – the last of Henry’s queens.
Alison Weir recounts the extraordinary story of a woman forced into a perilous situation and rising heroically to the challenge. Katharine is a delightful woman, a warm and kindly heroine – and yet she will be betrayed by those she loves and trusts most.
Too late, the truth will dawn on her.
The eye of an ageing and dangerous king falls upon her. She cannot refuse him. She must stifle her feelings and never betray that she wanted another.
And now she is the sixth wife. Her queenship is a holy mission yet, fearfully, she dreams of the tragic parade of women who went before her. She cherishes the secret beliefs that could send her to the fire. And still the King loves and trusts her.
Now her enemies are closing in. She must fight for her very life.
KATHARINE PARR – the last of Henry’s queens.
Alison Weir recounts the extraordinary story of a woman forced into a perilous situation and rising heroically to the challenge. Katharine is a delightful woman, a warm and kindly heroine – and yet she will be betrayed by those she loves and trusts most.
Too late, the truth will dawn on her.
545 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2021
499 people are currently reading
15566 people want to read
About the author
Alison Weir
83 books8,345 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Alison Weir is an English writer of history books for the general public, mostly in the form of biographies about British kings and queens, and of historical fiction. Before becoming an author, Weir worked as a teacher of children with special needs. She received her formal training in history at teacher training college. She currently lives in Surrey, England, with her two children.
Alison Weir is an English writer of history books for the general public, mostly in the form of biographies about British kings and queens, and of historical fiction. Before becoming an author, Weir worked as a teacher of children with special needs. She received her formal training in history at teacher training college. She currently lives in Surrey, England, with her two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 586 reviews
March 20, 2021
I’m a massive fan of anything relating to the Tudor dynasty, and author Alison Weir, employing great knowledge and a splash of imagination, brings not only the workings of the Tudor Court wonderfully to life, but also its characters.
Katharine Parr, had lost two husbands, and though she cared deeply for both of them, she had never actually been IN love - until she met Thomas Seymour. However, in Tudor times, duty came before love, and when Henry VIII, King of England set his cap at her, she thought it would be very unwise to refuse, and besides, she thought her influence would bring about changes close to her heart, and so it was that Katharine Parr became Henry’s sixth, and final wife. By the time they married, Henry was but a shadow of his former self - ageing, and in ill health.
Katharine Parr was probably the least appealing of Henry VIII’s wives for me personally, but that’s because I knew little about her, however, the author brings the many facets of her personality to life, from her time as a child born into minor nobility, to her life as queen, and she highlights the machinations of the Tudor Court, and the growing tension between the Catholics and the Protestants - a very dangerous time indeed to be queen.
So, from knowing very little about Katharine Parr, I discovered that (on the whole), I really liked this strong, independent and sensible lady. A great addition for fans of historical fiction, and the Tudor dynasty in particular.
* Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for my Arc in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
Katharine Parr, had lost two husbands, and though she cared deeply for both of them, she had never actually been IN love - until she met Thomas Seymour. However, in Tudor times, duty came before love, and when Henry VIII, King of England set his cap at her, she thought it would be very unwise to refuse, and besides, she thought her influence would bring about changes close to her heart, and so it was that Katharine Parr became Henry’s sixth, and final wife. By the time they married, Henry was but a shadow of his former self - ageing, and in ill health.
Katharine Parr was probably the least appealing of Henry VIII’s wives for me personally, but that’s because I knew little about her, however, the author brings the many facets of her personality to life, from her time as a child born into minor nobility, to her life as queen, and she highlights the machinations of the Tudor Court, and the growing tension between the Catholics and the Protestants - a very dangerous time indeed to be queen.
So, from knowing very little about Katharine Parr, I discovered that (on the whole), I really liked this strong, independent and sensible lady. A great addition for fans of historical fiction, and the Tudor dynasty in particular.
* Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for my Arc in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
May 16, 2021
Four Stars
I confess, I was not particularly looking forward to reading this final book in the "Six Queens" series simply because I never found this sixth queen of King Henry VIII that interesting. The Tudors being a passion of mine, I've read many books and watched movies and documentaries about the Six Queens. So, what did I already know about Katharine Parr? I knew that Katharine fervently wished to marry Thomas Seymour at the time she was proposed to by Henry VIII, that she sacrificed her personal desires to perform her duty by marrying the king. She also stood firmly with religious reform to the Protestant faith, and this nearly got her arrested whilst married to the King. Henry had already moved towards religious reforms to the Protestant faith, but still preferred to take a "middle road" while retaining elements of Catholic traditions. I also knew of Thomas Seymour's carnal interest in the teenage Elizabeth, who later became Queen Elizabeth I. Lastly, I knew that Katharine mysteriously had never gotten pregnant in her previous marriages until she finally was able to marry Thomas Seymour following the King's death, but tragically and ironically died from complications of childbirth after giving birth to a daughter.
This book filled out some unknowns for me, fleshing out her childhood and two prior marriages before she married King Henry VIII. I found this book to be quite voluminous in pages, as if I was reading two books. Towards the beginning of the book, I became a tad disinterested and strayed away to read some other books. However, I was heartened to read about how when her father died, her uncle welcomed/absorbed the family into his own household. During this time, fortuitous marriages were arranged that had nothing to do with love but with money, titles and rank. Women just had to make the best of it and hopefully find love and at least a certain contentment following marriage. Also, the men controlled the wealth, even if it came from his wife's family. Her first marriage was blighted by the complication of her husband favoring men. The second was with an older man, but provided comfort and contentment. However, it was a dangerous time when the Catholics were fighting back against King Henry VIII's destruction of their abbeys, and her husband John Neville was being heavily pressured by both sides.
When Neville died, Katharine was finally able to entertain her simmering attraction to Thomas Seymour. This was thwarted almost immediately by King Henry VIII's unexpected and unwanted interest in her. In the end, she succumbed to his wishes for the betterment of her family, and more importantly, to influence Henry towards more progressive religious reforms to Protestantism. It has always been depicted that by this point King Henry VIII could not perform in the bedroom, but this historical fiction offering has them successfully achieving marital relations. Another surprise! I enjoyed this part of the book most of all because although Katharine wasn't "in love' with Henry, she grew to love him and enjoy his company. It was a happy marriage all around, and Katharine was a wonderful stepmother to Henry's children. I appreciated Katharine's intelligence, temperance and cunning in navigating the dog eat dog world of the Tudor Court, which was a dangerous place.
This was another quality read from acclaimed royal author Alison Weir, which closes the final chapter to her historical fiction series, "Six Queens".
Thank you very much to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
I confess, I was not particularly looking forward to reading this final book in the "Six Queens" series simply because I never found this sixth queen of King Henry VIII that interesting. The Tudors being a passion of mine, I've read many books and watched movies and documentaries about the Six Queens. So, what did I already know about Katharine Parr? I knew that Katharine fervently wished to marry Thomas Seymour at the time she was proposed to by Henry VIII, that she sacrificed her personal desires to perform her duty by marrying the king. She also stood firmly with religious reform to the Protestant faith, and this nearly got her arrested whilst married to the King. Henry had already moved towards religious reforms to the Protestant faith, but still preferred to take a "middle road" while retaining elements of Catholic traditions. I also knew of Thomas Seymour's carnal interest in the teenage Elizabeth, who later became Queen Elizabeth I. Lastly, I knew that Katharine mysteriously had never gotten pregnant in her previous marriages until she finally was able to marry Thomas Seymour following the King's death, but tragically and ironically died from complications of childbirth after giving birth to a daughter.
This book filled out some unknowns for me, fleshing out her childhood and two prior marriages before she married King Henry VIII. I found this book to be quite voluminous in pages, as if I was reading two books. Towards the beginning of the book, I became a tad disinterested and strayed away to read some other books. However, I was heartened to read about how when her father died, her uncle welcomed/absorbed the family into his own household. During this time, fortuitous marriages were arranged that had nothing to do with love but with money, titles and rank. Women just had to make the best of it and hopefully find love and at least a certain contentment following marriage. Also, the men controlled the wealth, even if it came from his wife's family. Her first marriage was blighted by the complication of her husband favoring men. The second was with an older man, but provided comfort and contentment. However, it was a dangerous time when the Catholics were fighting back against King Henry VIII's destruction of their abbeys, and her husband John Neville was being heavily pressured by both sides.
When Neville died, Katharine was finally able to entertain her simmering attraction to Thomas Seymour. This was thwarted almost immediately by King Henry VIII's unexpected and unwanted interest in her. In the end, she succumbed to his wishes for the betterment of her family, and more importantly, to influence Henry towards more progressive religious reforms to Protestantism. It has always been depicted that by this point King Henry VIII could not perform in the bedroom, but this historical fiction offering has them successfully achieving marital relations. Another surprise! I enjoyed this part of the book most of all because although Katharine wasn't "in love' with Henry, she grew to love him and enjoy his company. It was a happy marriage all around, and Katharine was a wonderful stepmother to Henry's children. I appreciated Katharine's intelligence, temperance and cunning in navigating the dog eat dog world of the Tudor Court, which was a dangerous place.
This was another quality read from acclaimed royal author Alison Weir, which closes the final chapter to her historical fiction series, "Six Queens".
Thank you very much to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
January 17, 2022
Why am I full of trepidation when I know what’s going to happen? As if I’ve not once ever read a book about the Tudor dynasty? Oooo noooo what will Katherine do next? I’m so nervous 😬
July 17, 2021
Whenever I have the chance to read something by Alison Weir, I take note, be it a lengthy piece of non-fiction or her well-paced novels of historical fiction. Weir is able to breathe life into the Tudor Era (as well as other times in English monarchical history) and provide the reader with a stellar account of things that took place. In this, Weir’s final novel related to the wives of Henry VIII, the author depicts how King Henry VIII continued to rule over England, in search of yet another wife. Young Katharine Parr was no simple woman, having been married before and suffered great loss. However, it is the interaction between the King and his sixth wife that brings life to this story and provides an intriguing ending to the long-winded narrative of Henry’s wives. Weir does a fabulous job at illustrating things here, offering up some great storytelling and wonderful dialogue to leave the reader feeling as though they were in the middle of the action. While the series has ended, the impact is sure to remain long after.
Katharine Parr was born into a well-established family with ties to past monarchs. Her upbringing was full of privilege, though Parr never sought to flaunt herself to others. Rather, she dove into learning to quench her desire to expand her mind and better comprehend the world around her. This included trying to understand her place in the world, or at least the complex placement within England at a time when many had claims of royal blood and lineage.
After her first marriage at seventeen, Parr discovered the trials and tribulations of trying to fit into the lifestyle. Her husband, Sir Edward Burgh, held secrets that could not make their way to Court, for fear of tarnishing the family name. Still, Katharine pined for a family, something Burgh could not deliver. Upon his death, Katharine wondered what might become of her and how she could rectify the blunder of her marriage with little to show for it.
When she married John Neville in 1534, Parr hoped to make a name for herself and truly understand what it was like to have a family, now graced with a handful of step-children. However, it was around this time that King Henry VIII chose to annul his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, creating a massive schism with the Church in Rome. While Henry VIII pushed for the dissolution, he also developed the Reformation and the Church of England. Neville, a staunch Catholic, fought hard against the change and he was soon deemed troublesome to the king, an issue that Katharine would have to face head-on.
There were conflicting accounts as to how involved John Neville might have been in the push against the Reformation, leaving Henry VIII to make some interesting decisions regarding how to treat the man. Katharine’s future was left in the king’s hands, as she had little to support her and the children under her care. All the while, Katharine sought to marry for love, though she could not see how this might occur, having no means of finding a man who stole her heart while saddled with her current responsibilities.
Her saving grace might have been a connection with Princess Mary, the king’s eldest daughter, in whose household she served. While at Court, Katharine caught the eye of the king, though she did not seek his affections. Rather, she found herself enamoured by Sir Thomas Seymour, brother of the late queen, Jane Seymour, the only wife to bear Henry VIII a legitimate son. While Katharine hoped to marry Thomas, it was not in the cards. Henry was without a wife and seemed keen to find a sixth, with Katharine his first choice. As has been seen throughout the series, what Henry wants, he gets.
After marrying the king, Katharine found the stability she had long sought, though there was still a lack of love in her marriage (at least on her part). Katharine bonded well with her new step-children and sought to connect with them whenever possible. It would seem that she was a glue that past queens could not be between the royal offspring and their father, as she welcomed them and was apparently loved by all three, even though she was only a few years older than Mary.
While Henry grew older and sicker, Katharine did her best to serve as queen and regent when time required it. She sought to make the most of her life and did whatever was asked of her, within reason. Katharine knew that Henry’s time was limited, as he became less and less active and his ailments caught up with him. She knew that it would be only a matter of time before the country was forced to accept the end of the reign of their long-serving ruler, but what of the Tudor dynasty?
It is this latter portion of the book that tackles not only the waning period of Henry VIII, but Katharine’s struggle to be named regent to serve as technical ‘monarch by proxy’ until Prince Edward came of age. Katharine uses her power to try lobbying Henry, as well as members of the Privy Council, all of whom will help to shape the future of England and the direction in which the monarch will turn. Add to this, Katharine has struggles of her own about a future that is not clear. Will she be able to turn to the man she sought before being chosen as a sixth wife? How will it play out and which pieces must move in tandem for all this to happen? A powerful end to the queens of Henry VIII, while also providing a key period in the larger Tudor narrative. Weir ties things off splendidly and many fans of the series will likely agree.
There is something about the writing of Alison Weir that has captivated me for many years. I always know that when I pick up one of her books, it will be an educational experience, no matter the topic. While there are both fiction and non- books from which to choose, both offer such insight into the lives of past English monarchs and how their lives changed the history books. Weir’s use of dialogue is likely one of the only reasons this series is called ‘fiction’, but that is an argument I will not broach, as I am sure Tudor historians would leap on the chance to crucify me with examples. All the same, it was a thoroughly enjoyable novel and stellar series. While it has come to an end, I hope to be able to return and learn more with another reading at some future date.
Katharine Parr was an amazing protagonist throughout this piece, offering up insights and intriguing vignettes throughout the narrative. While she came to reach her zenith after many struggles and personal hurdles, Katharine does not skimp on the action or development throughout this time. Weir provides her with a thorough and well-rounded story, adding the twist that she was the only one to outlast the monarch and saw England post-Henry VIII. This would prove poignant, as the chaos of fickle decision making, both in matrimony and leadership, had finally come to an end.
Weir uses a handful of stellar supporting characters to keep the story lively. The story spans quite a time period and much of Katharine Parr’s life needs hashing out, which requires thorough narrative footprints. Weir effectively shapes the Parr story with names and faces who push the story along, sometimes recurring throughout to offer a few twists, even as the history books have long closed on how things would cement themselves. I could not find myself leaning towards any single character or time period, but was highly impressed with all that was packed into this single novel.
It is no shock that the book (and series) turned out to be so stellar. There is so much going on and yet Weir keeps the narrative pushing along at a decent pace. Details drip from every page, some needed and others that permit a visualization that could not otherwise be made (as these are the centuries before photographs). Long and thorough chapters fill the book with needed details, each segmented in an effective manner, as the push towards the end of one Tudor era and into a rockier time to come. Using history and fiction together, the novel came across as a gritty piece of entertainment, though there is surely so much to learn throughout, keeping the reader from skimming too much. I have always loved Weir’s work for this reason and cannot wait for the next project, hoping it will lure me in as effectively.
Kudos, Madam Weir, for another winner. The series, the book, the concept... all worked so well. I loved it and am also a little sad to see it all come to an end.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Katharine Parr was born into a well-established family with ties to past monarchs. Her upbringing was full of privilege, though Parr never sought to flaunt herself to others. Rather, she dove into learning to quench her desire to expand her mind and better comprehend the world around her. This included trying to understand her place in the world, or at least the complex placement within England at a time when many had claims of royal blood and lineage.
After her first marriage at seventeen, Parr discovered the trials and tribulations of trying to fit into the lifestyle. Her husband, Sir Edward Burgh, held secrets that could not make their way to Court, for fear of tarnishing the family name. Still, Katharine pined for a family, something Burgh could not deliver. Upon his death, Katharine wondered what might become of her and how she could rectify the blunder of her marriage with little to show for it.
When she married John Neville in 1534, Parr hoped to make a name for herself and truly understand what it was like to have a family, now graced with a handful of step-children. However, it was around this time that King Henry VIII chose to annul his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, creating a massive schism with the Church in Rome. While Henry VIII pushed for the dissolution, he also developed the Reformation and the Church of England. Neville, a staunch Catholic, fought hard against the change and he was soon deemed troublesome to the king, an issue that Katharine would have to face head-on.
There were conflicting accounts as to how involved John Neville might have been in the push against the Reformation, leaving Henry VIII to make some interesting decisions regarding how to treat the man. Katharine’s future was left in the king’s hands, as she had little to support her and the children under her care. All the while, Katharine sought to marry for love, though she could not see how this might occur, having no means of finding a man who stole her heart while saddled with her current responsibilities.
Her saving grace might have been a connection with Princess Mary, the king’s eldest daughter, in whose household she served. While at Court, Katharine caught the eye of the king, though she did not seek his affections. Rather, she found herself enamoured by Sir Thomas Seymour, brother of the late queen, Jane Seymour, the only wife to bear Henry VIII a legitimate son. While Katharine hoped to marry Thomas, it was not in the cards. Henry was without a wife and seemed keen to find a sixth, with Katharine his first choice. As has been seen throughout the series, what Henry wants, he gets.
After marrying the king, Katharine found the stability she had long sought, though there was still a lack of love in her marriage (at least on her part). Katharine bonded well with her new step-children and sought to connect with them whenever possible. It would seem that she was a glue that past queens could not be between the royal offspring and their father, as she welcomed them and was apparently loved by all three, even though she was only a few years older than Mary.
While Henry grew older and sicker, Katharine did her best to serve as queen and regent when time required it. She sought to make the most of her life and did whatever was asked of her, within reason. Katharine knew that Henry’s time was limited, as he became less and less active and his ailments caught up with him. She knew that it would be only a matter of time before the country was forced to accept the end of the reign of their long-serving ruler, but what of the Tudor dynasty?
It is this latter portion of the book that tackles not only the waning period of Henry VIII, but Katharine’s struggle to be named regent to serve as technical ‘monarch by proxy’ until Prince Edward came of age. Katharine uses her power to try lobbying Henry, as well as members of the Privy Council, all of whom will help to shape the future of England and the direction in which the monarch will turn. Add to this, Katharine has struggles of her own about a future that is not clear. Will she be able to turn to the man she sought before being chosen as a sixth wife? How will it play out and which pieces must move in tandem for all this to happen? A powerful end to the queens of Henry VIII, while also providing a key period in the larger Tudor narrative. Weir ties things off splendidly and many fans of the series will likely agree.
There is something about the writing of Alison Weir that has captivated me for many years. I always know that when I pick up one of her books, it will be an educational experience, no matter the topic. While there are both fiction and non- books from which to choose, both offer such insight into the lives of past English monarchs and how their lives changed the history books. Weir’s use of dialogue is likely one of the only reasons this series is called ‘fiction’, but that is an argument I will not broach, as I am sure Tudor historians would leap on the chance to crucify me with examples. All the same, it was a thoroughly enjoyable novel and stellar series. While it has come to an end, I hope to be able to return and learn more with another reading at some future date.
Katharine Parr was an amazing protagonist throughout this piece, offering up insights and intriguing vignettes throughout the narrative. While she came to reach her zenith after many struggles and personal hurdles, Katharine does not skimp on the action or development throughout this time. Weir provides her with a thorough and well-rounded story, adding the twist that she was the only one to outlast the monarch and saw England post-Henry VIII. This would prove poignant, as the chaos of fickle decision making, both in matrimony and leadership, had finally come to an end.
Weir uses a handful of stellar supporting characters to keep the story lively. The story spans quite a time period and much of Katharine Parr’s life needs hashing out, which requires thorough narrative footprints. Weir effectively shapes the Parr story with names and faces who push the story along, sometimes recurring throughout to offer a few twists, even as the history books have long closed on how things would cement themselves. I could not find myself leaning towards any single character or time period, but was highly impressed with all that was packed into this single novel.
It is no shock that the book (and series) turned out to be so stellar. There is so much going on and yet Weir keeps the narrative pushing along at a decent pace. Details drip from every page, some needed and others that permit a visualization that could not otherwise be made (as these are the centuries before photographs). Long and thorough chapters fill the book with needed details, each segmented in an effective manner, as the push towards the end of one Tudor era and into a rockier time to come. Using history and fiction together, the novel came across as a gritty piece of entertainment, though there is surely so much to learn throughout, keeping the reader from skimming too much. I have always loved Weir’s work for this reason and cannot wait for the next project, hoping it will lure me in as effectively.
Kudos, Madam Weir, for another winner. The series, the book, the concept... all worked so well. I loved it and am also a little sad to see it all come to an end.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
June 24, 2021
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
I love a good Tudor novel but have always been overwhelmed by the vast number of characters. Weir’s offering had me thinking the same before I started, especially given that this is a rather lengthy novel. However, I am so glad that I read this book (despite being the last in the series and the first one I have read!) because I enjoyed it so much; it will undoubtedly be part of my top reads for this year.
I love a good Tudor novel but have always been overwhelmed by the vast number of characters. Weir’s offering had me thinking the same before I started, especially given that this is a rather lengthy novel. However, I am so glad that I read this book (despite being the last in the series and the first one I have read!) because I enjoyed it so much; it will undoubtedly be part of my top reads for this year.
May 12, 2021
For whatever reason, I’m Tudor obsessed. I’m absolutely fascinated by this era of history, and of this time period, I’m most intrigued by King Henry VIII’s reign. Any time I find a new book to read, I jump at it. And out of all of his wives, Katharine Parr is probably my favorite. Alison Weir did an excellent job of keeping this story fresh by going back to the beginning and telling the tale of Katharine’s childhood and her first 2 marriages.
I’ve read several books from the beginning of Katherine’s marriage to Henry, but didn’t know too much about her life from before.
I loved it and couldn’t read this book fast enough. I’ve read other Katharine Parr books where the religious aspect was just too much and overwhelming and I almost couldn’t get through those books. But Weir’s version had just the right amount of religion (as it was a major part of Katharine’s story) and still kept the entire book so completely interesting.
I have read another of Weir’s book in this series, and now need to go back and read about the 4 other wives that I haven’t read yet! I’m hooked on Weir’s versions now.
*Thank you so much to Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy!*
I’ve read several books from the beginning of Katherine’s marriage to Henry, but didn’t know too much about her life from before.
I loved it and couldn’t read this book fast enough. I’ve read other Katharine Parr books where the religious aspect was just too much and overwhelming and I almost couldn’t get through those books. But Weir’s version had just the right amount of religion (as it was a major part of Katharine’s story) and still kept the entire book so completely interesting.
I have read another of Weir’s book in this series, and now need to go back and read about the 4 other wives that I haven’t read yet! I’m hooked on Weir’s versions now.
*Thank you so much to Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy!*
August 18, 2021
I loved this book so much, it was interesting and not too heavy in detail. Some of it I knew but lots I didn’t. Katherine Parr outlived King Henry the eighth and went on to marry for the fourth time to Thomas Seymour. Although I haven’t read all here books in this series it really didn’t matter as they are all stand alone books. Definitely one of my best reads of this year.
May 12, 2021
My deepest condolences to the author on the loss of her mother and son. 2020 was a brutal year for her and my heart goes out to her.
2.5 stars rounded up.
I liked this more than I thought I would.
I would've rated this more highly but the author relies very heavily on sexism.
I'm tired of authors and historians not holding King Henry VIII, who was an absolute ruler, responsible for his own choices. He was a tyrant and a monster, stop trying to victim blame those he murdered or did wrong.
2.5 stars rounded up.
I liked this more than I thought I would.
I would've rated this more highly but the author relies very heavily on sexism.
I'm tired of authors and historians not holding King Henry VIII, who was an absolute ruler, responsible for his own choices. He was a tyrant and a monster, stop trying to victim blame those he murdered or did wrong.
November 17, 2022
Caterina nel 1517, rimane orfana di padre e la madre, che è la dama di compagnia della regina Caterina d'Aragona, prima moglie di re Enrico, deve trovare da sola una buona sistemazione matrimoniale per i figli. Così Caterina sposa Edward Burgh, un uomo gentile e amorevole, che però muore poco dopo il matrimonio. Nel frattempo re Enrico ha sposato altre quattro donne, l'ultima l'ha fatta decapitare, perché lo ha tradito, quando nota Caterina Parr. Ma Caterina è innamorata di Thomas Seymour, fratello della terza moglie del re, morta di febbre puerperale. Quando Thomas viene mandato all'estero, il re corteggia Caterina, che cede e lo sposa, piena di timori (e ci credo, guarda come sono finite le altre!). Insomma, come sempre le trame dei reali sono degne delle più acclamate soap opera, ma questa è la storia, e non possiamo distaccarci da questo.
L'autrice ci regala il ritratto di una regina, fra le meno conosciute delle mogli di Enrico VIII, ma una figura che ha sofferto dolori indicibili, con un carattere forte e dalla personalità illuminata. Chiude il periodo delle regine Tudor con questo romanzo che, come gli altri, è scritto in maniera impeccabile, in cui non si sente l'eventuale pesantezza del romanzo storico e non diventa una specie di racconto erotico, sulle voglie dei reali (come invece spesso succede nelle trasposizioni televisive).
I libri della Weir sono tutti da leggere!!!
L'autrice ci regala il ritratto di una regina, fra le meno conosciute delle mogli di Enrico VIII, ma una figura che ha sofferto dolori indicibili, con un carattere forte e dalla personalità illuminata. Chiude il periodo delle regine Tudor con questo romanzo che, come gli altri, è scritto in maniera impeccabile, in cui non si sente l'eventuale pesantezza del romanzo storico e non diventa una specie di racconto erotico, sulle voglie dei reali (come invece spesso succede nelle trasposizioni televisive).
I libri della Weir sono tutti da leggere!!!
August 24, 2021
*Content warning for mentions and discussion of child and teen sexual abuse*
This is 500+ pages for a historical fiction novel, by an author who is a best-seller when it comes to biographies and fiction about the Tudors, and 500 pages later... I do not feel as if I know Katharine Parr any better. Like, at all. This almost reads like a biography that got dialogue sprinkled into it, because while we stay in Katharine's perspective throughout the novel, not only her character isn't very well-developed beyond what is usually known of her (namely, that she was a literate woman for her time who was a proponent of the Reformation), she also doesn't come off as particularly intelligent or insightful when it comes to what's happening around her.
Her conversion from Catholicism to Protestantism is shallow at best, since it happens from the influence of her first father-in-law, Thomas Burgh (who is painted as abusive and whose entire household is terrified of), and later on, during her second marriage to John Latimer, because pilgrims from the Pilgrimage of Grace were not very nice to her. *sigh* While I do not deny that these events must have been very difficult and terrifying times for Katharine, I do not get the impression from this book that the author understands the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism (because, yes, Catholics *do* pray directly to God, we say the Lord's Prayer as well), but whatever theological debates are put forward in this book fall flat and demonstrate unfortunately a lack of understanding on the author's part. For a woman praised for her intellect and for being the first woman to publish her own works under her own name in England, Katharine's evolution in her beliefs, how it affects her world (she was Katherine of Aragon's goddaughter, after all), how her view of Henry VIII evolves is dealt with in a way that comes off as superficial at best.
The most egregious fault of this book, however, is the casualness displayed when it comes to mentions of CSA. While I acknowledge those were different times (which is a little funny since Katharine acts more like a 21st century woman than a Tudor woman more often than not), and while I shouldn't be surprised given how Katheryn Howard was treated in her own book for these series, there is a worrying tendency to brush off the abusers' crime while, sometimes, blaming the victim as well. First instance of this is Nicholas Udall, former headmaster of Eton College, who was dismissed and put on trial for physical as well as sexual abuse of his pupils. While I was not able to find the age of the victims, they are implied in all documents I have read to have been young (since they are referred to as boys consistently). And while it was true he became eventually a tutor to Mary and Elizabeth Tudor despite his previous deeds, the book presents Henry VIII and Katharine Parr examining his previous deeds by having them go: "Ah poo, well, he only touches little boys, so Mary and Elizabeth will be fine, right?" And given how little impact Udall has on the story beyond name-dropping, I am honestly baffled as to why Weir had to include this in the first place, or why no editor kindly pointed out why this might be a bad idea, given what happens later on.
And then there's the whole business with Thomas Seymour and Elizabeth, where, as you may have guessed, Elizabeth proves to be a bratty teenager who has her mother Anne Boleyn's wiley wiley ways, and who appears quite flattered with Thomas' attentions while maliciously fooling Katharine with claims that she is but an innocent maiden. And that is, despite the book ALSO providing the evidence from Kat Ashley that Elizabeth wasn't all that comfortable with Thomas coming into her bedchamber in the morning, and also with the big glaring fact that Thomas, despite Elizabeth being second in line to the throne, being very much in a position of authority where he can freely take advantage of Elizabeth. While I'm not comfortable with calling Katharine an abuser on the same level as Thomas was, she as well as Kat Ashley were however guilty of neglect when it came to the whole situation. Therefore, it also isn't fair (to say the least) to portray her as a Tired Mom who has to deal with a bratty teenager who is quite content to seduce her step-DILF just because she can. I do not understand how one of the sources used for this book is Elizabeth Norton, who wrote an excellent biography focusing solely on the power dynamics between Thomas Seymour and Elizabeth (The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor, which presents a much better view of what went down while balancing the mores of the time as well as our modern perspective), and yet here she is, blaming Elizabeth.
Overall, the writing is clinical and tedious more often than not, which led me to wonder why this author is so popular, but I will give Alison Weir this: she doesn't fall into the trap of assuming her readers have a good basic knowledge of the period, which may make her historical fiction much more accessible to people who want to start learning about the Tudor period. Still... I guess I could simply say that she may not be a good fit for me, and I feel safe enough saying this given I read all six books in this series on a dare (NEVER AGAIN).
(Oh, and there's no mention of Henry VIII's body exploding during his funeral and let me tell you, I am very disappointed)
This is 500+ pages for a historical fiction novel, by an author who is a best-seller when it comes to biographies and fiction about the Tudors, and 500 pages later... I do not feel as if I know Katharine Parr any better. Like, at all. This almost reads like a biography that got dialogue sprinkled into it, because while we stay in Katharine's perspective throughout the novel, not only her character isn't very well-developed beyond what is usually known of her (namely, that she was a literate woman for her time who was a proponent of the Reformation), she also doesn't come off as particularly intelligent or insightful when it comes to what's happening around her.
Her conversion from Catholicism to Protestantism is shallow at best, since it happens from the influence of her first father-in-law, Thomas Burgh (who is painted as abusive and whose entire household is terrified of), and later on, during her second marriage to John Latimer, because pilgrims from the Pilgrimage of Grace were not very nice to her. *sigh* While I do not deny that these events must have been very difficult and terrifying times for Katharine, I do not get the impression from this book that the author understands the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism (because, yes, Catholics *do* pray directly to God, we say the Lord's Prayer as well), but whatever theological debates are put forward in this book fall flat and demonstrate unfortunately a lack of understanding on the author's part. For a woman praised for her intellect and for being the first woman to publish her own works under her own name in England, Katharine's evolution in her beliefs, how it affects her world (she was Katherine of Aragon's goddaughter, after all), how her view of Henry VIII evolves is dealt with in a way that comes off as superficial at best.
The most egregious fault of this book, however, is the casualness displayed when it comes to mentions of CSA. While I acknowledge those were different times (which is a little funny since Katharine acts more like a 21st century woman than a Tudor woman more often than not), and while I shouldn't be surprised given how Katheryn Howard was treated in her own book for these series, there is a worrying tendency to brush off the abusers' crime while, sometimes, blaming the victim as well. First instance of this is Nicholas Udall, former headmaster of Eton College, who was dismissed and put on trial for physical as well as sexual abuse of his pupils. While I was not able to find the age of the victims, they are implied in all documents I have read to have been young (since they are referred to as boys consistently). And while it was true he became eventually a tutor to Mary and Elizabeth Tudor despite his previous deeds, the book presents Henry VIII and Katharine Parr examining his previous deeds by having them go: "Ah poo, well, he only touches little boys, so Mary and Elizabeth will be fine, right?" And given how little impact Udall has on the story beyond name-dropping, I am honestly baffled as to why Weir had to include this in the first place, or why no editor kindly pointed out why this might be a bad idea, given what happens later on.
And then there's the whole business with Thomas Seymour and Elizabeth, where, as you may have guessed, Elizabeth proves to be a bratty teenager who has her mother Anne Boleyn's wiley wiley ways, and who appears quite flattered with Thomas' attentions while maliciously fooling Katharine with claims that she is but an innocent maiden. And that is, despite the book ALSO providing the evidence from Kat Ashley that Elizabeth wasn't all that comfortable with Thomas coming into her bedchamber in the morning, and also with the big glaring fact that Thomas, despite Elizabeth being second in line to the throne, being very much in a position of authority where he can freely take advantage of Elizabeth. While I'm not comfortable with calling Katharine an abuser on the same level as Thomas was, she as well as Kat Ashley were however guilty of neglect when it came to the whole situation. Therefore, it also isn't fair (to say the least) to portray her as a Tired Mom who has to deal with a bratty teenager who is quite content to seduce her step-DILF just because she can. I do not understand how one of the sources used for this book is Elizabeth Norton, who wrote an excellent biography focusing solely on the power dynamics between Thomas Seymour and Elizabeth (The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor, which presents a much better view of what went down while balancing the mores of the time as well as our modern perspective), and yet here she is, blaming Elizabeth.
Overall, the writing is clinical and tedious more often than not, which led me to wonder why this author is so popular, but I will give Alison Weir this: she doesn't fall into the trap of assuming her readers have a good basic knowledge of the period, which may make her historical fiction much more accessible to people who want to start learning about the Tudor period. Still... I guess I could simply say that she may not be a good fit for me, and I feel safe enough saying this given I read all six books in this series on a dare (NEVER AGAIN).
(Oh, and there's no mention of Henry VIII's body exploding during his funeral and let me tell you, I am very disappointed)
July 20, 2021
Alison Weir helps you understand how it could have happened that Katherine Parr became the wife of Henry VIII and then, soon after, Thomas Seymour. It gives some dimension on how Katherine coped with her protestant leanings amid the dangerous Catholic spies in the court and the likely Seymour family dynamics. Weir presents events as Katherine might have seen them.
You see Katherine’s childhood and how she, like others, is married off. You see her defer to her first two husbands and advise them as best she can. You see Thomas Seymour at his romantic best and then as an ambitious lying cad. (The scissors incident is given a story I hadn’t heard before). Weir shows how the Ann Askew case had Katherine worried for her life when she hardly knew the woman.
Katherine’s close relationships with her brother, sister and uncle are shown as significant. They share information keep each other’s confidences. Like her, they support the “new” religion, but to keep their positions, show a moderate face in court.
While Henry is the king who broke with Rome, confiscated monasteries and sent soldiers to harass Catholic defenders, at this time of life he is now “the middle of the road” on religious issues. Katherine believes his early actions reflect the influence of Anne Boleyn and are the reasons for her death. Catherine, who lacks the courage to come out of her closet as a Protestant, is shown to influence the King to allow some reading of scripture in English and advance the protestant cause other subtle ways.
While Katherine Parr is not the most exciting of Henry VIII’s wives the characterizations and dialogs of Katherine, Henry, the Seymour Family, Mary and Elizabeth and how the low grade civil war (during her queenship) over religion dominated their relationships make this a worthy read.
You see Katherine’s childhood and how she, like others, is married off. You see her defer to her first two husbands and advise them as best she can. You see Thomas Seymour at his romantic best and then as an ambitious lying cad. (The scissors incident is given a story I hadn’t heard before). Weir shows how the Ann Askew case had Katherine worried for her life when she hardly knew the woman.
Katherine’s close relationships with her brother, sister and uncle are shown as significant. They share information keep each other’s confidences. Like her, they support the “new” religion, but to keep their positions, show a moderate face in court.
While Henry is the king who broke with Rome, confiscated monasteries and sent soldiers to harass Catholic defenders, at this time of life he is now “the middle of the road” on religious issues. Katherine believes his early actions reflect the influence of Anne Boleyn and are the reasons for her death. Catherine, who lacks the courage to come out of her closet as a Protestant, is shown to influence the King to allow some reading of scripture in English and advance the protestant cause other subtle ways.
While Katherine Parr is not the most exciting of Henry VIII’s wives the characterizations and dialogs of Katherine, Henry, the Seymour Family, Mary and Elizabeth and how the low grade civil war (during her queenship) over religion dominated their relationships make this a worthy read.
November 9, 2023
Con la storia di Caterina Parr si conclude la saga dei Tudore. Il lavoro della Weir è stato a mio avviso encomiabile ed eccellente.
May 21, 2021
I enjoyed the character of Katharine, but she was not my favourite of the queens I have read about in this series. I also found her journey towards becoming truly Protestant in her views unconvincing and a little clunky, but overall the book was compelling and readable. I just wish we could finally have some good LGBTQ+ representation in Tudor books, because I have never been able to find any. I am grateful that Alison Weir clarified that the views expressed by Katharine were those of the time and not today, but as she also stated that there was no evidence that the particular character was homosexual (and that she only made him so as a possible theory as to why they had no children?) the poor representation seemed to be rather pointless, and the character deserved more development as a gay character. And considering the speculative changes she made to Anna of Kleve's story, it hardly seems too much to ask for Katharine to be a little more accepting. I hope I expressed this point in an eloquent way; it is not a major criticism, just some disappointment. that tudor historical fiction seems to offer nothing better than this. Aside from this, I did really enjoy the novel and I am sad that this series is over. I am always looking to read more historical fiction about Henry's wives, particularly the less 'popular' ones, and this series has been something I look forward to each year. They are always incredibly easy to read, intricate and detailed, and always the wife at the centre is sensible, relatable and engaging.
June 24, 2021
so sad to see this marvellous series come to an end but I enjoyed the last installment so much
April 16, 2021
Surprisingly,I thought this was a fairly accurate account of Katherine Parr's life.Full of detail,well written with good pacing throughout the book.There are a few debatable scenes in here but the one that really stuck out to me was Katherine's confrontation with Elizabeth over Thomas Seymour.To my knowledge I think Elizabeth was too intelligent to ever to say that Thomas prefered her to Katherine.I think I broke up laughing at that point in the book.On the other hand Ms.Weir seemed to have captured Thomas and Katherine's relationship as volatile which seemed in keeping with the historical record.As for Katherine I felt this was a sympathetic portrayal where the author managed to bring out her personal qualities quite well.Overall I enjoyed it and it has been my favorite of the series.Much thanks to Netgalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 12, 2021
This book was a great glimpse into the Tudor Court during the time of Henry VIII. I was astounded by the amount if research Weir put into this, you could tell how hard she worked to make this as accurate as possible.
Because of that accuracy, I did feel that the plot moved a bit slowly at times. Katharine Parr was fairly removed from the Court for the first half of the book, so quite a bit of time is spent following her on her daily activities. It was interesting, but at times, got a bit boring.
I did love how this book gave Katharine dimension though. When I picked it up, I really expected this to focus on her time as Henry's wife, and little else. This book did a great job of making her other than that. She was a loving mother, educated woman, and a fierce fighter. She felt real, and it was amazing. Because of her realness though, she angered me at times. She wasn't always likeable, which is the mark of a good author.
Even though I haven't read the other books in this series, I really enjoyed this one! It was a great snapshot into Katharine's life. I'd definitely recommend this to historical fiction fans!
Thanks to Netgalley and Alison Weir for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Because of that accuracy, I did feel that the plot moved a bit slowly at times. Katharine Parr was fairly removed from the Court for the first half of the book, so quite a bit of time is spent following her on her daily activities. It was interesting, but at times, got a bit boring.
I did love how this book gave Katharine dimension though. When I picked it up, I really expected this to focus on her time as Henry's wife, and little else. This book did a great job of making her other than that. She was a loving mother, educated woman, and a fierce fighter. She felt real, and it was amazing. Because of her realness though, she angered me at times. She wasn't always likeable, which is the mark of a good author.
Even though I haven't read the other books in this series, I really enjoyed this one! It was a great snapshot into Katharine's life. I'd definitely recommend this to historical fiction fans!
Thanks to Netgalley and Alison Weir for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
November 26, 2022
4 stelle e mezzo
Mentre ALISON WEIR comunica l'uscita del suo nuovo romanzo, incentrato sulla figura di Enrico VIII (e noi lettori preghiamo tutti i santi del Paradiso affinché Neri Pozza decida di portare in Italia anche questo nuovo libro!), da pochi giorni è arrivato in libreria l'ultimo volume sulla serie delle sei mogli del Re più famoso della storia inglese.
Caterina Parr fu l'unica delle sei mogli a sopravvivere a Enrico VIII.
Leggendo questo romanzo vi renderete conto, sin da subito, che non avrebbe potuto essere altrimenti!
Il ritratto che ne fa ALISON WEIR è quello di una donna scelta e tenace, che mise sempre la sua ambizione prima di ogni sentimento e di ogni persona.
#lamiafascetta Caterina Fletcher: dove passa lei, muore qualcuno!
La recensione completa nel blog
Mentre ALISON WEIR comunica l'uscita del suo nuovo romanzo, incentrato sulla figura di Enrico VIII (e noi lettori preghiamo tutti i santi del Paradiso affinché Neri Pozza decida di portare in Italia anche questo nuovo libro!), da pochi giorni è arrivato in libreria l'ultimo volume sulla serie delle sei mogli del Re più famoso della storia inglese.
Caterina Parr fu l'unica delle sei mogli a sopravvivere a Enrico VIII.
Leggendo questo romanzo vi renderete conto, sin da subito, che non avrebbe potuto essere altrimenti!
Il ritratto che ne fa ALISON WEIR è quello di una donna scelta e tenace, che mise sempre la sua ambizione prima di ogni sentimento e di ogni persona.
#lamiafascetta Caterina Fletcher: dove passa lei, muore qualcuno!
La recensione completa nel blog
June 5, 2021
A big, weighty, meaty book about the last of King Henry VIII's six wives. Katharine marries Henry with some reluctance, but turns out to be a wife he truly loves and respects. Too bad it took him six tries to get there.
Katharine Parr was a name I knew, but knew little about. It seems to me that certain wives get all the attention, namely the first wife, Katharine of Aragorn; the second, Anne Boleyn; and even the third and fourth, Jane Seymour and the next Catherine. (Anne/Anna of Cleves gets short shrift, too.) So when I saw this book in my library just sitting there I said OMG I need to know more about this woman.
Much-married, Katharine was widowed twice before marrying Henry, and had a fourth husband after him, Thomas Seymour. Intensely religious, she was an adherent to some of the 'new thinking' of her day involving a reformed church which eventually led her to embracing Protestantism. (Which eventually became the Church of England with the monarch at its head.) But even though that came about because Henry needed a divorce to marry Anne Boleyn, it doesn't seem he was totally on board with the Protestants; he even burned a few who went too far, in his opinion. What he wanted was merely to 'reform' the existing church, which meant, twist it in the direction HE wanted. Katharine Parr, on the other hand, was eager to take it a step further and this book goes into great detail concerning that. (She had to hide some of her books from Henry lest he regard her as a heretic, and we all knew what that might mean, even for a royal wife.)
So, a good read, with one star off for a lot of 'tell' instead of 'show,' which I mentioned in a comment here on Goodreads to a friend. It is a long novel, and there is A LOT of history here, especially when dealing with all the previous wives, their families, the social climate, the wars, the infighting, backbiting and gossip. (It just goes on and on!) But too often the book reads more as 'tell' than 'show.' There's a lot of: he did this; she did that; he said this; they went there. I liked the sections where the action is right there, and Katharine is in the thick of it. There's a passage where protesters (against Henry's latest religious reforms) come to Katharine's home in search of her (then) husband John, planning to persuade/force him to join their cause. Katharine is more or less held hostage in her own home - John is away - for several days as these men have their way with her house, her food stores, and almost, with her. It's a scary section which reveals her resolve and strength, even though she's obviously terrified - and terrorized by this group of men. It's not 'tell' by any means and stands out as it digs deep into Katharine, her fears and needs. She has children in the house to protect as well as servants and things could have turned out very different had she not asserted herself.
Otherwise, an excellent novel of historical fiction, based on true events in the life of a fascinating woman.
Four stars.
Katharine Parr was a name I knew, but knew little about. It seems to me that certain wives get all the attention, namely the first wife, Katharine of Aragorn; the second, Anne Boleyn; and even the third and fourth, Jane Seymour and the next Catherine. (Anne/Anna of Cleves gets short shrift, too.) So when I saw this book in my library just sitting there I said OMG I need to know more about this woman.
Much-married, Katharine was widowed twice before marrying Henry, and had a fourth husband after him, Thomas Seymour. Intensely religious, she was an adherent to some of the 'new thinking' of her day involving a reformed church which eventually led her to embracing Protestantism. (Which eventually became the Church of England with the monarch at its head.) But even though that came about because Henry needed a divorce to marry Anne Boleyn, it doesn't seem he was totally on board with the Protestants; he even burned a few who went too far, in his opinion. What he wanted was merely to 'reform' the existing church, which meant, twist it in the direction HE wanted. Katharine Parr, on the other hand, was eager to take it a step further and this book goes into great detail concerning that. (She had to hide some of her books from Henry lest he regard her as a heretic, and we all knew what that might mean, even for a royal wife.)
So, a good read, with one star off for a lot of 'tell' instead of 'show,' which I mentioned in a comment here on Goodreads to a friend. It is a long novel, and there is A LOT of history here, especially when dealing with all the previous wives, their families, the social climate, the wars, the infighting, backbiting and gossip. (It just goes on and on!) But too often the book reads more as 'tell' than 'show.' There's a lot of: he did this; she did that; he said this; they went there. I liked the sections where the action is right there, and Katharine is in the thick of it. There's a passage where protesters (against Henry's latest religious reforms) come to Katharine's home in search of her (then) husband John, planning to persuade/force him to join their cause. Katharine is more or less held hostage in her own home - John is away - for several days as these men have their way with her house, her food stores, and almost, with her. It's a scary section which reveals her resolve and strength, even though she's obviously terrified - and terrorized by this group of men. It's not 'tell' by any means and stands out as it digs deep into Katharine, her fears and needs. She has children in the house to protect as well as servants and things could have turned out very different had she not asserted herself.
Otherwise, an excellent novel of historical fiction, based on true events in the life of a fascinating woman.
Four stars.
April 11, 2021
I’m rating this book in two halves with the first half being 5 stars and the second being 3 stars, and I suspect that many people will feel the opposite! I was really eager to learn more about Katharine’s life before marrying Henry as I knew that she had been widowed before but didn’t know any more than that. While I understand Weir had to be more creative than historically accurate with this part due to the lack of material available, I enjoyed her approach and imagination (in the afterword she mentions that she used other contemporary sources to influence what some of these characters “could have” been like to reflect the times). I think other readers might find this part of the book to be boring as it is quite long, but I also think it’s important to illustrate why the second half of the book is puzzling to me.
It’s well-understood that Katharine wanted to marry Thomas Seymour and had to put that on hold due to Henry’s interest in her. I liked that Weir explored the theme of Katharine coming to terms with marrying Henry as her calling to help aid the cause of religious reform, something which becomes a clear arc for her character early on. As her dedication to reform ultimately lands her in a dangerous position with the King and the machinations of Gardiner, we see how clever she is deferring to Henry’s “superior intellect” in a move that likely saved her from being his next victim. It’s at this moment that we fully understand just how smart Katharine is.
So it’s especially surprising following Henry’s death how quickly Katharine turns into a goggle-eyed teen over Seymour. While I’m sure there’s something to be said for being “blinded by love,” we see Seymour make so many bad decisions it’s difficult to reconcile Katharine’s acceptance of his selfishness and egomania. At the very end we see some of her anger come forward at the point it can no longer have any consequence. I would have liked to see more introspection, more difficult conversations between Katharine and Seymour, how his actions hurt her, if she felt she’d made a mistake in marrying him. It’s not difficult to assume that she may have felt this way given the point that she was at in her life: she was finally able to marry for love, is this what she expected? Given that she was so intelligent, it must have been hard to watch him make terrible choices, but in this book we see that she often agrees with them and feeds his jealousy.
In the afterword Weir mentions that she hadn’t read about Katharine for almost 30 years and it made me wonder how this book might have been different if Katharine had maybe been her favorite of Henry’s wives. I’m sad that this series is over and I did enjoy reading this book even if I would have liked to see Katharine portrayed in a different way.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!
See more of my reviews: Instagram
It’s well-understood that Katharine wanted to marry Thomas Seymour and had to put that on hold due to Henry’s interest in her. I liked that Weir explored the theme of Katharine coming to terms with marrying Henry as her calling to help aid the cause of religious reform, something which becomes a clear arc for her character early on. As her dedication to reform ultimately lands her in a dangerous position with the King and the machinations of Gardiner, we see how clever she is deferring to Henry’s “superior intellect” in a move that likely saved her from being his next victim. It’s at this moment that we fully understand just how smart Katharine is.
So it’s especially surprising following Henry’s death how quickly Katharine turns into a goggle-eyed teen over Seymour. While I’m sure there’s something to be said for being “blinded by love,” we see Seymour make so many bad decisions it’s difficult to reconcile Katharine’s acceptance of his selfishness and egomania. At the very end we see some of her anger come forward at the point it can no longer have any consequence. I would have liked to see more introspection, more difficult conversations between Katharine and Seymour, how his actions hurt her, if she felt she’d made a mistake in marrying him. It’s not difficult to assume that she may have felt this way given the point that she was at in her life: she was finally able to marry for love, is this what she expected? Given that she was so intelligent, it must have been hard to watch him make terrible choices, but in this book we see that she often agrees with them and feeds his jealousy.
In the afterword Weir mentions that she hadn’t read about Katharine for almost 30 years and it made me wonder how this book might have been different if Katharine had maybe been her favorite of Henry’s wives. I’m sad that this series is over and I did enjoy reading this book even if I would have liked to see Katharine portrayed in a different way.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!
See more of my reviews: Instagram
July 8, 2022
My first read of July was the sixth and final book in the Six Tudor Queens series and it did NOT let me down!
Following the life of Katherine Parr from her childhood to her death, I really enjoyed this exploration of such an interesting, complicated and conflicted woman.
I love that Weir makes a point of showing the care that grew between Katherine and the King (she wasn’t just his nurse) and that she takes Katherine on a journey from being accepting of religion to really questioning it and coming to her own truths.
I did think Katherine lacked personality in the first section and that the last part of her life felt a bit rushed but I still enjoyed being swept up in Weir’s beautiful writing and I can’t recommend this series enough!
Following the life of Katherine Parr from her childhood to her death, I really enjoyed this exploration of such an interesting, complicated and conflicted woman.
I love that Weir makes a point of showing the care that grew between Katherine and the King (she wasn’t just his nurse) and that she takes Katherine on a journey from being accepting of religion to really questioning it and coming to her own truths.
I did think Katherine lacked personality in the first section and that the last part of her life felt a bit rushed but I still enjoyed being swept up in Weir’s beautiful writing and I can’t recommend this series enough!
April 17, 2021
This was the first fiction book I've read by Alison Weir, after being a big fan of her non fiction for YEARS. Turns out that a serious skill at writing history doesn't translate comfortably into fiction. It was capably written and structured, but the prose was seriously wooden. There was also a lot of information in the novel that I think could have been cut for a more streamlined and efficient read, and interestingly, one of the main tension points (when Katharine is in danger of being arrested) was seriously underused and glossed over quickly.
Essentially, it was ok. I definitely won't be searching out any more of Alison Weir's works of fiction.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this.
Essentially, it was ok. I definitely won't be searching out any more of Alison Weir's works of fiction.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this.
August 14, 2022
4.5 stars
I’ve always thought Katharine Parr was the least interesting of Henry’s wives, but this book helped change my mind. I commend Katharine for sticking to her beliefs & being loyal to those closest to her. I just thought that the pacing in the book definitely dragged at different points.
I’ve always thought Katharine Parr was the least interesting of Henry’s wives, but this book helped change my mind. I commend Katharine for sticking to her beliefs & being loyal to those closest to her. I just thought that the pacing in the book definitely dragged at different points.
May 15, 2021
And so this ambitious, spectacularly-presented and immersive series of six books comes to an end with the last of Henry VIII's wives - the one that survived and also, on a personal note, the one I'm named after! I enjoyed this version of Katharine, although I'm not sure it fully captures her intellect. Alison Weir's treatment of Henry has intrigued me and that's even more the case with this book, which presents the end of his life. I just can't view him with the same rose-tinted glasses and that does cloud my view of the novel. Thomas Seymore is likewise a 'problematic' individual. But this is fun historical fiction, packed with fascinating details of Tudor life and its surroundings. It's hard to believe that the completion of this series means that six years have passed! I will really miss these books. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
June 5, 2021
Alison Weir is an incredible historical fiction writer. She puts a lot of research into the time period and really makes the characters come alive. This is her last of the 6 wives series and it is a great finish. I didn't know much about Katherine Parr as she didn't seem as interesting as the one who survived Henry VIII. What I thought I knew turned out to be wrong. I thought she was married to really old men with her first marriages. In fact her first husband was a couple of years older but possibly homosexual and her 2nd husband was older but only by a decade and they were very happy. She was extremely well educated and intelligent. I still don't understand her infatuation with Thomas Seymour, especially with his shenanigans with Elizabeth.
June 5, 2021
Four husbands is a lot - Katharine is a boss though.
January 22, 2021
I'd like to thank Net Galley for the ARC of Alison Weir's Katherine Parr, the Sixth Wife
First it must be said that Alison Weir writes truly masterful historical fiction. She manages to bring the historical figures that she writes about to life without sacrificing historical accuracy and without venturing into the sphere of inaccessibility. Her latest work Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife concludes her six part series on the wives Henry VIII. In the famous rhyme about the six wives of Henry VIII ( Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived) the titular character, Katharine Parr is the wife who survived her husband. Yet Katharine Parr deserves to be remembered as much more than just a survivor. This novel shows the she was a devoted mother, well-educated, a writer, and an advocate for religious reform in England. Weir's novel brings to light these multi-faceted parts of personality, that can be so easily forgotten in the shadow of Henry VIII's infamous reputation.
In the novel, the reader follows Katharine from her life as minor noble in Tudor England to her eventual rise as Queen of Englands. This dramatic ascendency is all set against the tumultuous background of the English Reformation. In Weir's portrait of Katharine we are introduced to a woman who compassionate, intellectual gifted and utterly committed to her religious views. Weir's novel does a good job setting up the fact that in the wake of Henry VIII schism from the Catholic Church, there was still a lot of uncertainty about the way religion should be practiced. Through this novel we see that his breaking from the church was more than just a theological debate. It was more than just a political conflict, rather it had serious repercussion for both the English nobility and the common people who they governed. Given her extensive (for the period) education and natural intelligence, Katharine developed firm views on this matter and ultimately viewed her union with the aging Henry VII as way to maintain the theological integrity of the fledgling Church of England and bring spiritual peace to population that was ailing. She is, thus, another example of the many women throughout history who have put duty before personal happiness and comfort in order to service a higher goal .
My criticisms of the novel are small and should by no means deter a future reader. First the cast of characters in expansive and at times it can get bit confusing if you are just reading casually. Sometimes it seems that characters just pop up and the recede into the background as swiftly as they were introduced. Beyond this, the pacing felt a bit slow in the first half of the book. It takes a while before Katharine gets to the Tudor court and overall I wish we could have seen more of time there. Finally just a point of curiosity, it would have been nice to see some epilogue space devoted to the fates of her daughter Mary and her final husband.
Again these are minor quibbles, anyone who regularly reads works of Tudor historical fiction should be very satisfied with this novel.
First it must be said that Alison Weir writes truly masterful historical fiction. She manages to bring the historical figures that she writes about to life without sacrificing historical accuracy and without venturing into the sphere of inaccessibility. Her latest work Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife concludes her six part series on the wives Henry VIII. In the famous rhyme about the six wives of Henry VIII ( Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived) the titular character, Katharine Parr is the wife who survived her husband. Yet Katharine Parr deserves to be remembered as much more than just a survivor. This novel shows the she was a devoted mother, well-educated, a writer, and an advocate for religious reform in England. Weir's novel brings to light these multi-faceted parts of personality, that can be so easily forgotten in the shadow of Henry VIII's infamous reputation.
In the novel, the reader follows Katharine from her life as minor noble in Tudor England to her eventual rise as Queen of Englands. This dramatic ascendency is all set against the tumultuous background of the English Reformation. In Weir's portrait of Katharine we are introduced to a woman who compassionate, intellectual gifted and utterly committed to her religious views. Weir's novel does a good job setting up the fact that in the wake of Henry VIII schism from the Catholic Church, there was still a lot of uncertainty about the way religion should be practiced. Through this novel we see that his breaking from the church was more than just a theological debate. It was more than just a political conflict, rather it had serious repercussion for both the English nobility and the common people who they governed. Given her extensive (for the period) education and natural intelligence, Katharine developed firm views on this matter and ultimately viewed her union with the aging Henry VII as way to maintain the theological integrity of the fledgling Church of England and bring spiritual peace to population that was ailing. She is, thus, another example of the many women throughout history who have put duty before personal happiness and comfort in order to service a higher goal .
My criticisms of the novel are small and should by no means deter a future reader. First the cast of characters in expansive and at times it can get bit confusing if you are just reading casually. Sometimes it seems that characters just pop up and the recede into the background as swiftly as they were introduced. Beyond this, the pacing felt a bit slow in the first half of the book. It takes a while before Katharine gets to the Tudor court and overall I wish we could have seen more of time there. Finally just a point of curiosity, it would have been nice to see some epilogue space devoted to the fates of her daughter Mary and her final husband.
Again these are minor quibbles, anyone who regularly reads works of Tudor historical fiction should be very satisfied with this novel.
September 7, 2022
I don’t give a book 5 stars unless I know it has become a favorite. But this book has been better than most of my four stars. So it’s hovering around 4.5. This is the first time Henry VIII has been written about as a more compassionate, kind, and moral man than Thomas Seymour.
July 21, 2022
Thomas Seymour you philandering knave!!! Were all men of the 16th century trashy cheating dicks!!??
Am so sad this series is over deffo the best Tudor fictionalised books I’ve read (and the only lol)
Am so sad this series is over deffo the best Tudor fictionalised books I’ve read (and the only lol)
June 17, 2021
The Six Tudor Queens series by Alison Weir has finally come to an end with the release of Katharine Parr - The Sixth Wife. I've been following this historical fiction series since book two (Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession) and they've all been 5 star reading experiences.
Each book is about the life of the queen in the title, and I was looking forward to Weir's representation of twice widowed Katharine Parr. The novel starts in 1517 when Katharine is just 5 years of age, and the excellent writing, research and storytelling in evidence throughout the series is definitely on show here. These historical figures are expertly brought to life, and I don't recall where I first heard it (it could have been from one of many Tudor inspired documentaries, movies, TV shows or books) but I enjoyed seeing this quote from King Henry VIII in the book:
"He has no idea what I really think of him. That's my method, Kate. Play off one against the other. Divide and rule, and keep your hand close. Believe me, if I thought my cap knew what I was thinking, I would throw it in the fire!" Page 346
I enjoyed learning more about Katharine Parr, especially since the novel covers many of the same events as The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory. Another favourite historical fiction author, In The Taming of the Queen, Gregory tells Kateryn (note different spelling) Parr's story in the first person. The fact that I read it when it was released back in 2015 provided enough distance to appreciate the similarities but also space to notice the differences between the two books. The painting that featured so prominently in Philippa Gregory's novel doesn't take up much time in this story and I can't help feeling a little disappointed by that; given how much I adore the portrait and the story behind it.
The slightly different take on Katharine's religious leanings, her achievement in bringing King Henry VIII's children Prince Edward, Mary and Elizabeth to court and convincing the King to change the Act of Succession made for fascinating reading. The deplorable behaviour by Prince Edward's uncle after the death of Henry VIII was just as frustrating to read here as it must have been to endure, but I could relate to Katharine's internal struggle about whether to fight the fact that the King wanted her to be Regent or let it go and focus on her own happiness instead.
Reading Katharine Parr - The Sixth Wife was a refresher on the scandals of the Tudor court, the political influences and of course the Reformation and changes in religious doctrine at the time. Weir takes us right up to Katharine Parr's death in 1548 from childbed fever at Sudely Castle. She was only 38 at the time of her death, and passed away just 1 year and 8 months after Henry VIII.
As with the rest of the series, the passing of the main character at the end of the book was a very moving scene. I found myself doing a lot of Googling after the last page to remind myself how things ended for the other characters and to get a better sense of Sudeley Castle. It's an amazing castle and I'd love to visit there one day, but it was a shock to find out that historians disagree about what eventually became of Katharine's daughter with Thomas Seymour.
Katharine Parr - The Sixth Wife by Alison Weir can easily be read as a stand alone and is recommended for historical fiction fans with an interest in the Tudor period. I'm sorry to have reached the end of this magnificent series, and the only thing left for me to do now is go back and read the first book, Katherine of Aragón: The True Queen.
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *
Each book is about the life of the queen in the title, and I was looking forward to Weir's representation of twice widowed Katharine Parr. The novel starts in 1517 when Katharine is just 5 years of age, and the excellent writing, research and storytelling in evidence throughout the series is definitely on show here. These historical figures are expertly brought to life, and I don't recall where I first heard it (it could have been from one of many Tudor inspired documentaries, movies, TV shows or books) but I enjoyed seeing this quote from King Henry VIII in the book:
"He has no idea what I really think of him. That's my method, Kate. Play off one against the other. Divide and rule, and keep your hand close. Believe me, if I thought my cap knew what I was thinking, I would throw it in the fire!" Page 346
I enjoyed learning more about Katharine Parr, especially since the novel covers many of the same events as The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory. Another favourite historical fiction author, In The Taming of the Queen, Gregory tells Kateryn (note different spelling) Parr's story in the first person. The fact that I read it when it was released back in 2015 provided enough distance to appreciate the similarities but also space to notice the differences between the two books. The painting that featured so prominently in Philippa Gregory's novel doesn't take up much time in this story and I can't help feeling a little disappointed by that; given how much I adore the portrait and the story behind it.
The slightly different take on Katharine's religious leanings, her achievement in bringing King Henry VIII's children Prince Edward, Mary and Elizabeth to court and convincing the King to change the Act of Succession made for fascinating reading. The deplorable behaviour by Prince Edward's uncle after the death of Henry VIII was just as frustrating to read here as it must have been to endure, but I could relate to Katharine's internal struggle about whether to fight the fact that the King wanted her to be Regent or let it go and focus on her own happiness instead.
Reading Katharine Parr - The Sixth Wife was a refresher on the scandals of the Tudor court, the political influences and of course the Reformation and changes in religious doctrine at the time. Weir takes us right up to Katharine Parr's death in 1548 from childbed fever at Sudely Castle. She was only 38 at the time of her death, and passed away just 1 year and 8 months after Henry VIII.
As with the rest of the series, the passing of the main character at the end of the book was a very moving scene. I found myself doing a lot of Googling after the last page to remind myself how things ended for the other characters and to get a better sense of Sudeley Castle. It's an amazing castle and I'd love to visit there one day, but it was a shock to find out that historians disagree about what eventually became of Katharine's daughter with Thomas Seymour.
Katharine Parr - The Sixth Wife by Alison Weir can easily be read as a stand alone and is recommended for historical fiction fans with an interest in the Tudor period. I'm sorry to have reached the end of this magnificent series, and the only thing left for me to do now is go back and read the first book, Katherine of Aragón: The True Queen.
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *
September 16, 2021
This is the final book in Alison Weir’s Six Tudor Queens series retelling, in fictional form, the stories of the wives of Henry VIII. Katharine Parr, the subject of this sixth novel, has never interested me as much as some of the other wives, yet this book has turned out to be my favourite of the series, not just for what we learn about Katharine herself, but also for the depiction of the political and religious situation in England during the later stages of Henry’s reign.
I have read other novels about Katharine Parr, such as Elizabeth Fremantle’s Queen’s Gambit and Philippa Gregory’s The Taming of the Queen (interestingly, every author seems to choose a different spelling of her name!), but none of them go into as much depth and concentrate almost solely on her time as Henry’s wife and her relationship with Thomas Seymour. This book starts at the beginning, with Katharine’s childhood, and then takes us through her entire life, devoting plenty of time to her earlier two marriages, first to the young Edward Burgh and then to John Neville, Lord Latimer. I particularly enjoyed the section of the book where Katharine is married to Latimer; although it’s not a passionate romance, Katharine comes to love and trust her husband and they have a happy nine years together despite the religious turmoil going on around them (the uprising known as the Pilgrimage of Grace takes place during this period and provides one of the most exciting episodes in the novel).
Although Lord Latimer remains faithful to the Catholic Church, Katharine becomes a supporter of religious reform. When Latimer dies in 1543 and the King, having recently had his fifth wife beheaded, asks her to marry him, Katharine reluctantly accepts, knowing that turning down his proposal would be very unwise and hoping that her influence at court can further the cause of the reformers. Over time she becomes quite fond of Henry, engaging in lively debates with him on the subject of religion, but there is always an undercurrent of danger and Katharine knows that if she is to avoid the fate of her predecessors, she can’t allow her sympathies for the new Protestant religion to become too obvious. Somehow, Katharine manages to survive and outlive the King, free at last to marry Thomas Seymour, the man she really loves…but their time together is tragically short and marred by Seymour’s inappropriate behaviour with the young Princess Elizabeth.
I loved reading about Katharine’s life before she became Queen, as so much of this was new to me – and unlike the book on Anne of Cleves, where Weir admits that she invented a lot of Anne’s story, this one seems to be more grounded in historical fact. Once the novel moves on to her marriages to Henry VIII and Thomas Seymour, I was on more familiar ground and found these sections slightly less interesting to read – particularly as I have never liked Thomas Seymour and wished I could reach into the pages of the book and stop Katharine from marrying him!
Something that has intrigued me throughout this series is the way in which Alison Weir has chosen to portray Henry VIII. She shows him in a much more positive light than usual, to the point where she almost seems to be absolving him of any responsibility for his actions, putting the blame on the people around him instead – Thomas Cromwell, Bishop Gardiner, even some of his victims such as poor Katheryn Howard. On the one hand, it’s interesting to see a more nuanced depiction of Henry, but on the other I’m not convinced that his wives would all have viewed him as favourably as these books suggest!
Katharine Parr herself is portrayed as an intelligent, well-educated and compassionate woman; her previous marriages and experience of life have given her a maturity and common sense that some of Henry’s other wives lacked. She makes an effort to befriend her stepchildren and plays an important part in persuading Henry to restore his daughters Elizabeth and Mary to the line of succession. She gains the King’s trust and is named regent while he is away on a military campaign, as well as becoming the first queen to have books published in English under her own name. Katharine’s life is maybe not as dramatic as some of the other wives’, but because I liked her so much I was able to become fully invested in her story.
I have read other novels about Katharine Parr, such as Elizabeth Fremantle’s Queen’s Gambit and Philippa Gregory’s The Taming of the Queen (interestingly, every author seems to choose a different spelling of her name!), but none of them go into as much depth and concentrate almost solely on her time as Henry’s wife and her relationship with Thomas Seymour. This book starts at the beginning, with Katharine’s childhood, and then takes us through her entire life, devoting plenty of time to her earlier two marriages, first to the young Edward Burgh and then to John Neville, Lord Latimer. I particularly enjoyed the section of the book where Katharine is married to Latimer; although it’s not a passionate romance, Katharine comes to love and trust her husband and they have a happy nine years together despite the religious turmoil going on around them (the uprising known as the Pilgrimage of Grace takes place during this period and provides one of the most exciting episodes in the novel).
Although Lord Latimer remains faithful to the Catholic Church, Katharine becomes a supporter of religious reform. When Latimer dies in 1543 and the King, having recently had his fifth wife beheaded, asks her to marry him, Katharine reluctantly accepts, knowing that turning down his proposal would be very unwise and hoping that her influence at court can further the cause of the reformers. Over time she becomes quite fond of Henry, engaging in lively debates with him on the subject of religion, but there is always an undercurrent of danger and Katharine knows that if she is to avoid the fate of her predecessors, she can’t allow her sympathies for the new Protestant religion to become too obvious. Somehow, Katharine manages to survive and outlive the King, free at last to marry Thomas Seymour, the man she really loves…but their time together is tragically short and marred by Seymour’s inappropriate behaviour with the young Princess Elizabeth.
I loved reading about Katharine’s life before she became Queen, as so much of this was new to me – and unlike the book on Anne of Cleves, where Weir admits that she invented a lot of Anne’s story, this one seems to be more grounded in historical fact. Once the novel moves on to her marriages to Henry VIII and Thomas Seymour, I was on more familiar ground and found these sections slightly less interesting to read – particularly as I have never liked Thomas Seymour and wished I could reach into the pages of the book and stop Katharine from marrying him!
Something that has intrigued me throughout this series is the way in which Alison Weir has chosen to portray Henry VIII. She shows him in a much more positive light than usual, to the point where she almost seems to be absolving him of any responsibility for his actions, putting the blame on the people around him instead – Thomas Cromwell, Bishop Gardiner, even some of his victims such as poor Katheryn Howard. On the one hand, it’s interesting to see a more nuanced depiction of Henry, but on the other I’m not convinced that his wives would all have viewed him as favourably as these books suggest!
Katharine Parr herself is portrayed as an intelligent, well-educated and compassionate woman; her previous marriages and experience of life have given her a maturity and common sense that some of Henry’s other wives lacked. She makes an effort to befriend her stepchildren and plays an important part in persuading Henry to restore his daughters Elizabeth and Mary to the line of succession. She gains the King’s trust and is named regent while he is away on a military campaign, as well as becoming the first queen to have books published in English under her own name. Katharine’s life is maybe not as dramatic as some of the other wives’, but because I liked her so much I was able to become fully invested in her story.
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