Description
Bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir takes on what no fiction writer has done before: creating a dramatic six-book series in which each novel covers one of King Henry VIII’s wives. In this captivating opening volume, Weir brings to life the tumultuous tale of Katherine of Aragón. Henry’s first, devoted, and “true” queen.
A princess of Spain, Catalina is only sixteen years old when she sets foot on the shores of England.
The youngest daughter of the powerful monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, Catalina is a coveted prize for a royal marriage – and Arthur, Prince of Wales, and heir to the English throne, has won her hand. But tragedy strikes and Catalina, now Princess Katherine, is betrothed to the future Henry VIII. She must wait for his coming-of-age, an ordeal that tests her resolve, casts doubt on her trusted confidantes, and turns her into a virtual prisoner.
Katherine’s patience is rewarded when she becomes Queen of England. The affection between Katherine and Henry is genuine, but forces beyond her control threaten to rend her marriage, and indeed the nation, apart. Henry has fallen under the spell of Katherine’s maid of honor, Anne Boleyn. Now Katherine must be prepared to fight, to the end if God wills it, for her faith, her legitimacy, and her heart.
Review
Fantastic portrayal of the life of Katherine of Aragon! I knew the basics of her life story before reading, but this gave me more of an in-depth insight and made me think on how her life played out in closer terms.
What I love about this book the most is the human side of Katherine being shown. I feel like she is often portrayed as ‘haughty’, and being a queen why not! But she was a woman, daughter, sister, wife, mother. She was a person! She had feelings! I enjoyed how this was looked at in this book, she wasn’t just a problem to get out of the way so that Anne Boleyn could take her place.
I do enjoy a book that makes me stop and think, Katherine experienced so much turmoil, loss, and distress, but I am glad for the times when she was happy and experienced love. I found myself close to tears at the end!
As much as I enjoyed the book I found it a little long, however, I am not sure that everything that needed to be said could have been done as effectively had it been shorter.
I am keen to read the rest of the series and to see things next from Anne Boleyn’s point of view, was she really this harsh, scheming, husband stealer?…
