Author: Philippa Gregory
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Touchstone
Publish Date: August 25, 2015
Source: Library
What's the Story?:
From Goodreads.com: "Why would a woman marry a serial killer?
Because she cannot refuse...
Kateryn Parr, a thirty-year-old widow in a secret affair with a new lover, has no choice when a man old enough to be her father who has buried four wives – King Henry VIII – commands her to marry him.
Kateryn has no doubt about the danger she faces: the previous queen lasted sixteen months, the one before barely half a year. But Henry adores his new bride and Kateryn's trust in him grows as she unites the royal family, creates a radical study circle at the heart of the court, and rules the kingdom as regent.
But is this enough to keep her safe? A leader of religious reform and a published author, Kateryn stands out as an independent woman with a mind of her own. But she cannot save the Protestants, under threat for their faith, and Henry's dangerous gaze turns on her.The traditional churchmen and rivals for power accuse her of heresy - the punishment is death by fire and the king's name is on the warrant..."
My Two Cents:
Philippa Gregory is one of the first authors that really turned me on to historical fiction as an adult. Her books are always a lot of fun to read and she is pretty much on my must read list. There is some criticism as to how realistic her storylines are but they definitely are entertaining and perfect for when I am looking for a story to just get sucked into.
In "The Taming of the Queen," the popular historical fiction writer Philippa Gregory takes on Kateryn Parr, the wife who will outlast Henry VIII. I like Gregory's books because they're kind of like candy. Gregory weaves a story about Kateryn, who is an expert at appearing to stay in line while going her own way in the background. There are a lot of elements of romance in this historical fiction.
I have read a couple other books about Kateryn Parr and what's so interesting to me is that by the time she marries Henry VIII, she knows that her life may be an danger if she displeases him. I really like the way that Gregory was able to show how she tried to do everything in her power in order to keep her relationship with Henry VIII on the up and up. I flew through this book very quickly because I got so into Kateryn's character. She is smart and was one of the first women to be published under her own name which is pretty impressive. This story doesn't go as far as I would have liked. I was ready to hear more about Parr after Henry VIII but that was not covered so the book seems to suddenly stop
This is a good pick for anyone who's looking for a fun and frothy read on the end of Henry VIII's reign.
I've not read anything about the end of his reign so this would definitely interest me. I just finished one on his mistress or rather one of his mistresses which was very good.
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