Publisher's Weekly Review
In this absorbing Tudor historical, Gregory (The White Queen) traces the relationship between Henry VIII and Kateryn Parr, his sixth wife, from the time of the king's marriage proposal in 1543 until his death four years later. Kateryn is a beauty: learned, kind, twice-widowed yet young enough to bear the sons crucial to securing the succession; she is also passionately in love with another. Her dutiful tolerance of Henry's bad breath, corpulence, ulcerous leg, and fumblings in bed make pitiable the personal cost of his proposal. Gregory balances Kateryn's sensual responses to royal life-the smell of her predecessor's furs, the king's sweat-drenched clothing-with the religious controversy that dominated the 1540s. Initially naive to court factions, Parr is guided by her sister and develops enormous satisfaction from scholarly examination of the Bible. Expressing her own Reformist views when pro-Catholic forces are ascendant, Kateryn risks the king's extreme displeasure and is "tamed" to save her life; the process bleaches the marriage of its satisfactions. Tracing Kateryn's path to intellectual independence requires more religious discussion than some readers will prefer, but Gregory's portrait of the complex, aging king and his sensual, scholarly bride will satisfy Tudor enthusiasts. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
Kateryn Parr is called to the court of King Henry VIII. She falls in love with Thomas Seymour and hopes for permission from the king to marry him. Instead, Henry commands that she will become the queen, his sixth wife. She submits because she must. The king, as head of the Church of England, instituted church reforms in years past, creating two religious factions: one supporting reform and one supporting the old ways. Kateryn supports Henry's ideas, and, with his blessing, she spends her free time studying, reading, and translating religious texts. She even writes and publishes her own book of prayers-the first woman to do so in English. Then, inexplicably and suddenly, the king is displeased with her independent thinking. He builds a case against her and is on the brink of arresting her for heresy when she begs his forgiveness. He punishes her through humiliation and fear and ultimately "tames" her. Gregory creates an insider's view of life in Henry's court and the pleasures and perils of the office of the queen. Beautifully read by Bianca Amato. -VERDICT Highly recommended for fans of the author's previous works and of historical fiction in general. ["Full of vivid details and fraught with the constant tension of a court run by a madman, this novel will appeal most to historical fiction readers and those who enjoyed Wolf Hall": LJ 7/15 starred review of the Pantheon hc.]-Joanna M. -Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Libs., Providence © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.