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A review by candacesiegle_greedyreader
Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife by Alison Weir
4.0
Alison Weir winds up her fictional study of Henry VIII's six wives with "Katharine Parr, the Sixth Wife." It's fictional because this is a novel, and because like so many women in the period, we only know the bare outlines of their lives. More is known about Katharine Parr than Kathryn Howard (whose birthdate is unknown) but there is still lot for a historian/novelist like Weir to fill in.
Katharine is different from the other wives in that there are fewer connivers around her, she was older, and she was more educated. By the time she met Henry, she had been widowed twice and was just about to announce her engagement to Thomas Seymour, a man with whom she had truly fallen in love. But when the King takes an interest, a woman cannot say no. Knowing that Henry was ill and did not have a long life ahead, they put their plans off.
The marriage of Katharine and Henry was a happy one. They liked each other, she did a lot of work to give his children a mother (although Mary was already 29) and create a warm household. Henry could discuss matters of religion with her, as long as she always conceded to his kingly knowledge. She took his New Religion to heart and even a step forward, believing that everyone had the right to read the Bible in their own language. This brought her closer to Lutheranism, and her enemies were listening at the keyhole.
Henry's other wives fell because of their passions, but Katharine approached the brink because of her intellect. There were many in Henry's court who wanted to return to Catholicism and kept sharp eyes out for people who got too close to the teaching to Martin Luther. Katharine and a number of her ladies gathered to read forbidden texts. With Henry's power waning, she came oh, so close, to being arrested and burned.
But she wasn't. After Henry's death, she secretly marries Tom Seymour before her mourning period is out. And, after being married to three other men with no issue, she becomes pregnant. If you need another sad Tudor story, look into what happened to their little girl, Mary, after Katharine dies in childbed and Seymour is executed for treason.
Alison Weir, what historical period will you take on next to weave into novels? I've enjoyed every book in this series and am excited to find out!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this excellent series.
~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader
Katharine is different from the other wives in that there are fewer connivers around her, she was older, and she was more educated. By the time she met Henry, she had been widowed twice and was just about to announce her engagement to Thomas Seymour, a man with whom she had truly fallen in love. But when the King takes an interest, a woman cannot say no. Knowing that Henry was ill and did not have a long life ahead, they put their plans off.
The marriage of Katharine and Henry was a happy one. They liked each other, she did a lot of work to give his children a mother (although Mary was already 29) and create a warm household. Henry could discuss matters of religion with her, as long as she always conceded to his kingly knowledge. She took his New Religion to heart and even a step forward, believing that everyone had the right to read the Bible in their own language. This brought her closer to Lutheranism, and her enemies were listening at the keyhole.
Henry's other wives fell because of their passions, but Katharine approached the brink because of her intellect. There were many in Henry's court who wanted to return to Catholicism and kept sharp eyes out for people who got too close to the teaching to Martin Luther. Katharine and a number of her ladies gathered to read forbidden texts. With Henry's power waning, she came oh, so close, to being arrested and burned.
But she wasn't. After Henry's death, she secretly marries Tom Seymour before her mourning period is out. And, after being married to three other men with no issue, she becomes pregnant. If you need another sad Tudor story, look into what happened to their little girl, Mary, after Katharine dies in childbed and Seymour is executed for treason.
Alison Weir, what historical period will you take on next to weave into novels? I've enjoyed every book in this series and am excited to find out!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this excellent series.
~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader