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worldsunlikeourown 's review for:
Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen
by Alison Weir
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
The first book of Alison Weir’s Six Tudor Queens series is dedicated to the story of Katherine of Aragón. Betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales, at a very early age, Catalina has always been told that she would one day go to England to marry the prince and so become the Princess of Wales. Following Prince Arthur’s untimely death however, she finds herself betrothed to his younger brother Henry.
The story follows Katherine through the years, first as a young and hopeful princess arriving in England, then as a widow in a foreign court, a political pawn, awaiting the day when she can wed Henry even as she fears for her future, to her glorious early years of her marriage as the cherished Queen of England and finally to the most tragic times as she fights and refuses to be set aside by Henry in the face of his desire for a male heir. While Henry’s first queen has never really been my favourite to read about, it’s impossible not to admire her determination as she holds true to her faith and fights for love.
The Tudor era is undoubtedly my favourite historical fiction setting, and no matter how many books I read, this time period is endlessly fascinating for me. Furthermore, this is narrated entirely from Katherine’s perspective, it is definitely not a neutral retelling, and is therefore a very sympathetic portrayal of her. Several characters we know to be crucial in the history of the years that followed are introduced, some more than others, from the Anne Boleyn to Jane Seymour and many others. It will be really interesting to contrast Katherine’s opinion on them to their view of the same events. I’m particularly curious as to how Alison Weir is going to approach Jane Seymour, a figure rarely focused on in historical fiction who I have generally viewed as rather boring overall.
Though the tale of Katherine of Aragón is one I have read many versions of, Alison Weir’s storytelling is unmatched in my opinion and this book gives voice to Katherine like I have never read before. As with all of her books, this is a rather long read, but it’s very easy to get swept along by the story and the pages fly by. This book, and series, is a must read for fans of Tudor era historical fiction. Highly recommended!
The first book of Alison Weir’s Six Tudor Queens series is dedicated to the story of Katherine of Aragón. Betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales, at a very early age, Catalina has always been told that she would one day go to England to marry the prince and so become the Princess of Wales. Following Prince Arthur’s untimely death however, she finds herself betrothed to his younger brother Henry.
The story follows Katherine through the years, first as a young and hopeful princess arriving in England, then as a widow in a foreign court, a political pawn, awaiting the day when she can wed Henry even as she fears for her future, to her glorious early years of her marriage as the cherished Queen of England and finally to the most tragic times as she fights and refuses to be set aside by Henry in the face of his desire for a male heir. While Henry’s first queen has never really been my favourite to read about, it’s impossible not to admire her determination as she holds true to her faith and fights for love.
The Tudor era is undoubtedly my favourite historical fiction setting, and no matter how many books I read, this time period is endlessly fascinating for me. Furthermore, this is narrated entirely from Katherine’s perspective, it is definitely not a neutral retelling, and is therefore a very sympathetic portrayal of her. Several characters we know to be crucial in the history of the years that followed are introduced, some more than others, from the Anne Boleyn to Jane Seymour and many others. It will be really interesting to contrast Katherine’s opinion on them to their view of the same events. I’m particularly curious as to how Alison Weir is going to approach Jane Seymour, a figure rarely focused on in historical fiction who I have generally viewed as rather boring overall.
Though the tale of Katherine of Aragón is one I have read many versions of, Alison Weir’s storytelling is unmatched in my opinion and this book gives voice to Katherine like I have never read before. As with all of her books, this is a rather long read, but it’s very easy to get swept along by the story and the pages fly by. This book, and series, is a must read for fans of Tudor era historical fiction. Highly recommended!