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Jump to navigationJump to searchSix Tudor Queens: Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen: Six Tudor Queens 1 by Alison Weir (view source)
Revision as of 14:53, 29 August 2020
, 14:53, 29 August 2020no edit summary
This novel also heralds the first time I've seen a first-person-Tudor-woman narrative used as such an effective tool. I'm normally the first to whine if I feel that by following a woman around we miss out on key battle scenes etc. However here the tunnel vision of Katherine's life adds to the feeling of an almost ''de facto'' imprisonment. This becomes even more affecting as we witness Katherine's hopes and health rising and falling with each pregnancy.
Alison notes at the end of the book that she refused to make Katherine assertive since that wouldn't be historically accurate; she would have acquiesced to Henry in all matters due to her position and contemporary culture. Yet the author ensures we realise that beneath the obedience there isn't a natural door matdoormat. This is a queen with a spark since, evidenced when Henry allows Katherine to shine during her fight against the Scots while he was busy in France. (Actually , he's so far away he has no choice!) Indeed, this is a strong, resourceful woman whose potential is quashed rather than utilised.
Normally first-in-series come with the pretext 'this is only the…' but in this case it certainly raises the bar for our expectations of what may follow while also raising the bar for historical fiction in general.
(Thank you to the good folk at Headline Review for providing us with a copy for review.)
Further Reading: If you enjoy Alison's fiction, how about trying one of her biographies? Carrying on with the Tudor theme, [[The Lost Tudor Princess: A Life of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox by Alison Weir|The Lost Tudor Princess: A Life of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox]] about Henry VII's sister is a good place to start. If you prefer your history in fictionalised format, we also recommend [[The Double Life of Mistress Kit Kavanagh by Marina Fiorato]] and/or [[The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson]]. We can also recommend [[Gallows Wedding: A dark novel of witchcraft and forbidden love set against the backdrop of religious upheaval in Henry VIII's times by Rhona Martin]].
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