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The Heretic's Wife: A Novel (2010)

by Brenda Rickman Vantrease(Favorite Author)

3.79 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0312386990 (ISBN13: 9780312386993)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

St. Martin's Press

review 1: “The Heretic’s Wife” is my first novel to read by Brenda Rickman Vantrease. When I was recently in TN at one of my favorite local bookstores, Parnassus in Green Hills, the owner recommended this author, knowing that she is a local writer and I am originally from Nashville. This work of historical fiction deals with the times of King Henry VIII, and the corruptness of the government and the church during King Henry’s quest to overrule the Pope and marry Anne Boleyn. I took notes as I read, since I have had years of studies of this time in history with my Lutheran/Episcopal/Anglican backgrounds. The heroine of the title, Kate Gough, sister to a bookseller arrested for heresy, is the heroine of the book, and accepts a marriage proposal from John Frith (scholar and bur... morened at the stake martyr) who supported William Tyndales ideals. Kate’s life becomes involved in Thomas More's pursuit and persecution of Protestants, even as King Henry grows determined to wed Anne Boleyn, who is inclined to Lutheranism. There are some interesting details (not sure if all are true) about King Henry’s excesses, Thomas More’s angry flagelations until he was absolutely bloody, and I am sure a real life depiction of the condition of the jails during that time. Always a romantic at heart, I loved the ending, and it helped me get past some really sad details of the early church and the human who tried to convince others, using torture and the threat of death, that their will was God’s. I did not read this one as quickly as I generally do a novel, as I stopped frequently to write down ideas and page numbers that I wanted to research further.
review 2: Really good book. Set in 1528 England, this story is about a brother and sister, who are printers and booksellers, who defy the English Catholic church by owning and distributing copies of Luther's writings. At the same time, the story encompasses the riveting story of Henry VII and his determination to obtain a divorce to marry Anne Boleyn. A firsthand account of believers who risked their lives to own something considered heresy by the Church and punishable by death. Faith and determination against all odds. less

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