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Katherine The Queen: The Remarkable Life Of Katherine Parr (2010)

by Linda Porter(Favorite Author)

4.06 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0230710395 (ISBN13: 9780230710399)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

MacMillan

review 1: The wife, the nurse, the stepmother, all these stereotypes define her but the real Katherine Parr was much more than that. Linda Porter explores her family history and her connections at court and explains why she was so well received and adapted to the position she suddenly found herself in. Of all of Henry's wives, she was one with the less ambitions to be queen yet once she found herself in that position, she used her power to promote her religion, build a stronger network of scholars that were like-minded like her to protect the religious reformers and also offered a safe haven for daughters of noblemen who wished to be educated. Eustace Chapuys in his dispatches was visited by Katherine before he left and spoke very highly of her, in spite of their religious differenc... morees, he regarded her as the most deserving of English women to be Queen and thanked her for all she had done for Mary. That's another thing that many people miss, Mary and Katherine were good friends and being closer in age, they spend more time together when she was queen. Katherine was the only one besides his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, to serve as regent while Henry was off fighting in France. She served dilligently and while she made dangerous enemies too, she got out with her head intact by doing the only thing she knew best, and that was humble herself before Henry in a manner that both moved and convince him and cleared her from all future troubles. I was surprised to find out how well connected she was, not only that but besides her education and writing books, she was also very knowledgeable in herbs, maths and other sciences.
review 2: I did so want to enjoy this book, to gain some understanding of my husband's great-great-great (you get the idea) aunt. In many ways, Katherine Parr was much more complex that I'd imagined having always referred to her as the lucky wife who managed to outlive Henry VIII. What theme continued through the book, at each period of her life was her own self-discovery that would be left in the background to cater to her husbands (all four) each time.The writing of this book is quite easy to relate to, without the sense that a historian is assuming you know the back story. It obviously doesn't have the feel of historical fiction, either, for that matter. But Porter does give us her own insights and opinions here and there. Otherwise a book so full of religious doctrine may be a turn off immediately.I was quite a fan of Katherine Parr, in fact, until her last marriage and the odd relationships brewing under the surface. To then lose her child forever by dying, and having that child especially disappear from records is heartbreaking. A sad end to an amazing life. less

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