Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife: A Novel (Six Tudor Queens)

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When I realized that Katherine Parr: The Sixth Wife by Alison Weir was over five hundred pages, I was dubious about my ability to finish. But I shouldn’t have worried––the book has become so imprinted in my mind that I have to resist the urge to speak with a 16th century English accent. I wouldn’t describe the book as fast paced, but it does have enough twists, turns, and intrigue to keep the reader interested.

As one might expect from the title, it is an account of the life of Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII. As the last book of a series, the reader has the opportunity to see the rise and fall of Henry’s wives through the eyes of Katherine Parr.

Like for many young noblewomen, Katherine’s mother desired her to make a good marriage. Unlike many others though, she had her daughters educated equally to her sons and did not put ambition above her children’s happiness.

Looking back on the book, it is Katherine’s education, faith, and strong family relationships that allowed her to outlive the king. Because Alison Weir is a historian, I didn’t experience the usual skepticism I have about “true events” in historical novels. The book felt incredibly well researched and detailed, but it read like a novel.


Reviewed By:

Author Alison Weir
Star Count /5
Format Hard
Page Count 544 pages
Publisher Ballantine Books
Publish Date 11-May-2021
ISBN 9781101966631
Bookshop.org Buy this Book
Issue December 2021
Category Historical Fiction
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