The Last Wife of Henry VIII

I'm usually pretty weary of books that take place in this time period. They tend to be stuffy, and hard to read, but this book was impossible to put down! I'm so glad I gave it a try. I learned so many things I never knew about Henry VIII and all his wives. This story is told entirely from Catherine Parr's perspective, Henry's 6th, and final wife. It starts when she's a young girl, and goes straight through to her death. Now, I'm certainly no Tudor-era expert, and was pretty sure that much of what I was reading was made-up or inflated for fiction purposes, but after I finished, I spent a couple hours on Wikipedia searching most everyone in this book. Surprisingly, much of it was accurate. A few things here and there were changed to make things more interesting, like Anne 'Daintry', Will's wife (Will is Catherine's brother). She did not die as depicted in the book, but actually outlived Catherine herself. The few discrepancies here and there didn't bother me though. I didn't pick this up as a tool to learn the facts of history, I picked it up hoping for an entertaining distraction, and that's exactly what it was. Ms. Erickson has done a fine job telling Catherine's story, and has a very easy writing style that isn't bogged down with the heavy talk of the era. I absolutely look forward to reading more of her books!

I love any book about this particular time in history, so I really enjoyed this story. Carolly Erickson makes everthing so real, I can see the picture as clearly as if I were watching it on Television. I have read several of Carolly Erickson's novels and so far I have not been disappointed with any of them. Right now I am reading her novel about Josephine titled "The Secret Life Of Josephine-Napoleon's Bird of Paradise". And once again I am enjoying her story. I read a few comments about this book not being historical accurate. I have not done enough research concerning this period, so even if it is not totally accurate I still enjoyed the book. I myself write historical novels, and I am very accurate about the historical facts, but then I am writing about my hometown New Orleans and also about my French and Spanish Creole culture, so it is not difficult for me to be accurate. But if the book is good and the history isn't too outlandish, well I don't get too upset. Arlette Gaffrey author of A World Of His Own-In The Land Of The Creoles.

I am a sucker for all things Tudor, and Erickson's portrayal of Henry VIII's last wife, Catherine Parr, was an entertaining read. It wasn't entirely profound, but still gave some insight into the wife who survived the merciless monarch. The book follows Cat through her first encounters with Henry as a child, through four marriages, and the numerous scandals that come with life at court. Henry is painted as a rough, but sympathetic ruler who wants nothing more than someone to confide in. Cat voices her sympathies of all the preceding queens: her pity for Catherine of Aragon's plight, her distaste for Ann Boleyn, (not much is mentioned about Jane Seymour), her respect for Anne of Cleves, and her impatience with the immature Kathryn Howard who does not heed Cat's warnings concerning Henry's volatility. She also has to deal with the antics of "the Witch's brat," her stepdaughter, Princess Elizabeth, and her fourth husband's scheming to influence his nephew, King Edward, for his own personal gain. There is always some sort of intrigue in these circles, and Cat often experienced them first hand. Overall, this was a fun read, full of the familiar historical figures I have grown to know and love over the past few years.

Two weeks ago if you asked me about King Henry the 8th I'd of said. Dude, he was English. Now I know what century he's from, a little bit about his wives and I have some sense of what it might have been like to be a woman in his time. It's a guilty pleasure not a non fiction tome so if you're looking at it for what it is, historical fiction, it will be sheer joy and (if you're like me) prompt you to read a little history of the non-fiction variety.

Once again acclaimed author/historian Carolly Erickson allows listeners the pleasure of being privy to her subject's innermost thoughts and feelings. Listeners will find themselves spellbound as they hear Catherine Parr relate her story in her own words. Fictionalized history has never been finer or more rewarding. Terry Donnelly gives a stellar voice performance as she brings to life the well educated, clever, romantic woman who was the last of Henry VIII's six wives. To many at the time Catherine must have seemed an odd choice for Henry. She was the daughter of a country squire, and lost her first husband in 1529. She then married Sir John Nevill, a gentleman of means with a Yorkshire estate called Snipe Hall. He died in 1542, which left Catherine available to be courted by Henry. She accepted his proposal. The machinations of court life are, as always, fascinating as Catherine manages to remain aloof from the various factions. It should be noted that she did have a burgeoning interest in Protestantism and is dismayed to find the Church of England clerics every bit as crafty as the Catholics before them. She proves to be an able and thoughtful stepmother, although at the time she was only slightly older than Princess Mary. Henry was in declining health and Catherine outlived him to marry Thomas Seymour. One more riveting biography from Carolly Erickson and stellar narration by gifted stage actress Terry Donnelly. - Gail Cooke