Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife by Alison Weir is the fictionalized story of the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII of England. Katharine had been married four times and curiously died from childbirth with her last husband, Lord Thomas Seymour. It was her first child. Weir has written this fascinating series and having read several, I feel this is the best of them. She has done a more than competent job of sticking pretty much to the timeline and yet making the story supremely readable. She has inserted much dialogue and even some possible explanations for things that happened that are impossible to explain at this late date. This was a wonderful boo, interesting on every page, about a very impressive woman who is overlooked in history because she outlived the famous Henry. I recommend this book highly.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #katharineparrthesixthwife

This is the final book in Alison Weir’s Six Tudor Queens series. I love Alison Weir and I jump at every chance I have to review any of her books, both non-fiction and fiction. Most books I have already pre-ordered before I read the ARC, but this was not one of those although I do intend to purchase it. Weir is THE Tudor historian and almost all of her fiction is loved because of how well it sticks to known facts. This book is Weir at her finest. It reminded me why I first fell in love with her fiction work with her book on Lady Jane Grey.

The book follows Katharine Parr from her childhood, through all her marriages, to her death after the birth of her only child. Parr is the queen I know least about, as far as there is a lot of known information about her. I have read Weir’s non-fiction The Six Wives of Henry VIII, but that was really all my background on her. From what I do know about her, this book followed more closely to history than any of the previous books in this series. Some of the details of her first two marriages aren’t well known, but Weir does an excellent job filling in the blanks with plausible explanations. I loved her handling of her the well-known issue of Thomas Seymour and the then Lady Elizabeth.

I really liked how Weir handled her marriage to Henry VIII and the fear she felt because of her Protestant beliefs. Her fear over those beliefs was one of the reasons this is a 4 star read instead of 5. It was a bit redundant that Katharine repeatedly said she couldn’t let multiple husbands know about her feelings on religion. I get that it would have equated death at that time, but by chapter 9 I was over her saying it. Of the other parts I questioned, one I know for certain didn’t work with history Weir herself has researched and written about and I hope it was fixed before publication (I was unfortunately too late finishing this to email the publisher and don’t yet have the published copy and I will not include this part in other online reviews), the rest I think I am just too rusty or don’t remember those specific aspects of history to say one way or another.

Overall, I really liked this book and it is 4.5 stars out of 5 for me. I wish both Netgalley and Goodreads allowed for half star ratings for books like this. Katharine comes to life and it really is Weir at her finest. It makes me sad this is the final book in the series, but I have high hopes she continues to write historical fiction from both this period, and her Medieval Queens non-fiction series. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House/Ballantine Publishing and Alison Weir for the electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Many, many years ago I picked up some history books on various royalty including the Tudors written by Alison Weir, but I never got around to reading them. Recently I discovered that Weir also wrote historical novels about the wives of Henry VIII. Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife, is the final volume in the series. It goes on sale to the general public May 11. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it took me quite a while to get into the book. I knew nothing of Katharine Parr beyond the fact that she was Henry VIII’s last wife, and that she outlived him. The book begins when Katharine is a child, and as she comes of age, her marriage to a man in his early 20’s. The marriage was short-lived because her husband died. Then, she was married to a man who had teenagers and two wives buried. Her early life and marriages make up the first 40% of the book, and while many of the events were historically accurate I came to find out while listening to The Six Wives of Henry VIII on audiobook, also by Weir, I was pretty bored. It wasn’t until Katharine went to court and met Henry that things picked up for me.

Katharine was really in love with Thomas Seymour, Jane Seymour’s older brother and uncle to Prince Edward, but once Henry sets his sights on her, she could not refuse him, choosing her sense of duty instead of love. And for the most part, Henry treated her well. Why he chose Katharine is a bit of a mystery, what with Henry obsessed with the line of succession and only having one son in a time when many children did not live to adulthood. And Katharine had no children in her previous two marriages, so the fact that she might not be able to have children must have crossed his mind. Yet Henry still chose her.

Katharine was a closet Protestant, and a faction in Henry’s court suspected her of as much and attempted to have her arrested for heresy. But she knew it was coming and disposed of all her “heretical” books and advised those close to her to do the same. She threw herself at Henry’s mercy and for once in his life, he backed off and tore up the arrest papers.

Henry trusted Katharine enough to declare her regent while he was off fighting the French, and relied upon her to be a good step-mother to his three children. Many historians believe that Katharine’s tutelage of young Elizabeth showed the princess how to behave when she became queen herself. Katharine proved to be a good step-mother to all three children, although Mary refused to speak to her after Henry died and Katharine married Thomas Seymour only four months later.

Finally, with her fourth husband, Katharine got pregnant and delivered a healthy baby girl. But as with many women during centuries past, childbirth could be dangerous for a woman, and Katharine developed an infection and died twelve days later.

While the first part of the book bored me, the second part was compelling. The fact that I was listening to the nonfiction book by Weir at the same time as reading this book helped me figure out which events were fabricated and which were historically accurate; surprisingly, most of the fictional story contains accurate information. I’ll have to pick up Weir’s other five books on Henry VIII’s queens at the library because overall, I did enjoy the book.

Alison Weir is the authority on the Tudor wives and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning more about all 6 of them in this series of books. She has shown a light on each of these women as individuals, not just as King Henry’s wives. Although their roles as his wives were certainly important and interesting to read about as well. What impresses me most is how Weir is able to paint a portrait of these women who history has not told us much about.

Like all of Alison Weir’s books, this was a great read. Facts and fiction are masterfully woven together to create an intriguing and captivating story. As an avid fan of Tudor England, I cherished the chance to learn more about Katharine Parr, one of the more overlooked of Henry VIII’s queens. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in this era of history!

I love Tudor England. Anytime I see a book centered around that time period, I’m instantly interested.
I’ve read two books in this series, so I knew what to expect and I feel the same about this one as I do the others.

Pros:

The history. This is the reason I wanted to read this book. I didn’t know much about Katharine and now I feel informed. Of course it’s just one person’s interpretation and bound to be incorrect in places, but I still love all the shenanigans and drama at play. Because I’ve read/watched quite a bit about this time period, my acquired knowledge made the story mostly familiar and this story helped fill in some gaps.

The culture. I think it’s fascinating/depressing to see just how much things have changed in the last 500-ish years. I know this is a stark comparison, but take Henry’s son Edward. By the time he’s about eight he’s extremely well-behaved and has been taught Scripture, theology, Latin, Greek, classics, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, grammar, rhetoric, horsemanship, archery, fencing, tennis, music, dancing and military skills. If only that’s how schooling looked now.
It’s not just the education I wish we still practiced. What’s inspiring to see is how much the family name meant back then. You weren’t just some random person with no roots; you had a title, a history, a clan. Families were important and they took their legacy seriously. It’s a shame that’s not the norm in today’s world.

The last half. Once she marries Henry, things pick up. Not only was I in known territory but the plot gained some much needed action and interest.

Cons:

The names. Even though I am fairly acquainted with the players of that time, I still lost track occasionally. They apparently had only a handful of names to choose from and it gets confusing when half the people in a room are named Mary and Thomas. Or Jane and Henry. Or Katherine and Edward. I was shocked when the name Dorothy appeared.
But it’s not just the first names you have to worry about, it’s the titles too. Suffolk, Norfolk, Surrey, and Bishop, Lord Chancellor, and Lord Privy Seal; it’s a lot.
If you know nothing of Henry VIII’s court, you will quickly be lost.

It’s a little boring. Until she marries Henry, the plot doesn’t do much. Her early life and first two marriages are a mixed bag and don’t provide riveting action or court intrigue. All the important movement happens off the page and we’re stuck with Katharine’s limited and plodding lifestyle.

The writing style. I already knew the author’s not a gifted storyteller as far as dialogue, characterization and overall prose goes. When you’re writing about real people, I understand there are limits you must adhere to, but that doesn’t mean you have to be starchy in every area.
The way it’s written is: this happens, then this, then this and so on. It doesn’t feel personal. It’s like a history book with dialogue. The people telegraph their emotions in dialogue tags and it leaves no room for speculation on the reader’s part because everything is told to you. Compare this to the Wolf Hall trilogy and its lackluster style becomes even more obvious.

Could be a pro or con:

The details. Some people want to hear every historical detail. I personally don’t care what kind of fabric the dresses are made from or what jewels are encrusting an item, especially when they’re mentioned all the time. It’s kinda interesting to hear about all their “homes” being constructed/renovated. They did provide a lot of jobs, but I can’t help think that if they didn’t spend so much money on another house, the country wouldn’t have been as bankrupt.

I’m glad to know more history, but if you want an easy and entertaining entry point for the Tudor years, I’d look elsewhere.

I’m a massive fan of anything relating to the Tudor dynasty. So, when I got the chance to read Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife by Alison Weir, I could not wait. I read this in one sitting and a very long night. I could not get enough and had to know more with each page I read.

Excellent and engaging end to Alison Weir's "Six Tudor Queens" series. I've read this entire series now and Ms. Weir continues with this title to stand out, as always, a masterful story-teller.

If you're interested in this time period, any of Henry the VIII's ill-fated wives, being forced to marry due to political gain for your family, life for the wealthy of the Tudor period, or just a really well written, enjoyable book, I urge you to read this series. They're wonderful to sink into; they really give you vivid imagery of what life must have been like for Henry's wives.

I received an eARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions shared are mine and are influenced by nothing other than my own reading experience.

My interest in the Tudor Wives goes back to sixth grade, when I read “The Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I, Red Rose of the House of Tudor.” I couldn’t help but get swept up in the glamour and excitement of the Royal Family of the 1500s, and could not believe there had been a king who had six wives!

My interest continued as I snuck episodes of “The Tudors” (Jonathan Rhys Myers, though beautiful, is just a prime example of its historical inaccuracies, though I will attribute Natalie Dormer’s Anne Boleyn to her continuing to be my favorite of the six to this day).

In high school, I discovered “The Other Boleyn Girl,” first watching the Scarlett Johansson movie and then devouring the Philippa Gregory novel. I couldn’t get enough! In college, a friend who shared the obsession recommended Alison Weir.

I first read “The Marriage Game,” telling the story of Elizabeth I wielding her feminine wiles and the prospect of marriage to make and break alliances and establish herself as one of England’s greatest monarchs.

This series, in particular, has been near and dear to my heart. I read the first and second back-to-back during my first year of grad school, and loved learning so much about each wife that has been buried by history. Even Weir’s artistic liberties, such as filling in the gaps of Anna of Kleves’s love life, has provided me food for thought and helped to flesh these women out in ways that they haven’t been before.

I wonder at her decisions in this book - in particular, portraying Katharine’s marriage with Henry as loving and happy. I was also curious to see how she would cover the controversial relationship between Thomas Seymour and Elizabeth, who was a child at the time she lived with Seymour and her stepmother after her father’s death.

I do understand that these are works of fiction, but topics of abuse are such delicate ones that it could have been easy to screw up. I respect that she represented perspectives of the time without outright victim blaming or glamorizing unhealthy situations.

Alison Weir is a best-selling author and historian, focusing mainly on Tudor's history. Weir's nonfiction is top-tier with biographies like The Six Wives of Henry VIII and The Life of Elizabeth I. Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife is Weir's next foray into historical fiction. Book six of the "Six Tudor Queens" ends with Henry's last wife, Katherine Parr. Parr was the oldest of Henry's queens and possibly the best-fitted for the mercurial king. Her patience and maturity were much needed in Henry's life after his many romantic encounters.

The novel begins with Katherine's childhood, bringing forth facts about her upbringing and melding them with fictional drama. Weir takes us on a journey from Parr's marriage to Henry after his death. The story gives us an imagines look into what life might have been like for Katherine after being chosen as Henry VIII's final wife. The tumultuous and violent reign of the Tudor king must have frightened Katherine. One wrong move could have meant the death of Parr.


'"Katharine was five when death cast its black shadow over her life. It was a terrible time of fear and grief when the dread plague known as the sweating sickness ravaged London" (Weir).

Weir's talent with reviving the past is prevalent in Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife. Like her biographies, the book presents the truth. However, Alison Weir's fictional writing is not as compelling as her nonfiction. The novel checks off the necessary items on the list: drama, love, and deceit. Despite following the rules, the author falls short. Weir's creative writing feels similar to her historical nonfiction. The words feel cold and flat, lacking a specific voice and style.

I enjoyed the novel, but not as much as Weir's biographies. I wanted more passionate writing and less historical facts. Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife, reads more like an essay on the Tudor queen than an exciting tale of a girl turned queen. Parr's life was exciting, but unfortunately, she was not as fascinating as her predecessors. Perhaps that is why the novel feels strained and monotonous. That being said, I look forward to what Alison Weir has in store for the future.

Wow! This book is amazing! Every single time I picked up "Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife", I was whisked back in time to the Tudor Era, and I was immersed in history that came to life right before my eyes.

I absolutely love Alison Weir's book, both fiction and non-fiction. This novel is a part of her historical fiction series, "Six Tudor Queens", with each book focusing on one of Henry VIII's wives. Ms. Weir has such a beautiful way of telling history in such a way that grabs the reader's interest from the first page to the last. I could envision each and every moment, and Ms. Weir seamlessly blends history with fiction, and the result is this INCREDIBLE book!

Katharine Parr was the sixth wife of Henry VIII, and what an intelligent, compassionate, brave, interesting, and kind woman she was. I really feel like I came to understand Katharine more as a person, as well as a deeper understanding of her life from reading this book. From earlier moments in her life, to her life and marriage with Henry VIII, to her marriage to Thomas Seymour, Katharine went through so much. To Henry VIII, she was a kind wife, and wonderful and loving step-mother to his children. She was able to navigate the politics of court life while remaining true to herself, and I can only imagine how she felt with the danger around every corner. I do not want to spoil anything in this review, so, I will simply say, this book is an absolute must-read!

If you enjoy historical fiction and / or reading about the Tudor Era, I highly recommend this book! It kept me turning page after page and chapter after chapter, and I can't wait to see what Ms. Weir writes next!

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, it is incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

With Katharine Parr, the Sixth Wife, Alison Weir brings her fictional series about the Henry VIII’s wives to a close, and she does so triumphantly, capturing many of Katharine’s good qualities that often get overlooked by casual fans who merely know the rhyme “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.”

What really struck me was how, in comparison to Henry’s other wives, Katharine Parr’s personal tragedies were almost all unconnected with him, from losing two previous husbands, to not being allowed to follow her heart, due to the way marriages were primarily political back then. And when she finally was in a position to marry for love after Henry’s death, Thomas Seymour proved to be a rogue who loved her in his way but also lusted after a greater prize in her stepdaughter Elizabeth, brazenly acting on his impulses while the three lived in the same household. The way Weir recreated those scenes was shocking, and I particularly felt for Katharine in those moments, as she struggled with what was best to do for both her marriage and Elizabeth’s safety.

Meanwhile, while there were some minor (comparatively, anyway) storms in her marriage to Henry, like one where it was rumored she was going to be arrested and Henry planned to set her aside in favor of her recently widowed friend, Catherine Brandon, the Duchess of Suffolk, she seemed to have her happiest years as Queen of England with a husband who more or less loved and respected her, in defiance of his track record, and the love of her stepchildren, who considered her a second mother, having lost each of their own.

On that note, I really like that Weir is able to not only bring the wives and Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward to life, but it’s interesting to see each wife interact with Henry and how Weir imagines it, because the fact is, while he could be a mercurial tyrant, he was kind to those in his favor. The more or less warm relationship between him and Katharine was nice to see, and was sweet without feeling out of character.

But can Alison Weir (or any historical writer) write a book about Catherine Willoughby/Brandon? I loved the bits with her in this book, especially when she called her dog, Gardiner (named mockingly after the Bishop), to heel. I’ve been intrigued by her based on the little bits I’ve learned, especially that little tidbit about her dog, and she just needs to be a main character in a novel or the subject of a long-form biography.

This book was a bit slow in places, but given the length of the book and the time it covers, that’s not unexpected. And given Weir’s reputation for accuracy, this is in keeping with her style, especially having read others in the series.

This is a definite must-read for fans of Tudor England and the Six Wives. While Katharine Parr is not one of the more appealing of the wives, I think fans who don’t know a ton about her story will be drawn in, and those who do will be delighted with a faithful, emotional rendering of the life of Henry VIII’s sixth queen.

I really loved this series, and am kind of sad that it's over. This was a great book, but it wasn't my favorite of the series. I just wasn't too fond of the characters in this book, not because of anything the author did, but because a lot of the real-life figures featured in this story were either kind of boring or kind of awful. Which made for not the most entertaining of stories. This was pretty on par with the Anna of Cleves novel in the series. Still good, still worth reading. I can't stop recommending this series!

Katherine Parr has not previously been well served by her biographers who focused on her marriage to Henry VIII. She is here, in this wonderful expansive look at her life, loves, and personal quests. She's the wife who survived Henry. She's also a woman who survived two marriages, the first to an abusive toad, Her interest in healing the religious schisms (or at least toning down things down) was the reason she chose to marry Henry rather than the man she truly loved- Thomas Seymour. The machinations of the Tudor Court and the religious debate loom large and, as always with Weir's books, I learned a great deal. I also found myself doing a bit of research into some of the characters (note that there's a large cast). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Weir's storytelling elevates this terrific historical fiction.

Series centered on each of the wives of the eighth King Henry ends on a satisfying if somewhat stiff entry.

The pace moves slower than the last two as Henry winds down his impact; a meticulous (and admittedly dramatically enhanced) recounting of KH8’s last and surviving wife. ★★★½

This biography of Katharine Parr is told not like a scholarly work but like a story. It takes a few liberties to provide an immersive experience, but it's worth the tradeoff. It provides a strong flavor of the turmoil during the reign of Henry VIII, especially the reform of the Anglican Church. It was a frightening time to be alive and especially frightening for anyone associated with the court.

It's easy to feel like Katharine Parr was the least interesting of Henry VIII's wives, because the marriage was relatively uneventful compared to the previous ones. But in fact, Katharine may have played a large role in restoring the princesses Mary and Elizabeth to the succession, which had an enormous impact on history. It was also interesting learning about Katharine's life before she became queen.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

As a huge fan of Alison Weir I was very excited to read her latest, Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife. This is an outstanding telling of the last wife and Queen of Henry VIII. Katharine was well educated and clever. Although married and widowed three times, she found love with her fourth husband, Thomas Seymour. There is a lot of court intrigue and evil-doings going on and Katharine manages to save her own life and makes quite an impact on her country and the monarchy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC!

Katharine Parr was Henry VIII's sixth wife.
His first and second wife he set aside. Meaning it was like he never married them. Anne Boleyn and another wife were beheaded, another wife died in childbirth.
Katharine Parr was married four times. The King was her third marriage.
This is a historical novel written by Alison Weir. it has the magical flow that the author is know for. It is full of details that makes the story realistic.
Great read!

A woman twice widowed with no children of her own has the opportunity to choose who she will marry next. Will she marry the man of her dreams or marry the man who has been married numerous times and has killed two of his wives already? It seems like a no-brainer who she should choose, but the man she married for her third marriage was the man who was married numerous times before simply because he is the notorious King Henry VIII and you do not disobey the king. However, his last wife, Katharine Parr, is willing to fight for the religious reforms and her stepchildren that she loves dearly. In the last book of the Six Tudor Queens series, “Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife”, Alison Weir takes her readers on an extraordinary journey to explore who this brave woman was and why she is the one who survived Henry’s last days.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House/ Ballantine Books for sending me a copy of this novel. I have enjoyed the Six Tudor Queens series so far and I was looking forward to reading the last book. Like many people, I know what happened with Katharine during her marriage to Henry VIII and her fourth marriage to Thomas Seymour, but I am not well informed when it comes to her first two marriages. Katharine Parr has been my favorite wife of King Henry VIII for a while now and I wanted to read a novel about her life, to see what Weir’s interpretation of her life story would be like.

Katharine Parr’s story begins with her childhood and her connection with her family. It was unique to see how her childhood helped shaped what type of queen she would become as her mother pushed hard for her daughters to be well educated. Katharine’s first husband, Sir Edward Burgh, was just a boy who followed whatever his father, Sir Thomas Burgh, asked him to do. I think Weir has a unique spin on Katharine’s life with Edward Burgh and their marriage, but it did not last long as Edward Burgh would die in 1533.

Katharine’s second husband, John Neville 3rd Baron Latimer, was her longest marriage. Although they had no children of their own, like Katharine’s marriage to Edward Burgh, it was a happy relationship. They may have differed when it came to their views on religion, but they did seem to love each other. Their happy household was thrown asunder when the Pilgrimage of Grace and Robert Aske knocked on their door and asked for help. There was a real sense of danger during this episode and the bravery that Katharine showed was nothing short of astounding.

When John died, Katharine was left with a choice of who her third husband would be; either the ailing Henry VIII or the suave and debonair Thomas Seymour who deeply loved Katharine. Katharine’s choice was Henry VIII who she hoped she could sway to accept the religious reforms that she believed in strongly. She developed a friendship with the king and his children, but she was still in love with Thomas Seymour. She wrote books during this time that gave her comfort during the difficult times when the court tried to attack her for what she believed and wanted to pit her against Henry. In the end, love triumphed over sorrow and Katharine survived to live with her beloved until the end of her days.

I found this book an absolute treat to read. As someone who loves Katharine Parr and her story, this novel just made me love her even more. The one problem that I had was actually with the spelling of her name as Weir spelled it a bit differently than what I am used to, but it was really a minor detail. I am a bit sad that this is the last book in this wonderful series, but this book was worth the wait.

This novel was a delight to read. It was full of action and intrigue, intense love, and immense sorrow. Katharine was one remarkable woman, just like every wife of Henry VIII Weir has written about in this marvelous series. “Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife” by Alison Weir is a masterpiece in historical fiction and the perfect conclusion to the Six Tudor Queens series that will leave readers satisfied.

4.5 stars
This is my first time reading a historical fiction novel about a real person that I actually have a decent amount of knowledge on. Where did I get that knowledge, you ask? Why, from The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir, of course.

I used to read a lot more historical fiction than I do currently, but I was happy to get back to it with this book. Since I read history as well, I have a bad habit of picking apart the inaccurate details in most historical fiction’s. So where can I expect accuracy in abundance? Why, from a historian of course! Now I realize I can’t necessarily use the word “accurate“ for the dialogue, since a word for word transcript doesn’t exist. But it all read as very plausible to me. As I would expect from this author everything is very well written. While I have read quite a few of Weir’s history books, this is my first fiction from her, but will certainly not be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.