I've been a fan of Alison Weir's work for well over 25 years. Her style remains more suited to non-fiction, but this book is one of her best fictionalized accounts.

Weir focuses most on Katharine Parr's life before Henry. I hadn't read much about her early life, so Weir provides some unique insights into family life of the minor nobility. We see the impact of mortality as her father dies when she is young. Her mother makes the decision not to remarry in order to protect her son's inheritance. Katharine was fortunate to have relations who welcomed Katharine and her siblings into their home, while her mother moved back and forth between court and her children in the country. Katharine's mother works hard to arrange appropriate marriages and positions for her children, and Weir is very clear that Katharine and the reader understand that it's not just ambition, but survival at stake.

Katharine's first marriage and life under her father-in-law provide an important contrast to her experiences in her uncle William's home. Lord Burgh is a misogynistic despot, and he makes life miserable for everyone under his roof, especially his abused wife. Weir takes inspiration from an engraving showing a husband beating his wife while the children watch for edification on the evils of sin in a very powerful scene. Katharine's family bonds are rather quickly dissolved upon the death of her first husband, and she has little to do with this family for the rest of the book.

This is one of the weaknesses of Weir''s writing in this book. Minor characters drop out of the narrative with little explanation. I had trouble telling if it was because of an out-of-sight/out-of-mind culture of family without blood ties, or if Weir was jut a bit careless. In particular, Katharine's stepson Jack (from her second marriage,) disappears back to his home in the country and is never heard of again even though his sister remains with Katharine and dies a few years later. *Interestingly, this country home is called Snape.

Katharine remains close with her brother and sister. Her brother's marital woes and his difficulties of obtaining a divorce despite abandonment and adultery emphasize the power dynamics of the time and provide another important juxtaposition. . Henry was able, albeit with difficulty, to grant himself a divorce or have advisors help him rid himself of an unwanted spouse in other ways. William Parr found it practically impossible to get a divorce or to have Parliament (rather than the Pope) grant him the ability to remarry. Thus, William Parr died without any legitimate issue.

Katharine's story becomes more familiar after her second husband dies. She lies to herself while Henry is courting her, telling herself that she has a choice and that she can really marry the man she wants- Tom Seymour.- if she handles the situation well. But once Katharine faces reality and commits to the royal marriage, she tries to make the best of it for her family and for her faith. She is one of the most educated women of her age and arguably the most powerful woman in England, but she is still usually outmatched in political chess. Her bid to become regent under Edward fails because she fails to act decisively and boldly. Survival in Tudor England is a balancing act of maintaining humanity without letting the heart rule the head. Katharine gets carried away by religious passion, grows careless, and nearly ends up another queen in the Tower. Katharine later chooses to give in to her passion for Tom Seymour and her desire for a child, which clouds her judgment. She thus underestimates Seymour's ambition and it ends up costing her everything.

This book was a great glimpse into the Tudor Court during the time of Henry VIII. I was astounded by the amount if research Weir put into this, you could tell how hard she worked to make this as accurate as possible.

Because of that accuracy, I did feel that the plot moved a bit slowly at times. Katharine Parr was fairly removed from the Court for the first half of the book, so quite a bit of time is spent following her on her daily activities. It was interesting, but at times, got a bit boring.

I did love how this book gave Katharine dimension though. When I picked it up, I really expected this to focus on her time as Henry's wife, and little else. This book did a great job of making her other than that. She was a loving mother, educated woman, and a fierce fighter. She felt real, and it was amazing. Because of her realness though, she angered me at times. She wasn't always likeable, which is the mark of a good author.

Even though I haven't read the other books in this series, I really enjoyed this one! It was a great snapshot into Katharine's life. I'd definitely recommend this to historical fiction fans!

Thanks to Netgalley and Alison Weir for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife by Alison Weir is the latest amazing addition to her wonderful historical fiction series that covers each of the six wives of Henry VIII. This book did not disappoint.

I have read every one of the books in this series, but of course it can be delightful as a stand alone. I have been a fan of Ms. Weir for many years, and her books always are a great addition to her full portfolio.

As always, despite how much I previously have studied a particular historic figure or event, Ms. Weir is able to give a fresh perspective, additional information, and is able to present it in a way to make it fluid, fascinating, and engaging.

I loved reading even more about the last spouse of Henry VIII. It was clear it encompassed a significant amount of research and personal knowledge. I loved how it balanced perfectly between narrative and also a historic text.

I enjoyed it so much, I wished it would have been able to continue to discuss even more of Katharine's life that followed. Nevertheless, I loved every moment of it and I highly recommend.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Random House/Ballantine for this excellent arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

NOTE: I received early access to this book through netgalley in exchange for writing an impartial review. Thank you Ballantine Books. (Scheduled Publication: May 11, 2021)

I now feel as though I have met Katharine Parr, and I like her, a lot!

Author Alison Weir's Katharine is a fully-fleshed out woman -- intelligent, proud, caring -- but NOT perfect. KATHARINE PARR: THE SIXTH WIFE IS a very satisfying conclusion to Weir's six-novel series on the wives of England's King Henry VIII. 4.5 stars is probably more accurate than four.

As someone who has read a lot of historical fiction over the decades, I am accustomed to uneven execution. Sometimes I find historical novels nothing more than a recitation of facts and events, supplemented by semi-believable dialog. Other times, I find historical detail overwhelms story. So when I find a novel like this one, that strikes just the right balance of historical authenticity, dialog, and full character development -- it's a REAL treat!

Covering 30 of Katharine's 36-year life, THE SIXTH WIFE begins with the death of Katharine's father and ends with her own -- all from her point of view. Over that period, we watch her slowly evolve from a dutiful, but inconsequential daughter to a woman wise, strong and decisive enough to be a good queen.

We also see her move closer and closer to the center of political power, through four very different kinds of marriages:
1. Sir Edward Burgh
2. John Neville, 3d Baron Latimer
3. Henry VIII, King of England
4. Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley

Danger abounds. Katharine's life span coincides with Tudor England's struggle to find a suitable path from Roman Catholicism to Church of England, which presents Katharine and many of her friends with the ongoing threat of heresy.

Weir's Katharine is a complex person. An author of multiple religious books, a steady friend, and loyal to her family of origin. Loving and kind to Henry VIII's children - she is often credited with bringing them altogether as a family for the first time. Certainly all of her stepchildren (including Edward VI, Mary, and Elizabeth I) loved and respected her. But she was also capable of harsh rebukes, envy, and pettiness.

Katharine's relationship with husband #4, Tom Seymour, is interesting and believable. Though instantly attracted to one another (while she is still married to husband #2), Katharine dutifully puts her feelings aside when the King comes calling. And after Henry's death, when Katharine and Tom finally marry, her romanticized ideal slowly shifts to seeing him for who he truly is --- ambitious, self-absorbed, and always putting his own needs ahead of everyone else's. I found this portrait of Seymour much more intriguing than the way he is normally portrayed, which is attractive, popular, and charismatic.

If you are a lover of historical fiction, interested in Tudor England, or just partial to good biography -- this is well worth your investment of time.

This is a bittersweet review as it's the last novel in Alison Weir's Six Tudor Wives series. And she saved the best for last. Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife is a brilliantly researched and written novel. Having read many, many books regarding the Tudor dynasty, this is the first novel I've found that adequately covers Katharine's childhood and first two marriages.

I appreciate the fact that Weir does extensive, ongoing research on her subjects. This is evidenced in her account of Katharine's first marriage. Previously believed to have married the elder Burgh, records now prove it was the younger she wed.

Weir has done an excellent job in wrapping up her series.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

If I were rating this on how well researched and informative it was, I'd give it five stars. Finally the difference between Church of England and "Protestantism" was clear to me, and I learned a great deal about Katharine Parr herself. But this read a lot like a biography with some imagined dialogue tossed in; there was a lot of "then this happened." I know historic fiction centered on a real person has to strike a balance between the historic and the fiction. This definitely skews toward the former at the expense of the latter. Just because something occurred—her brother's marital woes, for instance—doesn't mean it needs to be included in a novel. I wish we'd been shown, rather than told, more of Katharine's inner life and how she experienced her surroundings. The workmanlike prose certainly doesn't help; the love scenes in particular are cliched and cardboard.

Thank you, Ballantine Books and NetGalley, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review for Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife by Alison Weir
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

The final wife who survived!

As a history major I am obsessed with historical fiction and love seeing how authors intertwine reality with facts and create an amazing, engaging and entertaining story like Alison Weir always manages to do. I read almost any historical fiction I can get my hands on relating to Henry the 8th and his 6 wives, and the final novel in her series does not disappoint. Seeing KP portrayed as the strong, independent woman she was is exciting. KP was a published author and hired women to paint her picture. KP was ahead of her time and it is hard to find stories about her. Amazing read! Alison Weir does her best work!

Katharine Parr: the final wife. She’s the only one who outlived Henry and her marriage to Henry.
Although she isn’t my favorite wife (my heart belong to Annie B), her story was still quite fascinating. I feel like being that she wasn’t of royal stock, or royal adjacent, her story is a bit different. I really enjoyed this look at her life.


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Thank you so much to Ballantine Books & Netgalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I had read Alison Weir's novel about the six wives of Henry VIII years ago so I knew a little about Katherine Parr but this novel had much more detail about her early life before she married the King as well as her life after his death. This book is the last in a six-novel series about Henry VIII's wives but it does not disappoint as a stand-alone novel. I enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone interested in English history, especially the tumultuous time period when Henry broke with Rome and established the Church of England. I was surprised to learn that the Church of England as established by Henry and Protestantism were not the same and many Protestants had to hide their faith under the guise of reforming the Catholic Church because true Protestantism was considered heresy. All in all, an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC. As with all Alison Weir books i didn't want this one to end. I knew it was the last one and I knew what happened in the end but I still wished the story could continue. She is a wonderful author and I will read anything she writes!

This book shows the depth of Alison Weir's knowledge of the era, but I found that it echoed other books far too much. Reading certain sections gave me a sense of deja vu, especially when dealing with the young Elizabeth and Henry himself. Weir is an excellent writer and reseracher.
Perhaps this could not have been avoided but still, I felt that sections dealing with Parr herself were the best..
An interesting read, but definitely the degree of detail and repetition make it more for determined lovers of the period than for those who have a casual interest in British history, like me.

This was the best historical fiction novel I have read in a long while. Although all of Alison Weir's books are a delight. Even though Katherine Parr's life was the main subject of this book, I learned so much more about the dissolution of the Catholic Church and the reforms that came about as a result of this and the huge role Katherine played in bringing about a great deal of these reforms. Her first 2 marriages were content but not particularly happy. But when she was once again a widow and began being courted by King Henry VIII and Thomas Seymour, it was a very difficult situation for her -- follow her heart and stay by Seymour or possibly become Queen of England and influence Henry to go a bit further in the reforms he had already begun. She chose the more difficult,, but Godly route. Untiil I read this book, I had a quite negative view of King Henry as a fickle husband who beheaded two of his wives, broke with the Pope, plundered the monasteries' wealth throughout England and executed dissenters, yet this taught me that he also had a razor sharp mind, great theological knowledge and through not a passionate but a loving in it's own way relationship with Katherine's influence and discussions about religion and where it needed to go in the future for England it was a happy marriage in it's own way. This section of the book left me spellbound and opened my mind to various diverse opinions on religion. The true tragedy of Katherine's life was the gossip surrounding her marriage to Thomas Seymour, his unfaithfulness with her favorite stepdaughter, the futire Qieen Elizabeth and finally her unnecessary death at the birth of her only child Mary because Thomas wouldn't allow a male physician in the birthroom when she was bleeding profusely and probably died of purpereal fever. Thank you so much Net Galley, the great Alison Weir and Ballantine Books for a most enlightening and delightful read.

A great conclusion to Alison Weir's six wives of Henry VIII series and this one did not disappoint! Katherine Parr was always one of my favorite figures in history, very learned, very knowledgeable, but also so sad.

Everyone knows Henry VIII had six wives, but the 6th one seems to be one of the least talked about. Katharine Parr had the distinction of not only being the King's last wife, but of the one who out lived him.
Katharine had lived an interesting life before Henry, The fact that she had been married twice previously, but had been reasonably happy with both husbands was a surprising fact given the times and the fate of most women.
Alison Weir does and amazing job of bringing Katharine to life and telling details that are often overlooked when Katharine's story is told.
As usual, Ms. Weir draws you in and keeps you interested from start to finish. "Katharine Parr, The sixth Wife" is the last in the series of of books on the wives of King Henry VII. After reading this book, I will now go back and read the previous five.
a big thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book in advance.

544 pages

5 stars

I am very sad to see this series end. I can always, however, go back and re-read this fabulous series of novels.

This book is an imaginative and fascinating telling of the life of Henry VIII's sixth wife Katharine Parr. I knew something about Katharine, such as her thrice widowhood and the fact that she outlived her third husband, Henry VIII, to marry again. This time she was to marry for love.

Following an almost enchanted childhood, things were going to get tough for the future queen. She was mother to many step-children, including Henry's three. She longed for a child of her own and finally succeeded in having a daughter she named Mary in honor of Mary Tudor. Then tragedy.

Regarding her marriage to Henry, I did not realize that he was so tender to Katharine. He seemed to really love her, and although she initially did not want to marry him (for she had another she loved), she grew to become very fond and even to love him. I had thought that by that time in his reign, he had become a true ogre.

This book is written in Ms. Weir's usual hypnotic manner. The reader is almost dared to tear themselves away – and it is very hard to do! There is action, drama, pathos and joy. The writing, plotting and transitions are seamless. Ms. Weir is truly an author whose books are a joy to read!

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine/Ballantine for forwarding to me a copy of this wonderful book for me to read,enjoy and review. The opinions given here are my own.

Another amazing book by Alison Weir. Like the others from the Six Queens series, this one does not disappoint!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

A fitting conclusion to a well-researched series. Katharine Parr is often a forgotten member of the infamous group of women who were married to Henry VIII. More remembered as the "survivor" this novel captures the essence of her character and how much she lived and witnessed before her ultimate marriage for what she is forever associated with. I learned a lot about this part of Tudorian history that is often glossed over by others.

My only slight criticism would be the immense numbers of characters where things might get a little confused if not reading too closely.

But overall, would recommend everyone read this series and I cannot wait to see what Allison Weir tackles next.

I'd like to thank Net Galley for the ARC of Alison Weir's Katherine Parr, the Sixth Wife

First it must be said that Alison Weir writes truly masterful historical fiction. She manages to bring the historical figures that she writes about to life without sacrificing historical accuracy and without venturing into the sphere of inaccessibility. Her latest work Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife concludes her six part series on the wives Henry VIII. In the famous rhyme about the six wives of Henry VIII ( Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived) the titular character, Katharine Parr is the wife who survived her husband. Yet Katharine Parr deserves to be remembered as much more than just a survivor. This novel shows the she was a devoted mother, well-educated, a writer, and an advocate for religious reform in England. Weir's novel brings to light these multi-faceted parts of personality, that can be so easily forgotten in the shadow of Henry VIII's infamous reputation.

In the novel, the reader follows Katharine from her life as minor noble in Tudor England to her eventual rise as Queen of Englands. This dramatic ascendency is all set against the tumultuous background of the English Reformation. In Weir's portrait of Katharine we are introduced to a woman who compassionate, intellectual gifted and utterly committed to her religious views. Weir's novel does a good job setting up the fact that in the wake of Henry VIII schism from the Catholic Church, there was still a lot of uncertainty about the way religion should be practiced. Through this novel we see that his breaking from the church was more than just a theological debate. It was more than just a political conflict, rather it had serious repercussion for both the English nobility and the common people who they governed. Given her extensive (for the period) education and natural intelligence, Katharine developed firm views on this matter and ultimately viewed her union with the aging Henry VIII as way to maintain the theological integrity of the fledgling Church of England and bring spiritual peace to population that was ailing. She is, thus, another example of the many women throughout history who have put duty before personal happiness and comfort in order to service a higher goal .

My criticisms of the novel are small and should by no means deter a future reader. First the cast of characters in expansive and at times it can get bit confusing if you are just reading casually. Sometimes it seems that characters just pop up and the recede into the background as swiftly as they were introduced. Beyond this, the pacing felt a bit slow in the first half of the book. It takes a while before Katharine gets to the Tudor court and overall I wish we could have seen more of time there. Finally just a point of curiosity, it would have been nice to see some epilogue space devoted to the fates of her daughter Mary and her final husband.

Again these are minor quibbles, anyone who regularly reads works of Tudor historical fiction should be very satisfied with this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife.

I was looking for a break from reading the typical thrillers/domestic dramas so I was pleased when my request was approved. Every once in a while, I like to immerse myself in a historical novel.

The last book in Ms. Weir's series fit the bill.

Most people are familiar with the king's first two wives, the sophisticated Catherine of Aragon and the ambitious Anne Boleyn, who are also mothers to the most famous Queens in English history, Mary, Queen of Scots and the illustrious Queen Elizabeth.

Katharine Parr is much less well known. I only know of her name and that she's one of two wives who survived marriage to Henry.

I knew nothing of her background and how she came to be his last wife so it was fascinating to learn she had a happy childhood, a wonderful relationship with her mother who believed women should receive a fine education just as men do, that she was a closet Protestant, she wrote spiritual guides and Henry valued her friendship, her intellect and her wit.

She was not ambitious, in that she did not want to go to court and climb the ranks, but she was savvy. She counseled two husbands, was watchful and careful of her actions and words, and knew enough that gossip and devious and malicious acts were the ways of the court.

Ms. Weir has done copious research and it shines through in her writing; descriptions of the castles and countryside, outbreaks of plague (how apt to read this during a pandemic), the roles of women (breeders of babies, preferably boys) and the state of religion and the monarchy.

I was sad that after all Katharine Parr had lived through, survived, learned, and accomplished, her death was the result of an infection after childbirth. I'm always shocked at how many women survived childbearing in ye olden days.

I was curious to know what happened to Katharine's daughter and husband and wished the author had mentioned them in her afterword.

I recommend this well written book of an interesting woman who should better acknowledged in history.