New York Times Bestseller The latest novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory features one of the most famous girls in history, Lady Jane Grey, and her two sisters, each of whom dared to defy her queen. Jane Grey was queen of England for nine days. Her father and his allies crowned her instead of the dead king’s half sister Mary Tudor, who quickly mustered an army, claimed … Tudor, who quickly mustered an army, claimed her throne, and locked Jane in the Tower of London. When Jane refused to betray her Protestant faith, Mary sent her to the executioner’s block, where Jane transformed her father’s greedy power grab into tragic martyrdom.
“Learn you to die,” was the advice Jane wrote to her younger sister Katherine, who has no intention of dying. She intends to enjoy her beauty and her youth and fall in love. But she is heir to the insecure and infertile Queen Mary and then to her half sister, Queen Elizabeth, who will never allow Katherine to marry and produce a Tudor son. When Katherine’s pregnancy betrays her secret marriage, she faces imprisonment in the Tower, only yards from her sister’s scaffold.
“Farewell, my sister,” writes Katherine to the youngest Grey sister, Mary. A beautiful dwarf, disregarded by the court, Mary keeps family secrets, especially her own, while avoiding Elizabeth’s suspicious glare. After seeing her sisters defy their queens, Mary is acutely aware of her own danger but determined to command her own life. What will happen when the last Tudor defies her ruthless and unforgiving Queen Elizabeth?more
I really enjoy historical fiction. Philippa Gregory really makes the characters seem real. It feels as if she truly knows what they were thinking and found at the time.
I love historical fiction, especially about English history during the time period of this novel.
Phillipa has a talent for placing you in the scene. This book is about the 3 Grey sisters (Jane was queen between Mary Tudor & Elizabeth I) & is told in their voices. Fills in historical details most people don’t know much about.
If you like Gregory’s writing style , her other books , and aren’t bothered by “loosey – goosey ” playing with history, you’ll like this book just fine. Easy read? Sure. THE TUDORS was spectacle tv too, but know what you’re getting.
Even though you know the basic history, this brings the players to life, with feasible motivations and emotional reactions that help to explain how history may have actually been made.
I have read many Phillips Gregory books but this one was not a favorite. Very disappointing.
I am a huge Gregory fan, and this books doesn’t disappoint. Her character development and historical research woven into a fictional account is both informative and entertaining.
Really enjoyed this story,a real page turner and couldn’t put it down.
Very good read !
All of her books give you a real feeling for the time and place in which they are set.
Not as good as her other books.
I love her books and have read all but her very earliest ones. I love how Gregory gives voice and definition to historical persons (women) who were known previously by only their name, lineage, and maybe a one sentence dramatic byline. It’s obvious that she knows her history but she also writes an interesting and very readable work of “fiction” , at least as far as its resemblance to a history textbook. This is not my favorite of the Tudor series, but definitely worth reading, especially if you are a fan of hers or a lover of historical fiction or both.
I love everything that Philippa Gregory writes! I really enjoyed her series on the Plantagenets and Tudors, and I am sorry that this book finishes it. The only thing that I didn’t really like about this book is that it is divided into three “books.” The first book is about Jane Grey, then after she is martyred, the story is about her sisters Katherine and then Mary. I prefer books when they stick with just one main character and follow that person through to the end. But I still enjoyed it just the same!
always a good read from this author
Interesting from an historical perspective but, spoiler alert: I was hoping at least one of the sisters would have a happy ending – no such luck.
Took me a long time to get into this. Written in first person I was not entranced with the first character.
Not quite as good as her other books.
Well written. I am left with a much better idea of what it must have been like to live, and die, by a monarchs whim.
Historical fiction – mixing real, factual info with what the author thinks might have happened, the characters thoughts & development.
Book was boring to me. I did not love the characters nor could I really continue reading the book.