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
Not as captivating as her other Tudor books. A little disappointing.
Phillippa Gregory is a historian who happens to be a great novelist. I’ve loved every book in this series — sorry to see it end!
I love this kind of book and am now reading Plaidy’s Katharine the VIrgin Queen. She and Gregory are the best at this genre! Of course.
nice view of history
Interesting twist on history, loved the story she was weaving along with the tapestries
Historical and interesting.
Philippa Gregory in top form telling the stories of Jane Grey’s younger sisters.
Disjointed, a disappointment. Not what I was expecting from from this author.
I enjoy all of Philippa Gregory’s books, including this one.
great read
Couldn’t get into it, didn’t love the first person narrative
Great historical writer. Research is well done.
Is about my favorite period in history. Well written.
Not quite as good as the previous books in this series but still good.
Even though this was fiction, I feel that a lot of the book’s plot was based on history, which made it more enjoyable.
While it was an interesting portrayal of the Grey sisters and how their relation to Elizabeth I impacted their lives, it is not one of Gregory’s more interesting or well-written books.
Yes I would recommend this to anyone interested in the Tudor period. Well-researched and fascinating.
I didn’t like it ,very bigoted view of certain Tudors
I’ve read many of Philippa Gregory’s books and loved them all. If only we could have studied history this way. Her characters come alive and it’s almost as if you’re there watching while it all is happening.
Phillipa Gregory has a whole series of books set in the time around Henry VIII. I appreciate the historical novel in that it is not as dry as pure history yet still gives you a sense of the times.