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The Spanish Queen

The Spanish Queen, November 2013
by Carolly Erickson

St. Martin's Press
288 pages
ISBN: 1250000122
EAN: 9781250000125
Kindle: B00CQYBA9I
Hardcover / e-Book
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"A Historical Suspense"

Fresh Fiction Review

The Spanish Queen
Carolly Erickson

Reviewed by Lee Erin Berryhill
Posted December 22, 2013

Historical

Young Catherine of Aragon leaves Spain to marry the sickly Prince Arthur. In England she finds a completely different world than the one she left behind. She is determined to do her best, and when Arthur dies, leaving her a widow, Catherine decides to marry his younger brother Henry, and soon becomes Queen of England. Unable to give the king the son he so desperately wants, Catherine is soon replaced by the wayward Anne Boleyn. Catherine quickly finds herself fighting for her throne, her daughter's life, and her own. History comes to life in this entertaining historical fiction. Carolly Erickson has written a fresh take on the well - known life of Catherine of Aragon. Most everyone knows Catherine was King Henry VIII's first wife, but with Erickson's genius in making Catherine the narrator, readers will learn new details about her life as Queen of England. Erickson accurately describes the Tudor court in THE SPANISH QUEEN, making sure to include all the suspense, intrigue, and flamboyant characters of the time. Readers must remember that Erickson has taken some creative license, but by keeping to historical facts THE SPANISH QUEEN is a dramatic, page - turning read. The reader will see the life of Catherine through her own eyes, and experience Catherine's emotions right along with her. Readers will be heartbroken when Arthur dies, blissful when Mary is born, and betrayed when Anne becomes queen. These emotions bring Catherine alive, and create more than a queen, but also a mother, wife, and loyal daughter. Catherine is a stanch believer in her faith, and a dedicated queen right up to her death, making the ending much more sorrowful and moving. Erickson makes THE SPANISH QUEEN easily readable, while keeping the vivid time period alive. THE SPANISH QUEEN is a remarkable read I may find myself rereading one day

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SUMMARY

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Wife of Henry VIII comes a powerful and moving novel about Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife and mother of Mary I When young Catherine of Aragon, proud daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, is sent to England to marry the weak Prince Arthur, she is unprepared for all that awaits her: early widowhood, the challenge of warfare with the invading Scots, and the ultimately futile attempt to provide the realm with a prince to secure the succession. She marries Arthur's energetic, athletic brother Henry, only to encounter fresh obstacles, chief among them Henry's infatuation with the alluring but wayward Anne Boleyn. In The Spanish Queen, bestselling novelist Carolly Erickson allows the strong-willed, redoubtable Queen Catherine to tell her own story—a tale that carries her from the scented gardens of Grenada to the craggy mountains of Wales to the conflict-ridden Tudor court. Surrounded by strong partisans among the English, and with the might of Spanish and imperial arms to defend her, Catherine soldiers on,  until her union with King Henry is severed and she finds herself discarded—and tempted to take the most daring step of her life. Carolly Erickson's historical entertainments continue to succeed in creating a unique blend of historical authenticity and page-turning drama. 


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