If you enjoy English history, you've probably heard the poetic phrase about King Henry VIII's wives -- "Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived." QUEEN'S GAMBIT is the story of the one who survived, Katherine Parr.

The novel begins not long after Henry had his teenage bride Catherine Howard executed for having an affair (considered treason in a royal marriage). The recently widowed Katherine Parr has come to court to serve his daughter Mary, and he finds her fascinating. Katherine doesn't want to remarry - - she's enjoying her freedom as a widow and has a lover -- but what the king wants, the king gets. In a matter of weeks, the two are married.

Elizabeth Fremantle narrates this fictional account through the eyes of two women -- Katherine herself and her trusted servant, Dot. Through Fremantle's words, you can feel the oppressiveness and danger of the Tudor court, the passions for the new religion, and the very real fears of being prosecuted for heresy or treason. I enjoyed her insights on the people and the issues of the time.

I did find Fremantle's manner of telling the story a little hard to get used to. The novel is written in a third person present tense that I found rather awkward throughout.

I am by no means a scholar of the period, but I have read historical accounts of Henry VIII's courts and often compare television dramas and movies to the known facts of the time. That limited knowledge, and Fremantle's own notes and bibliography in the book, make me feel that she has diligently researched the life of Katherine Parr and the people around her. She admits taking liberties with some of the characters and situations, but I feel her intent was to tell the truth, even if the facts are not always available.

I would recommend QUEEN'S GAMBIT to readers of historical fiction, history buffs, and fans of film and TV projects such as "The Tudors" and "Elizabeth."