LitPick Review
A new and different approach to the Tudors and Henry VIII,
Alisa Libby's The King's Rose tells the story of Henry's
fifth wife, Catherine Howard. Cousin to Anne Boleyn,
Catherine's story reveals her concerns with the marriage
even before the king's proposal. Free from any glaring
historical anomalies, The King's Rose builds upon real
letters and testimonies to develop a love plot between
Catherine and her cousin Thomas. The novel is structured
around the contradictions of court life. Though outsiders
to the situation may see her as greedy, this portrayal of
Catherine focuses on her young age and responsibility,
especially as her marriage is presented as a duty. In this
way, The King's Rose tells the story of a teenage girl who
perhaps isn't ready to become Queen, but who is thrown
into the position regardless in order to protect her
family interests and then must struggle to balance King
Henry's interests with her own
Opinion:
Considering my interest in history, I truly enjoyed reading The King's Rose. To my
knowledge, the setting is accurate and well developed,
though liberty was clearly taken with the romantic plot. I
was pleased to note Libby's emphasis on the importance of
family in early English society, between Henry's
nightmares over his heir and Catherine's rise to Queen as
critical to social status of the Howard lineage. Though I
knew how the novel would end, I appreciated how Libby led
into it. Like Catherine herself, the reader feels helpless
to the control of the council and upon finishing will
likely contemplate Catherine's decisions as I couldn't
help but do. In addition to young adults, this novel is
certainly accessible to an older crowd with an interest in
the Tudor era and the many wives of Henry VII.
KEYWORDS
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