The Ivy Crown
by Mary M. Luke
Our Price: $49.98
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Mary M. LukeEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1984-03
ISBN: 0385188234
Number of pages: 439
Publisher: Olympic Marketing Corp
Book Reviews of The Ivy Crown
Book Review: "Sometimes, she thought, that's what God intended for her - to take care of older husbands and their children"
Summary: 4 Stars
Believe it or not Katherine Parr did have a life before marriage to Henry VIII and quite an interesting one at that. Her mother Maude Parr was a lady in waiting and close companion to Katherine of Aragon and her father Sir Thomas Parr was a descendent of Edward III. Katherine was schooled with and was close friends with Mary Tudor (Henry's sister and future Queen of France) and Kate Willoughby (the future Duchess of Suffolk). Katherine's first two marriages were to Edward Borough and after his death wed John Neville, both widowers with children and powerful northern Lords. Left a wealthy widow, she finally hopes to wed her old love Thomas Seymour, but fate intervenes as old Henry decides to make her wife number six and she must once again put duty before love and happiness.
The rest of the story is known history as Katherine's religious views threaten to get her into hot water with Stephen Gardiner and Thomas Wriothesley, her widowhood upon Henry's death and final marriage, her involvement and care of Henry's children so I'll not go into it in further detail. Although I have to say I loved the little *cat fights* between Katherine and the incredibly snotty Anne Stanhope (wife of Edward Seymour) - especially that spat over her missing jewels.
Through Katherine, Luke shows the reader how the Northern people reacted to the dissolution of the monasteries as well as the growing power and abuses of Thomas Cromwell. While this is a novel, it is a biographical one and I did find it a bit slow in places where there was more telling than showing, but I did enjoy it nonetheless. This is not a fast paced, action packed page turning read, and if that's what you're looking for this is not the book for you. However, if you're interested in reading more about Katherine I'd snap this one up if you spot it at the used book store. Four stars.
Literature & Fiction Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Literature & Fiction Books
Little Womenby Louisa May Alcott
Scribner; Published: 1986-06-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.49
Price in other shops:
The Killing Groundby JACK HIGGINS
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS LTD; Published: 2007; Hardcover; Book
Saving Fish from Drowningby Amy Tan
4th Estate; Published: 2005; Paperback; Book
Life Expectancyby Dean Koontz
Harpercollins Pb; Published: 2005-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.00
Constant Princessby Philippa Gregory
Touchstone/Simon & Schuster; Published: 2005; Hardcover; Book
Wolf of the Plains (Conqueror, Book 1)by Conn Iggulden
Harper; Published: 2007; Paperback; Book
Saharaby Clive Cussler
Harper Collins Pb; Published: 2005-03-21; Paperback; Book
Perelandra (Cosmic Trilogy)by C. S. Lewis
Voyager; Published: 2005-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.83
Price in other shops:
The Lord Of The Rings: Part 2 The Two Towersby J. R. R. Tolkien
Harper Collins Publishers; Published: 2001; Paperback; Book
Red Marsby Kim Stanley Robinson
Trafalgar Square; Published: 2001-06; Paperback; Book
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Nine Days Queen: A Portrait of Lady Jane Greyby Mary Luke
William Morrow & Co; Published: 1986-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $170.56