The Taming of the Queen

Why would a woman wed a notorious serial killer? Kateryn Parr, a thirty-year-old widow involved in a clandestine romance, finds herself without options when King Henry VIII, a man old enough to be her father with four deceased spouses, demands her hand in marriage. Aware of the peril she faces, as her predecessor survived only sixteen months and the one before her just half a year, Kateryn nonetheless becomes Henry's beloved bride. Her confidence in him grows as she unifies the royal family, fosters a progressive study group within the court, and governs the kingdom as Regent. However, can these accomplishments truly guarantee her safety? Renowned as a leader of religious reform and the first woman to publish in English, Kateryn emerges as an independent thinker. Yet, she is unable to save the Protestants, who are under persecution for their faith, while suspicions grow around her. King Henry's attention pivots to traditional church figures, and her adversaries accuse her of heresy—a charge punishable by death at the stake, with the king's signature already on the warrant. From the author who has chronicled the lives of all of Henry's wives comes an intimate portrayal of his final queen: a woman yearning for love, influence, and knowledge amidst the perils of a medieval court.