Spanish Queen - by Carolly Erickson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"Catherine is a lyrical narrator . . . a rich and gripping tale." --"Publishers Weekly" on "The Unfaithful Queen"

"An exquisitely realistic portrait of Tudor England. . . . compelling reading. . . . Historical fiction fans can't get enough of the Tudors; this engaging story is a worthy addition to the genre." --"Library Journal "on "Rival to the Queen"

"I re-read the final pages, as hungry for more as a child scraping the last crumbs of chocolate cake off her plate with her fingers." --"New York Times Book Review" on "The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette"

About the Author

Among CAROLLY ERICKSON's twenty-eight critically acclaimed, prize-winning, bestselling books are biographies, histories and the recent series of fictional historical entertainments. Her range is wide, her audience worldwide. She lives in Washington and Hawaii.