S.J. Parris
S.J. Parris writes about her inspiration for Heresy, which masterfully blends true events with fiction into a page-turning murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.
Adam Haslett
A conversation with Adam Haslett, author of Union Atlantic, a deeply affecting portrait of the modern gilded age, the first decade of the twenty-first century.
The Constant Princess: Summary and book reviews of The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory, plus links to an excerpt from The Constant Princess and a biography of Philippa Gregory.
The Constant Princess
by
Philippa Gregory
Hardcover: Dec 2005,
400 pages.
Paperback: Aug 2006,
416 pages.
I am Catalina, Princess of Spain, daughter of the two greatest monarchs
the world has ever known...and I will be Queen of England."
Thus, bestselling author Philippa Gregory introduces one of her most
unforgettable heroines: Katherine of Aragon. Daughter of Queen Isabella and
King Ferdinand of Spain, Katherine has been fated her whole life to marry
Prince Arthur of England. When they meet and are married, the match becomes
as passionate as it is politically expedient. The young lovers revel in each
other's company and plan the England they will make together. But
tragically, aged only fifteen, Arthur falls ill and extracts from his
sixteen-year-old bride a deathbed promise to marry his brother, Henry;
become Queen; and fulfill their dreams and her destiny.
"They tell me nothing but lies here and they think they can break my
spirit. I believe what I choose and say nothing. I am not as simple as I
seem."
Widowed and alone in the avaricious world of the Tudor court, Katherine
has to sidestep her father-in-law's desire for her and convince him, and an
incredulous Europe, that her marriage to Arthur was never consummated, that
there is no obstacle to marriage with Henry. For seven years, she endures
the treachery of spies, the humiliation of poverty, and intense loneliness
and despair while she waits for the inevitable moment when she will step
into the role she has prepared for all her life. Then, like her warrior
mother, Katherine must take to the battlefield and save England when its old
enemies the Scots come over the border and there is no one to stand against
them but the new Queen.
"It was my dying husband's hope, my mother's wish, and God's will that
I should be Queen of England; and for them and for the country, I will be
Queen of England until I die."
Raised on the battlefield and in the most beautiful Moorish palace in the
world, sent to England alone at the age of sixteen to take her place in a
court where she couldn't speak the language, and abandoned and forced to
endure poverty after the death of her husband, Katherine remained a woman of
indomitable spirit, unwavering faith, and extraordinary strength. Philippa
Gregory brings to life one of history's most inspiring women and creates one
of the most compelling characters in historical fiction.
Book Reviews
Publishers Weekly
Gregory's skill for creating suspense pulls the reader along despite the historical novel's foregone conclusion.
Kirkus Reviews
Some may balk that in Gregory's version, Katherine is responsible for defeating the Scots, others at the unlikely p.c. epiphanies she has at novel's end - that the Moors are noble, and that war "will never cease until Christians and Muslims are prepared to live side by side in peace." Gregory makes the broad sweep of history vibrant and intimate-and hinges it all on a bit of romance.
Library Journal - Kathy Piehl
An excellent choice for historical fiction collections.
The Sunday Telegraph (UK
Philippa Gregory is a mesmerizing storyteller.
The Times (UK)
If romantic historical novels are your cup of tea, The Constant Princess will not disappoint. Gregory vividly reconstructs life in the Spanish royal household, and contributes to the sense of Katherine's foreignness: through her eyes, England is indeed a strange land.
Daily Mail
When it comes to writers of historical fiction, Philippa Gregory is in the very top league.
When his daughter, Amy, died suddenly of a heart condition, Roger Rosenblatt and his wife moved in with their son-in-law and their three young grandchildren. His story tells how a family makes the possible out of the impossible.
You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family.
The Postmistress is an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury. It is about what happens to love during wartime, when those we cherish leave. And how every story-of love or war-is about looking left when we should have been looking right.
Masterfully blending true events with fiction, this blockbuster historical thriller delivers a page-turning murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.
Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. The Swan Thieves is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.
I read this book in two days and found it so refreshing. Although you will learn a great deal about barn owls by reading it, the book is not just ...
read more
I enjoyed reading this book, however, feel that this is not completely her own ideas. This books remembers me of a cross between 'ghost','Sixth ...
read more
Lisa See has written a great book! This story is satisfying on many levels, some scenes horrifying, but seemingly truthful, and her handling of the ...
read more
Amazon 'buy button' rumors abound(Mar 18 2010) Rumors swirled today that Amazon could revoke the buy buttons for books by Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Penguin, or Hachette if the major publishers can't...
Full Story
Amazon's e-pricing threats(Mar 18 2010) With Apple's iPad launch just weeks away, Amazon raised the stakes again when it threatened to stop directly selling the books of some publishers online...
Full Story