"Kateryn Parr" by Laura Adkins offers a captivating exploration of the life and legacy of the often-overlooked sixth wife of King Henry VIII.

While Katheryn Parr is primarily known for being the wife who survived her marriage to Henry, Adkins delves deeper into her multifaceted identity as a queen, mother, reformer, and author. From her upbringing under a humanist education to her role as regent during Henry's absence, Katheryn emerges as a woman of intelligence, resilience, and compassion.

Adkins skillfully navigates through the pivotal events in Katheryn's life, including her involvement in religious reform, her relationships with her stepchildren, and her ill-fated romance with Thomas Seymour. Through meticulous research and rich storytelling, Adkins brings Katheryn's story to life, shedding light on her influence on future generations, particularly her stepdaughter, Princess Elizabeth.

"Kateryn Parr" is a compelling portrait of a remarkable woman who defied expectations and left an indelible mark on history. Adkins's narrative is both informative and engaging, offering readers a deeper understanding of Katheryn's enduring legacy and her significant contributions to the Tudor era.

In this incredible biography of Henry VIII’s final wife, Adkins brings Kateryn Parr’s fascinating life to the forefront of this biography. Focusing on her family, her education, her four marriages and relationships with her stepchildren, and her time as Queen of England, Adkins emphasizes Kateryn in her own right -- not as the mere wife of some other man. Considering her mother’s role at court and her hard work to protect her children’s interests, Adkins centers Kateryn’s life in a larger tradition of powerful and capable English noblewomen with the practical knowledge and the humanist education to wield power at the highly patriarchal English court. Adkins also emphasizes how Kateryn really was an equal partner in many of her marriages and the care she took to cultivate positive relationships with her stepchildren (which includes three monarchs of England); Adkins particularly focuses on Mary Tudor and Kateryn’s relationship, rather than Elizabeth and Kateryn’s, an interesting angle with a wealth of historical information. Drawing on some truly marvelous primary sources, Adkins explores Kateryn’s written record as a writer through her Lamentations of a Sinner and her correspondence, analyzing specific word choices and the significance of such documentation. A must-read for any Tudor lover, Adkins’s biography of Kateryn Parr is absolutely stunning in its detail and analysis.

Kateryn Parr is unique in many ways. Obviously one of the things that sets her apart from some of her counterparts is that she was able to survive the tumultuous Henry VIII. As his last queen, she was walking into a position that was not one of the most secure in the nation. She set aside her own wants to do take on the role of queen.
She had a very interesting life, and was one of the movers in some of the newer religious thoughts that were starting to sweep through Europe. Religious freedom was not a thing in England, and so to even read some of the documents that were making the rounds could have cost her.

Laura Adkins did a fantastic job with this book. Even though there was really no new information, it was still a great read. I highly enjoyed this one!

Catherine Parr (she signed her letters as Kateryn; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the 6 wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until Henry's death on 28 January 1547. Catherine was the final queen consort of the House of Tudor, and outlived Henry by a year and eight months. With 4 husbands, she is the most-married English queen. She was the first woman to publish an original work under her own name, in English, in England.Catherine Parr was the eldest child of Sir Thomas Parr,and Maud Green.Sir Thomas Parr was a descendant of King Edward III, and the Parrs were a substantial northern family which included many knights. Catherine had two younger siblings,William, and Anne.Catherine's father died when she was young, and she was close to her mother as she grew up.Catherine enjoyed a close relationship with her stepchildren.Catherine was appointed regent from July to September 1544 while Henry was on a military campaign in France; in the event that he lost his life, she was to rule as regent until Edward came of age. However, he did not give her any function in government in his will. Following the king's death, she assumed the role of guardian to her stepdaughter, Elizabeth.On 25 April 1544, Catherine published her first book, Psalms or Prayers, anonymously.Her book Prayers or Meditations became the first book published by an English queen under her own name on 2 June 1545. She published a third book, The Lamentation of a Sinner, on 5 November 1547. On account of her Protestant sympathies, she provoked the enmity of anti-Protestant officials, who sought to turn the king against her; a warrant for her arrest was drawn up.However, she and the king soon reconciled.It is thought that her actions as regent, together with her strength of character and noted dignity, and later religious convictions, greatly influenced her stepdaughter Lady Elizabeth (future Elizabeth I of England).Her fourth and final marriage caused controversy and she sadly died after giving birth to her first biological child,daughter Mary Seymour.Ultimately Kateryn was dutiful,passionate, family oriented,erudite,and pious.

I rate this book 3.5 out of 5.

I want to thank Pen & Sword Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Brief Summary: Kathryn Parr is famous as the wife who survived the violent Henry VIII, but in her lifetime she was so much more. In each chapter, Adkins explores an area of Parr's life (e.g., her role as Queen, stepmother, and wife) and how history should reshape Parr's legacy.

Thoughts: Adkins did an excellent job of researching Parr. I particularly enjoyed how this book was formatted with each chapter highlighting a different aspect of Parr's character. This formatting allowed Adkins to dive deeper into Parr's biography than a traditional chronological format. I particularly enjoyed the chapters focusing on Parr's relationships with her stepchild and daughter and the chapter focusing on her religious impact. However, I do think that there was a bit of a downfall with this formatting as there were a few instances where topics were repeated throughout.

The way that Adkins was able to discuss Parr's life as a result of her mother's, Maud's, legacy was both interesting and beautiful framing of Parr's motivations throughout her life. It also helped me understand Parr as a maternal and religious figure. Maud's assistance in both her daughters receiving a Humanist education set the stage for Parr's regency as Queen and Elizabeth I's reign as a regnant Queen. I do not think that I have ever read so clear a description of how Parr's actions provided such a clear blueprint for Elizabeth.

I do think that Adkins had an interesting outlook on Parr as a wife. I do think that her discussion of each of Parr's marriages did pose some interesting questions for me to consider. I never really thought about the level to which Parr actually cared for Henry VIII. The evidence that Adkins presented made me sit and think. I did think that Adkins was a little too favourable to Thomas Seymour throughout the book. The evidence does suggest that Parr had feelings for Seymour before their marriage, but I felt that the discussion of his manipulative behaviour was slightly glossed over in several chapters.

This is an excellent introductory work to Kathryn Parr. The way it is structured highlights different facets of Parr and demonstrates the importance she played in English history.

Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Death, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Child death, War, Sexism, Classism, and Death of parent

Kateryn Parr is known to history as Henry VIII's sixth and final wife, the one who survived. However, she is so much more than that:

"Kateryn Parr was not just the wife who survived Henry VIII but a woman who excelled in her duties and role which life had given her. She was a kindhearted woman who seemed to have time for all those she crossed paths with, no matter their role in life. She played several roles, most of the roles expected of a female in the Tudor age – daughter, sister, wife, mother but the roles of queen of England and author too."

To be honest, Parr is probably the wife I knew the least about, which is why I was eager to get my hands on this book. This was an easy to read introductory biography about a woman who led an intriguing life. A twice widow before catching the eye of the infamous Henry VIII, she sacrificed her happiness and a marriage based in love, to marry the king as she believed it to be God's will. Upon the death of Henry VIII, Kateryn finally got the marriage she longed for with Thomas Seymour, brother to Jane Seymour (Henry's third wife, mother to his only legitimate son Edward VI). This marriage also brought about her only biological child, Mary. Unfortunately, Kateryn died shortly after giving birth and not much about her daughter's life appears to be known past her early years.

The author included letters written to and by Kateryn, which were some of my favorite parts. Definitely recommend for anyone interested in Tudor history and is looking for a strong introduction to this remarkable woman.

While this was a good overview of Katherine Parr's life it never got me excited to continue reading. There are many letters included in their original text which could've used a better explanation. There's also quit a bit of repeat in the information provided.

3.5 / 5.0 Kathryn Parr by L Adkins is about the last wife of Henry VIII after he dies. It is short and an abridged report of what happened to her in the later part of her life, but completely passes over the interesting beginning part. This queen was such a political player in her time, she managed the country while Henry was away and dodged attempts to have her removed as queen several times. I am not a historian and do not know much about this woman, but I do know that what’s presented here is very limited.

It is well written and there are no extreme modern interpretations that skew the facts, so it is a good read just a rather superficial one.

Until Next Time,
MC

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this for review.

A great biography of Kateryn Parr, too often dismissed as "survived". here we see the many influences on her life that she brought to the throne, the leadership she showed in politics, religion, the arts, and publishing, and how she then in turn influenced others. Adkins is both effusive in praise for what Kateryn Parr did right, but doesn't shy away from pointing out the many mistakes she made at the end, otherwise known as "Thomas Seymour."

This was a short biography about Henry VIII last wife Kateryn Parr . This was an interesting book as it doesn’t focus on Henry but solely on kateryn and her life before and after her marriage to Henry . This book felt like it was well written easy to read and enjoyable.

Kathryn Parr by Laura Adkins is a very brief book about Queen Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII who many consider the lucky one. In the famous rhyme, Katherine Parr is the one who “survived.”

Katherine is a fascinating character from Tudor times. She married four times, only had one biological child, but quite a few step children, she published her writings, and yes infamously did survive the marriage to a King who had sent two of his wives to the block for treason. Yet, there was so much more to the Queen, that I felt was only touched on in Adkin’s novel. There was quite a bit of circling back to the husbands of Parr, which in someways is to be expected as they were the men she was linked with through out history, and I did find the glossary of Tudor figures at the end wholly unnecessary. Most people aren’t picking up a book about Katherine Parr without having some kind of basis in the history of these characters.

However, for a quick read that covers the life a women known to history as the survivor, albeit rather lightly, I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen and Sword for the advanced reader copy.

Kateryn Parr

Divorced, Beheaded , Died , Divorced , Beheaded , Survived .

Lucky for Kateryn , she was the last wife of Henry V111.

This book also follows on from Henry's death.
She went on to marry for the 4th time , and have a child and for a tudor woman , a life well lived well even if relatively short time after Henry's death.

This was an interesting, but fairly simple biography of this great queen, which includes letters written by her. I am not sure if I learned anything new but it was a sympathetic look at Kateryn, who married the King because of duty, sacrificing her love for Thomas Seymour. Henry greatly respected Kateryn, who acted as Regent while he fought the French. She was the first woman to oublish a book under her own name and her Reformist tendencies were a big influence on the court. However, arguably Kateryn’s influence on her step-children was the most important feature of her life as Queen. She introduced them to humanist and Reformist principles and she brought them back into the line of succession, as well as being a kind and loving mother to them.

I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was a brief, rather surface look at the woman best known as King Henry VIII's sixth wife, Katherine (Kateryn) Parr. But she was so much more than that. A highly educated woman who survived the dangerous world of Tudor politics in two marriages before Henry, Katherine was a fascinating woman in her own right. Then to manage Henry and survive plots against her as queen, you know she was both clever and politically savvy.

I was disappointed in this book. Not necessarily that it was pretty surface level, some books do that. And author Laura Adkins quotes extensively from some of Parr's letters, which was interesting. It was the poor writing and repetition that sunk the book for me. I did read an advance copy, so maybe more editing happened after the copy I read, but the writing was clumsy, awkward, and often far more repetitive than it needed to be. I ended up needing to skim some sections because they were virtually unreadable, particularly as the book went on. It took away from being able to treat the book as a serious biography of Kateryn Parr.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Queen is an excellent short biography of Henry VIII’s last wife. Kateryn (as she spelled her name, and it also helps to distinguish her from Henry’s two other wives named Catherine) doesn’t get the same level of attention that Catherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn, but she’s a fascinating woman and this book is a great place to start when learning about her.

In the rhyme about Henry’s wives (divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived), Kateryn is the one who survived. But she almost didn’t. There was a Catholic plot to bring down Kateryn, who favored the reformed religion, but she figured out the plan and threw herself at Henry’s mercy, saving herself from arrest and likely execution (once Henry imprisoned his wives, they were dead to him).

Kateryn was well educated and a very intelligent woman who authored books in a time when women rarely did so. She was a loving stepmother who built close relationships with Henry’s three children and she helped Henry improve his relationships with his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, both of whom he had previously disinherited.

This isn’t a traditional biography. Instead of a timeline sort of narrative, each chapter focuses on a different aspect of Kateryn’s, as a wife, a stepmother and mother, a religious reformer, an author, and a Queen.

If you’re new to Kateryn Parr or Tudor history, this book is a great place to start. The author has included a detailed timeline and who’s who, both of which are really helpful. I highly recommend this book as a great way to get to know one of England’s lesser known but most fascinating queens.

Following the life of Kateryn Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII, Laura Adkins brings Parr's life to light from the shadow of her infamous husband and his family. Adkins gives Parr back her place in history as a Queen, Mother, Writer; Woman. Well-researched and well-written, I thoroughly loved this book of the last Tudor consort and woman melded into history as one of Henry VIII's six wives. Understanding the woman behind the legend, Adkins strips away the myths and rumours around Parr and lets her tell the life that few people know before or after her marriage.

I highly recommend Kateryn Parr to anyone who enjoys Tudor History and wants to read more about the woman behind the title: the one who survived.

Thank you, NetGalley and Pen & Sword for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Kateryn Parr was certainly an interesting figure of her time. She was many things aside from being the last wife of Henry VIII but not much actually gets told/portrayed accurately in media (hisfic, movies, etc.), so I would consider this book to be a must read for those that want a better understanding of what is known about the life of Kateryn Parr and those that were important to her.

Thanks to NetGalley, Laura Adkins, and Pen & Sword for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII's Sixth Queen in the return of an honest review. I received an advanced reader copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Henry's final wife is one that I have not really gravitated towards when exploring the Tudor time period. The book itself is very short, but it is actually full of information. It feels thoroughly researched and it is enjoyable to read some of the letters that she wrote. I feel like this book would be a good jumping off point for anyone interested in learning more about the wife who survived. She accomplished a lot during her brief life.

‘Kateryn’s last few years of her life had been just as chaotic as her centuries of disturbance while dead.’

Kateryn Parr is the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII. In this book you get to know everything about her from where she grew up, her education, her previous husbands, to her finally marrying for love.

A quick and easy read.

A must read for any history and Tudor fan.

I wonder what would have been if Kateryn had decided to stay a widow, never to re-marry or have any of her own children.

In chapter 10 (final chapter) gives you details of all the people mentioned in this book. Like a mini history lesson :)


‘Kateryn showed her two stepdaughters that a woman was able to wield power in a world of men.’

The final wife, the one who survived. These words are what people think about when it comes to Katherine (Kateryn) Parr. However, before she even met Henry VIII, she had already lived quite a life, being married twice before meeting the king. She was a scholar, reformer, daughter, stepmother, wife, and mother. A woman who lived a rather intriguing life and happened to marry the King of England, Kateryn Parr’s life has been told in numerous mediums for centuries. Now, Laura Adkins has chosen to write about this famous Tudor wife in the biography, “Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Wife.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. Katherine Parr is my favorite wife of Henry VIII and one of my favorite Tudor queens. I have read a few novels and nonfiction books that featured Katherine Parr, but I have yet to read a biography about the titular woman, until now.

Adkins begins her dive into the past not in the Tudor era, but in the 18th century as we see a group of ladies finding the tomb of Kateryn Parr at Sudeley Castle and her tomb being opened several times. We then jump back into the past and explore the Parr family. Kateryn was the eldest child of Thomas and Maud Parr. We get to see Kateryn’s childhood with her siblings William and Anne, as well as see how the Parr siblings continued the Parr legacy in their own ways.

We then dive into Kateryn’s marriages, starting with Edward Borough, followed by John Neville Lord Latimer, King Henry VIII, and finally Thomas Seymour. With each relationship, we get to see Kateryn change from a young teen who was trying to survive to a strong woman who is willing to fight for those she loves and the faith she believes in. We see Kateryn become a stepmother to the Latimer children, Mary, Edward, and Elizabeth, and finally become the mother of her child, Mary Seymour. Adkins chooses to focus on the different elements of Kateryn’s life instead of having a traditional chronological biography, which is a unique take on Kateryn’s story. I will say that because of the format of this book, there was some repetition of different stories and facts in this book.

Overall, I think this was a decent biography about Kateryn Parr. It was easy to read and included actual letters written to and by Kateryn. A loyal wife and stepmother who influenced those around her long after she died. If you want to read a solid biography about this remarkable woman, I suggest you read, “Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Wife” by Laura Adkins.