History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

The Tragic Life of Lady Jane Grey Author: Beverley Adams Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography  Publisher: Pen and Sword History  Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 224 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis : Explores the life and tragic fate of Lady Jane Grey, the nine-day queen of England, examining her role amid the political chaos following King Edward VI's death and her contested claim to the throne.           Lady Jane Grey, the nine-day queen is considered to be one of the most tragic characters in English history. In July 1553 when King Edward VI died at the age of just 15 years old, the Tudor dynasty fell into chaos. The king had no legitimate male heirs and was determined his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth would not inherit his throne, despite his father Henry VIII stating in his will that they should. We are led to believe that on Edward's instructions his cousin Lady Jane Grey was to b...

The Female Tudor Scholar and Writer: The Life and Times of Margaret More Roper Author: Aimee Fleming Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography  Publisher: Pen & Sword History  Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 207 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A presentation of Margaret More Roper, an accomplished writer whose life offers insight into Tudor England and the English Reformation. Margaret More Roper may be remembered as the eldest daughter of Sir Thomas More, but she was much, much more. Well-educated, loyal, passionately pious, and a skilled writer and translator, Margaret inspired a generation and proved to Tudor England and beyond just how accomplished a woman could be. Her life provides a window into the turbulent times of the English Reformation and life at the court of King Henry VIII. In this biography, Margaret is presented in her own right and given the attention and acknowledgement she so richly deserves.     ...

  Mistress of Constancy (The Armillary Sphere, Story of Lady Jane Rochford #1) Author: G. Lawrence  Genre: Historical Fiction  Publisher: G. Lawrence  Book Release Date: 2021 Pages: 309 Source: Borrowed  Synopsis: Lady of the Tudor Court, servant of queens, courtier, wife, spy... and constant heart. This is the story of Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford.        In death she would become infamous, yet in life passed often unseen. Jane Parker, daughter of the scholar Lord Morley, leaves her home at a tender age, embarking on a career in the dangerous Tudor Court. From the halls of her father's house to the palaces of London, from England to Calais and the Field of the Cloth of Gold Jane will travel, seeing much of this world, and others.      Promised in marriage to George Boleyn, Jane is drawn into the future of his family and their advancement... and as Anne Boleyn catches the eye of the King, Jane becomes pa...

The Boleyn Secret Author: Alison Weir Genre: Historical Fiction  Publisher: Ballantine  Publication Date: May 26, 2026 Pages: 560 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the dramatic, mysterious life of Katherine Carey, niece of Anne Boleyn, in this surprising novel that delves into one of the deepest secrets of Henry VIII’s court.         At twelve years old, Katherine Carey attends her aunt, Queen Anne Boleyn, to the scaffold. Horrified by what she witnesses, Katherine is convinced that King Henry VIII is a murderer and has sent an innocent woman to a terrible death.        Although the Boleyn family, once so influential at court, has now fallen from favor, Katherine still manages to secure a coveted role as companion to her now-motherless cousin, the young Lady Elizabeth. Bound by Boleyn b...

In Darkness Born (The Breaking Wheel: The Story of Katherine Parr #1) Author: G. Lawrence Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: G. Lawrence Book Release Date: April 19, 2026 Pages: 345 Source: Borrowed Synopsis: The world would make her a survivor... Destiny would make her a Queen.        England, 1525.       Born into a time of religious upheaval and political turmoil, Katherine Parr grows up in a loving family. Sheltered yet never kept ignorant of the dangers which surround her, Katherine secretly dreams of a life at court and a love such as the King possesses for the magnetic Anne Boleyn.       Sent north to become a bride at the age of sixteen, Katherine enters a household alien to the one she grew up in, where the overbearing personality of her new father-in-law holds sway, terrifying others into submission. Yet Katherine refuses to be intimidated and a curious friendship is born, exposin...

The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I  Author: Alison Weir Genre: Historical Fiction  Publisher: Ballantine  Publication Date: 2024 Pages: 528 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the dramatic and poignant life of King Henry VIII’s daughter—infamously known as Bloody Mary—who ruled England for five violent years.      Born from young King Henry’s first marriage, his elder daughter, Princess Mary, is raised to be queen once it becomes clear that her mother, Katherine of Aragon, will bear no more children. However, Henry’s passion for Anne Boleyn has a devastating influence on the young princess’s future when, determined to sire a male heir, he marries Anne, has his marriage to Katherine declared unlawful, brands Mary illegitimate, and banishes them both from the royal court. But when Anne too fails to produce a son, she is behe...

Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Queen Author: Laura Adkins Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography  Publisher: Pen and Sword History  Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 185 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Kateryn Parr is mainly remembered today as being the sixth wife of King Henry VIII, the one who 'survived'. Kateryn was not only a wife but a queen, mother, reformer, and author. Kateryn would face a number of events in her lifetime including being held to ransom during the Pilgrimage of Grace, being placed as regent while Henry was in France, a role which only one of his five previous wives held, her namesake Katherine of Aragon, and overcame a plot which would have led to her arrest and execution. While Queen she was able to unite the Tudor family and establish some form of happiness for Henry VIII's three children. Raised by her mother Maud Parr, under a humanist education, Kateryn was intelligent enough to understand her role in life...

  A Crane Among Wolves Author: June Hur Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense  Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 363 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace , crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history.      Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.      1506, Joseon . The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.       Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom’s turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul lea...

Boleyn Traitor Author: Philippa Gregory Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: William Morrow Book Release Date: October 14, 2025 Pages: 496 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: #1 New York Times bestselling author and “queen of royal fiction” ( USA Today ) Philippa Gregory returns with a dazzling historical novel of ambition, betrayal, and survival in the court of Henry VIII.       Jane Boleyn watches from the shadows of the Tudor court, where secrets are currency, every choice is dangerous, and even the faintest whisper can seal the fate of queens.        For Jane, survival demands playing every role required of her: a loving wife who conceals her doubts, a devoted sister to Anne Boleyn at the height of her power, and an obedient spy who carefully wields her words. But in a court ruled by ambition and a tyrant’s sword, Jane must rely on her sharp wit and skillful maneuvering to outthink...