“The True Queen” by Alison Weir

This historical novel is the story of Katherine of Aragon from her childhood in Spain to her death in England. She was brought up a Catholic and was very devout all through her life. It was surprising to find that she had been married to Henry VIII for 24 years before being put aside for not producing a son and heir. She would then have had an easier life had she not maintained, against the wishes of the King, that she was still his wife and therefore the true queen of England. Of the three children she bore only her daughter, Mary Tudor, survived.

Most of the readers’ group enjoyed the book and found it was well written and very well researched. The general consensus was that it was very interesting and informative.

Jane Yardley