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What might it have been like for a 15-year-old girl to be chosen by King Henry VIII as his fifth wife? In The King’s Rose by Alisa M. Libby, young Catherine Howard tells us the story of her dizzyingly abrupt rise to the throne. With court intrigue, gossip, and suspicions, the second young adult novel by this Massachusetts author will be enjoyed by historical fiction readers, fans of the Showtime series The Tudors, and readers of Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series for young adults about the Dark Court of the faery world.
A beautiful girl, Catherine Howard caught the eye of the king. Or, more accurately, she was successfully thrust before the king’s eyes through the efforts of the Howards, seeking power for the clan. Not quite as innocent in truth as she was made out to be (the aged king calls her his “rose without a thorn”), Catherine nervously pushes out of her mind the fate of Henry’s fourth wife — Catherine’s cousin Anne Boleyn — as she struggles to keep youthful dalliances from being revealed to King Henry before she presents him with an all-important heir to the throne.
Based on historical records, The King’s Rose may make you wonder whether Catherine Howard really was as carefree and empty-headed as history makes her out to be.
Click here for an author interview with Alisa M. Libby at the Teens Read Too site.
Click here to check availability of The King’s Rose in the Old Colony Library Network catalog.