THE KINGS SISTERS

The King’s Sisters continues the story of Catherine Havens  It’s now 1542 and another queen Catherine Howard has been beheaded for adultery  Although young Prince Edward is growing and the line of Tudor succession seems secure the king falls into a deep melancholy and questions the faith and loyalty of those around him     Catherine has found herself in a unique position as a married former nun  Now she is a wealthy widow  She has two children a boy who has successfully joined the young prince’s household and a daughter who lives with her at Richmond Palace home to Henry’s castoff fourth wife Anne of Cleves now designated The King’s Beloved Sister  Catherine also enjoys the attentions of widower Benjamin Davies and in the festive court atmosphere she has furtively indulged her passion for him  But England has changed again   Anne of Cleves hopes for reinstatement as queenuntil questions arise about the finances of the houses she keeps  Catherine as one of the king’s reformed sisters is singled out just as she realizes that she is carrying a third child     The King’s Sisters explores the Tudor court under an aging Henry VIII  He now has a son and heir but his two daughters remain players in the political intrigues  The Cross and the Crown series follows the very private Catherine as she is thrust into the scheming  She is skilled enough to serve a former queen but this may be the very quality that endangers her future Sarah Kennedy opens magical windows into the world of Tudor39s England and brings it to life in vibrant colors and unforgettable reverberations She reinvents the genre of historical fiction of that period giving voice to women of all ages social classes and economic standing She writes with astounding detail of material culture and deft psychological insight about the experiences of women from the royal sisters to maids and confidants amidst whom the feisty protagonist Catherine Haven sparkles in the full richness of her