Young and Damned and Fair by Gareth Russell

I did not read a new book last week over vacation for new #titletuesday.  Instead I reread Killers of the Flower Moon in preparation for the new Leo DiCaprio/Martin Scorsese film of the same name.  I am hoping our Criminal Justice cohort goes on a field trip to see it and invites me chaperone!

I actually read this the week before vacation, but totally forgot to publish the review.  I also totally forgot to share my CASL Board notes with the other LMSs.  Safe to say my brain was mush, and I definitely needed that vacation!

Anyway.

This is a biography of Catherine (more recently spelled with a K) Howard, the fifth wife of Henry the 8th.  

If you like musicals at all, you probably have at least heard the intro song to the Broadway and now touring Six.  The show features the six wives of Henry the 8th reimagined as pop princesses, each singing a song about their lives and reign, inspired by a real musician.  Katherine Howard's song is "All You Wanna Do", sung as Ariana Grande or Christina Augliera. 

Until now, most people have never heard of Katherine Howard.  Which really irks me because she's my very distant cousin.  Those who have heard of her just know she was beheaded from the rhyme divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Her name likely was spelled with a C, but recently the K spelling gained favor, partly due to Six, partly to differentiate her from wife #1 Catherine of Aragon and wife #6 Catherine Parr.  

This traces Catherine's rise to Queen from her family's manipulations to get her at court, the sexual abuse at the hands of men around her, and her demise. It is not a happy ever after.

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.