Sister Queens

The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile

By: Julia Fox

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The history books have cast Katherine of Aragon, the first queen of King Henry VIII of England, as the ultimate symbol of the Betrayed Woman, cruelly tossed aside in favor of her husband’s seductive mistress, Anne Boleyn. Katherine’s sister, Juana of Castile, wife of Philip of Burgundy and mother of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, is portrayed as “Juana the Mad,” whose erratic behavior included keeping her beloved late husband’s coffin beside her for years. But historian Julia Fox, whose previous work painted an unprecedented portrait of Jane Boleyn, Anne’s sister, offers deeper insight in this first dual biography of Katherine and Juana, the daughters of Spain’s Ferdinand and Isabella, whose family ties remained strong despite their separation. Looking through the lens of their Spanish origins, Fox reveals these queens as flesh-and-blood women—equipped with character, intelligence, and conviction—who are worthy historical figures in their own right. When they were young, Juana’s and Katherine’s futures appeared promising. They had secured politically advantageous marriages, but their dreams of love and power quickly dissolved, and the unions for which they’d spent their whole lives preparing were fraught with duplicity and betrayal. Juana, the elder sister, unexpectedly became Spain’s sovereign, but her authority was continually usurped, first by her husband and later by her son. Katherine, a young widow after the death of Prince Arthur of Wales, soon remarried his doting brother Henry and later became a key figure in a drama that altered England’s religious landscape. Ousted from the positions of power and influence they had been groomed for and separated from their children, Katherine and Juana each turned to their rich and abiding faith and deep personal belief in their family’s dynastic legacy to cope with their enduring hardships. Sister Queens is a gripping tale of love, duty, and sacrifice—a remarkable reflection on the conflict between ambition and loyalty during an age when the greatest sin, it seems, was to have been born a woman.

©2012 Julia Fox (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

“[Fox] offers an absorbing, rich, and fresh view of the entwined royal relationships that helped define the 15th- and 16th-century European political landscape.” (Publishers Weekly)

“A talented entrant in royal biography, Fox fairly bids for the popularity historian Alison Weir currently wields.” (Booklist)

Entertaining, as well as eye-opening.

What a captivating audiobook. I have always admired Katherine of Aragon, but I never became interested in Spanish royalty until I read (listened) this novel. It is amazing to me that two young, educated queens could be so betrayed and taken advantage of by then men in their lives with a strong mother like Isabella of Castille. But the book thoroughly fleshes out the issues with their lives and attempts to give them a voice from the grave.

family aand sisters

What did you like best about Sister Queens? What did you like least?

This was an interesting and informative account of the Queens. Its a great beginning book to what could be a great saga

What did you like best about this story?

Did not care for the narrators voice

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes

Do you think Sister Queens needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Followup would be delightful.

I wish it had more information on Juana

A lot of the book is about already known information about Katherine but very little about about januna who I was really interested in learning about. it was well done for the information provided but the title is misleading

Awesome Audiobook

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this to anyone interested in history! I love the Tudor period, and was quite interested in a story from "the other side".

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

She reads very well, really draws one into the story.

Riveting account of two tragic lives

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The story of the lives of these two sisters can be appreciated even by those who are not overly fond of history. This book recounts the private lives of the sisters and only addresses the political details, "the boring bits"as I tend to call them, for much needed context. It is very much focused on their own personal lives, their actions and speculates tantalizingly on their feelings as joy and tragedy touched them.

Beautifully Done Biography of Sister Queens

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Catherine of Aragon and Juana "the Mad", sisters destined to rule but only under the thumb of men. The book compares and contrasts, allowing us to watch these women's lives turn from great promise into dual train wrecks. It's a brilliant history, filled with solid facts told in a fascinating manner.

As usual, Rosalyn Landor reads it perfectly and with just enough inflection to draw you into the stories of these two fascinating women locked into a patriarchal royal hell. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy Tudor history.

Loves it!

I've wanted to read this book for awhile and love it even more than I thought I would. Engaging, informative, heartbreaking, a part of history that needs to be more widely known.

Poor Queens

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

This was an excellent book and so good that I want to get the hard copy of it. It was very well-performed, and had extensive research. Buy it!

Interesting and easy to follow

Sister Queens was a well done narrative history that brought together timelines and life drama in an easy to follow chronological story. Recommend for anyone interested in that period.

Great book. Kept me entertained throughout.

Would you try another book from Julia Fox and/or Rosalyn Landor?

Yes.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's hard not to love Catherine. What an amazing woman!

Could you see Sister Queens being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It could be interesting, but I prefer to read books about history, rather than some overly dramatic, tawdry interpretation of an already great and much loved story.