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)

Sad but Fascinating Lives

Julia Fox came up with a fascinating idea in writing a dual biography of the most renowned of Ferdinand and Isabella???s daughters: Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII???s beleaguered queen, and Juana of Castile. The last work of non-fiction that I read (Alison Weir???s bio of Mary Boleyn) was tediously repetitious and digressive, a problem I???ve found with many historical biographies. Fox, however, has avoided that pitfall, creating an engaging and highly readable narrative.

Katherine and Juana have been reduced over time almost to caricatures, Katherine as the stubbornly Catholic wife who refused to let Henry go, and Juana as a wife so obsessed with her husband that his affairs and early death drove her to madness. But Fox shows that there was much more to each woman, and that, to a great extent, the restrictions of gender and the machinations of the men around them caused their downfalls. She details Katherine???s role as an ambassador concerned with the interests of both Spain and England, as well as her diplomacy and finesse in dealing with Henry. Fox does an admirable job of presenting fairly the events with which most readers will be familiar: her penurious widowhood following the death of Prince Arthur; the dispensation to marry Henry; the many miscarriages, stillbirths, and infant deaths; her displacement by Anne Boleyn. In the case of Juana, Fox???s research demonstrates that existing letters and reports from those permitted to see her following her confinement for madness demonstrate that she behaved sanely and graciously. Fox contends that her husband and father schemed to keep her from exercising sovereignty over Castile, Ferdinand in particular unwilling to give up what he had jointly ruled with Isabella after she died and left the crown to Juana, her eldest daughter.

Through no fault of the author???s, the space devoted to the sisters is not balanced 50/50, simply because there is less documentation of Juana???s life. Near the end, Fox poses a fascinating question: What would have happened if the sisters??? roles had been reversed???if Katherine, so good at diplomacy, had been Queen of Castile, and if Juana, who produced six children (two emperors and four queens) had been Henry???s wife?

Enjoyed!

What did you love best about Sister Queens?

This book presented a different perspective on Juana, and offered new information. Would recommend to any history buffs.

Snore

I love the story. However, the narrator seems so bored by what she is reading and so disinterested that it keeps putting me to sleep. She uses the same inflection on the same parts of her sentences rhythmically, and doesn't seem to be noticing what she's reading. When she finally changes her tone of voice long enough to have seemed to recognize what she just read, it is like a welcome breeze but then the wind stops blowing and the air becomes stifling again. I couldn't make it past chapter 3. I'm going to read this one in print.

Immense Satisfaction.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. This book highlights the unfilled dreams and expectations of two princesses, the daughters of Isabella and Ferdinand. Those interested in Tudor and Castilian history and intrigue will not be disappointed. Also very nicely narrated. I highly recommend this book.

Non-Fiction that never got dry

I recently finished the historical fiction novels The Queen’s Vow & The Last Queen by, C.W. Gortner and went into this one because these women all fascinated me. What I liked about this one was it gave a look at Katherine’s life between marrying Arthur & Henry. I also liked the fact that like Gortner’s fiction Fox also asserts that Juana wasn’t crazy (well not completely...the whole dragging her dead husband around was a little well, wacko) but that it was the men around her that wanted to rule in her stead and made it appear that way and used anything they could to make it so.

As I said in my review of Last Queen I believe that what both of these authors assert, that she was not as crazy as they made the world believe and if she did end up going crazy who can blame her they took away everything she loved, her kingdom, her children and locked her away where she wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone, I guess I just ended up feeling so bad for her.

With Katherine we hear so much about the end of her marriage with Henry it was so very fascinating to hear what happened between the time of Arthurs death and that marriage I guess in my mind I thought it had happened rather quickly but I see now I was mistaken, she still had to jump through many hoops and so much political finagling.

There is more in this book about Katherine than Juana however that is only because there is much more documentation still around about Katherine. But the author does give a good view of Juana and her life. I found these women so fascinating. However their lives in the end kind of mirrored each other both cast out and their child taken away.

As non-fiction this book never got dry it kept my interest even when it got to the part of Tudor history I’ve heard hundreds of times but was nice to hear it from Katherine’s side.

Audio production: Rosalyn Landor’s narrations adds voice to this fascinating history and she does a great job I love her deep British, slightly haughty accent, it plays just perfect for these royals. Landor’s narrations are always great and never cookie cutter will always choose to get a book on audio if I see she narrates it!

4 Stars

History made just as entertaining as fiction

Would you consider the audio edition of Sister Queens to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print version of this audiobook. I found it extremely entertaining in its recorded form. This book is in the best tradition of Allison Weir, well written, well researched and exciting reading to boot!

This is the historically accurate account (that reads like a novel) of the life of Catherine of Aragon and Juana la Loca, both daughters of Isabel and Fernando, the Spanish monarchs that financed Christopher Columbus' travels. Both women had very exciting and interesting (if ultimately unhappy lives). This book would be good reading for the many passionate Tudor fans out there who may want to learn who the first wife of Henry VIII really was and what she really looked like.

Many of the fictionalized accounts out there fail to mention that Catherine was a very well educated woman, politically savvy and prepared to reign by her mother, a regnant queen who went on the battlefield against the moors (this may help to explain why Catherine later in her life clung so tenaciously but unwisely to her role as Henry's Queen); Catherine acted as regent when Henry went to war with the French and it was under her regency that the Battle of Flooden was won by the English (King James of Scotland was killed in that battle - Catherine wanted to send his severed head to Henry as a war trophy but chose the Scotish King's bloody jacket instead) . Less crucial but still very interesting, Catherine had reddish blonde hair and blue eyes and not the dark hair and eyes that she frequently appears with on the movies and tv and which are commonly associated with her Spanish heritage.

What other book might you compare Sister Queens to and why?

As mentioned previously, this books brings to mind the non-fiction work authored by Allison Weir. This is the best way possible to learn history...by being entertained.

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

Rosalyn Landor gives a flawless narration.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Sister Queens is the perfect title for this book and would be an excellent title for any film that may come out of it.

Any additional comments?

I love historical fiction, and in particular anything having to do with the Plantagenets and the Tudors, in that order. When I cannot get my fix of good historical fiction, I resort to non-fiction (which sometimes can be rather dry). I am very glad I purchased this non-fiction offering. The life of these two women had more adventure and heartache than that of any character anybody could imagine. It is interesting to muse what would have happened if Juana (Catherine's high spirited, beautiful older sister who married Phillip the Fair of Burgundy, gave him 6 children among which there were at least 2 sons and became a widow relatively early in life) would have married Henry VIII instead. His quest for a son might have been satisfied early on and he might not have needed to marry 6 times. On the other hand, if iron willed Catherine would have married Phillip and gone on to inherit the Spanish crown, she would have certainly not allowed her father and and later her son to keep her prisoner in a castle most of her life in order to usurp her throne.

This is a great audio book!

fantastic book, by and large captivating

This is a great book and a great listen - especially for those who are interested in Spanish or English History. The author covers a good deal of Queen Isabella of Spain's later years which is gripping and this serves as the lead in to the story of the sister queens. Anyone who was a fan of Showtimes' show The Tudors will be interested in this book I think! I loved the book however, it was an effort to listen to the last few minutes as the pace of the story slowed. Well worth the credit!

A good history lesson

I enjoy learning about history, and this book presented the information in a clear, well-organized manner. I came away from this book feeling like the information will stick with me. It was not one of those history books so dull it just goes in one ear and out the other. It was easy and enjoyable to listen to. I have no complaints about the book, I just can't give it a 5-star rating unless it blows me away (like Killing Lincoln). I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Spanish history, or this period in European history.

Wonderful insights into the daughters of Ferdinand and Isabella

A well-written, well-researched, and balanced story of Katherine of Aragon and Juana of Castile. Beautiful narration, as always, by Rosalyn Landor.

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!