After I enjoyed Book One in the Ladies in Waiting historical ChristFic series, I personally called it "A Novel of Meg Wyatt," the best friend of Anne Boleyn, despite Anne being the historical figure more people would recognize.

In general, I think it can be tricky to have a novel about someone—in this second book's case, Kateryn Parr—when that someone isn't the main character. It can give the story a somewhat contrived feel during the times when the main character—in this case, Juliana—seems to be around mostly to watch the important developments happening in other people's lives. Also in this case, given the course of Kateryn's life, the last quarter or third of the novel felt much to me like an extended period of tying up loose ends without her active involvement.

Hence, I had a hard time thinking of this as either "A Novel of Kateryn Parr" or "A Novel of Juliana St. John" overall.

Nevertheless, what most sold me on the read is the historical context featuring women as writers, seers, thinkers, reformers, and more in a society that proves uniquely challenging, and uniquely dangerous, for women. (On that note, a trigger warning: This book includes a rape scene.) In a world where women are (still) misvalued, certain lady characters here stand up for their beliefs, making a social impact, and while most of this novel is fairly dark, it makes the case that happy outcomes are possible where real love lives—even when the outlook a woman may have faced appeared bleak.

I'm looking forward to checking out the third and last novel in this series. ( )

I am woefully behind on some series, including Sandra Byrd’s Ladies in Waiting series that focuses on the Tudors. So I downloaded the audiobook of The Secret Keeper, put on my tennis shoes, and walked my way through the halls of intrigue in the last days of Henry VIII. This novel tells the story of Kateryn Parr, Henry’s sixth and final wife. The book is rich in historical detail — the author really did her research to bring the world of Tudor England to life. Besides the attention to furnishings, language, and clothing, Byrd explores all of the political and religious intrigues of the day. Kateryn is portrayed as a well-read and intelligent woman, who unfortunately must stay within the boundaries of her class and gender. She wrote a number of insightful books, yet had to bow to men in all things. Her life with Henry, her third husband, was not easy, nor was it free of danger. She outlived him and was married to Thomas Seymour (her true love), brother of Queen Jane (Henry’s third wife) and uncle to now King Edward VI. But a happily-ever-after is denied her.

Kateryn’s story is told through the first person voice of a fictional lady-in-waiting, Juliana St. John. Juliana comes to Kateryn’s household as a naive young country girl. Juliana also faces trouble as she becomes indispensable to the Queen before, during, and after her marriage to Henry. I came to love Juliana — trustworthy, loyal, and undeserving of the harsh treatment she encounters throughout her life. You will love how her story ends.

Byrd weaves a tale that brings a fresh perspective on the Tudor era. I loved how she explored the what-ifs of Kateryn’s life — you will too. Specific to the audiobook: the narrator does a wonderful job of presenting Juliana’s voice. It was perfect for the subject and characters.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

The story of Kateryn Parr (from the time of her second marriage as Lady Latimer)as seen through the eyes of a fictional lady in waiting, who has a prophetic gift. There is an interesting twist at the end regarding the fate of Kateryn's only child, her daughter Mary. There is no record of her after the age of two. Our lady in waiting, Juliana St. John. makes a few discoveries regarding her own life. This book is easy to read and fun. ( )

Wednesday, September 3, 2014
The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr by Sandra Byrd, ©2012
Ladies in Waiting, Book 2

Kateryn Parr (b.1512-d.1548)
Sir Thomas Seymour seeks Hugh St. John to settle some business and comes upon his daughter, Juliana, as a lector at the church. Assured she would be just the one to serve as a confidante lady-in-waiting for his beloved Kateryn, her mother initially agrees to one year's service at court for her daughter.
Kateryn Parr has long been in love with Thomas, brother of late Queen Jane Seymour. Getting rid of his wives at whim, the King seeks to have Kate Parr as his next wife. Unknown to Henry VIII, she will be his last wife. King Henry VIII in failing health, the Court goes on without him ~ until he hears about it and has them beheaded. To the Tower is a command that doesn't return many. Desirous of keeping all the power himself, he is not overly pleased with the influx of reformers entering and promoting influences amid his reign. If only he had realized the true Queen he had, he would have had a much better outcome. He was swayed by opinion and pompous self-pride, on again ~ off again allegiance to Kate.
For all of his misleading, Thomas does indeed do a great service for Kate when bringing Juliana to court for her. She is a faithful friend and continues at court for the duration of Kate's life. Kate, in turn, is the mother figure Juliana unknowingly sought. Benevolence on both parts, they are valuable to each other's lives. Juliana has prophetic dreams that forewarn of coming events, even before she knew she was to be a part of the outcome.
Juliana tells the story as an observer and participant in the life of Queen Kateryn. She gives the Queen her complete attendance beyond a life of her own. Juliana is my very favorite character and I was overwhelmed with the acceptance she receives as she leaves court after the death of the Queen. Very satisfactory and a beloved friend. As a believer, she realizes she was never alone nor forsaken.
This Tudor story is very thorough and well-written of hidden times revealed within the private chambers. Although Juliana is fictional among the actual happenings portrayed, she stands out as the very needed member. Enjoy the rich stories told in the Ladies-in-Waiting series by Sandra Byrd. Further historical readings of Principal Works of Reference are included in the back of the novel. Also included is a Reading Group Guide and Author Q&A.

***Thank you to Author Sandra Byrd for this story and the opportunity to read and review The Secret Keeper. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.*** ( )

It's easy to feel sorry for all six of King Henry VIII's wives - through either political machinations, religious upheavals, or royal miscarriages, and the subsequent falls from the King's favor, most were not to blame for their less-than-happily-ever afters. Almost uniformly victims of the King himself and his Court, the Katherines, Annes and Janes of King Harry have all been thoroughly explored and reinvented in various novels, plays, movies in the 400 years since the end of the Tudor dynasty. I was a bit hesitant to pick up yet another historical fiction set during this royal family's tenure, but The Secret Keeper has legs and can firmly stand on its own. Injecting a lot of energy into this well-trod field of history, Byrd makes a compelling case for tragedy for the last, and most overlooked, of Great Harry's matrimonial partners, Katherine (Kateryn) Parr.

A successful, fresh perspective in such a popular time frame has been tried before (with less success) by other authors, yet none had the vitality or believability of Byrd's invented Juliana St. John. The first person POV can often be tricky for historical fiction, but used as it is here, it actually does a lot to illustrate Juliana's multi-faceted character; her inner monologue is lively and intelligent, engaging to read with a clear voice. Pairing this intelligent, though fictional, woman with the last of Henry's queens is a perfect fit: Katherine Parr is well-remembered for her coteries of enlightened and well-read female courtiers and Juliana is a natural fit within such a group. It was a tidy way to create an authentic character who would resonate with the intended audience without creating a large anachronism. Juliana's relationships with others are complex and meaningful, ones that grow and evolve as the novel progresses - particularly, her strong bond with her surrogate mother Katherine and with her love-interest Jamie Hart.

SPOILERS, BEWARE. I want to take a moment to thank Sir James Hart of this novel. Early on, Juliana is raped - viciously - by a member of the Court. She then blames herself for the rest of the novel (for YEARS! it's so sad!), until, (THANK YOU), Jamie corrects this stupid, awful, incorrect train of thought, with just a single sentence.

"You, love, did not bring this upon yourself no matter what you said, no matter what you did, no matter what you wore."

Major, major kudos to Sandra Byrd for not indulging in, perpetuating or just ignoring rampant victim blaming/rape culture. Well done. It's all too rare that dialogue like that will appear in a historical fiction novel, and I have to applaud a love interest that makes a point to show that. He may be the least developed character of the novel, but he still gets a pass from me for his chivalry. END SPOILERS.

Though the focus of the novel and the narrative is protagonist Juliana, her life is on periphery of Katherine's and as a result, it is constantly, directly affected by the course of the older woman's life. The Katherine shown by this author is more than merely a survivor of King Henry's merciless whims and reversals: she was an accomplished author, in a time when women were discouraged from reading, an tireless supporter of religious reform, and a generous, loving stepmother to her three royal children. Byrd presents a well-rounded, very real woman in her interpretation of the former Widow Latimer, one that is wholly compelling and original. Not content with the "gowned skirmishes" of the Court, this version of Queen Katherine (and the author) focus more on the religious scandals that plagued her marriage to the king. Not only is this a refreshing change of plot from the adulterous, more salacious storylines of Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, it's quite true to the actual woman Katherine Parr was. Vibrant, actualized characters are the strength of The Secret Keeper, and no characters show this more than Juliana and Katherine herself.

Clocking in at just under 350 pages, this is far from the longest historical fiction I've read this year, but it was the most effortless to read. I could've easily continued with these characters (and that twist!), were there more plot to continue on with. It's nicely paced from the get-go, especially for such a character-driven novel, and Sandra Byrd easily establishes herself as a natural storyteller with an inviting lead. You can even pick it up if you've not read the first in the author's Tudor series, To Die For. As a standalone or as sequel, The Secret Keeper cultivates a nice sense of atmosphere through the intrigue and uncertainty of that world; it's chock full of tension and history. The wording and prose isn't beautiful or jaw-dropping, though every once in a while the author would hit upon the perfect phrase ("Power was beginning to settle like stones cast into the Thames. The heaviest got there first." - p. 200, ARC) to create the image she desired.

Fast-paced, fun, and with a fresh perspective, Sandra Byrd proves with The Secret Keeper that you don't need a Boleyn or a Howard to make Tudor historical fiction good, involving and worth reading. A nice twist on a true historical mystery was completely unexpected and added an extra flair to the novel that I really enjoyed. For this book, for the scenario that the author so painstakingly crafted and subtly set up, the end was wholly satisfying and believable. I have yet to read the series first novel, but you can be sure it's now in the top 10 of my "buy NOW" list. Fans of Tudor hist fic oversaturated with Boleyns and Howards would do well to pick up this novel. ( )