KATHERYN HOWARD, THE SCANDALOUS QUEEN

Narrator Rosalyn Landor is a one-woman full-cast production. Alison Weir turns history into flesh and blood. The combination is extraordinary. The story of Henry VIII's fifth wife reminds us how deadly dangerous he was. Before she even imagines going to live in the court, Katheryn Howard--beautiful, young, willful, and from a prominent family--makes several bad choices in men. Cousin to Anne Boleyn (a little foreshadowing?) and niece to the ambitious, throne-obsessed Duke of Norfolk, Katheryn is sent to court to catch the eye of the much-married, obese, and ailing king. Landor captures young Katheryn's joy in youthful pleasures and her delight at the luxurious surroundings of the glittering life at court. When her past is revealed and tragedy is inevitable, Landor makes our hearts ache. Exceptional storytelling. A+ listening. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2020]