I saw this book when browsing through some library shelves and snatched it up immediately. I had already put it on my 'to-read' shelf, but hadn't made a concentrated effort to get my hands on it, so spotting it then seemed like the best time to go ahead and take it.

de Lisle is thorough in her research about the Grey sisters, and I learned quite a bit about them. She tears through the myths and reinterpretations that have sprung up about Jane Grey in the centuries since her execution, and shows us that, far from being shy, retiring, and unambitious, Jane was as fierce and ambitious as any of her Tudor and Stuart cousins. She sheds light on Katherine and Mary Grey, the two sisters who are often forgotten in comparison to the other Tudor women, like Elizabeth or Mary Queen of Scots, and the hefty prices they paid for being considered Elizabeeth's Protestant heirs.

The writing was dry in some places and I didn't much care for the sprinkled instances where de Lisle falls into a kind of 'story-telling', but other than that, I enjoyed this book that reminds us that there were other famous women of that time beyond the two Tudor Queens and their cousin the Scottish Queen.

I picked this book up because of my late obsession with [b:My Lady Jane|22840421|My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies, #1)|Cynthia Hand|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1444923765l/22840421._SY75_.jpg|42397220] (both the book and especially the TV show) and I just needed MORE, so after going through a few more books in that series I wanted to pick a non-fic about Lady Jane Grey. I'm honestly not sure this served that purpose that well, but in the end I did learn a lot from this book, even if not what I wanted going into it.

This is my personal taste thing, but I do prefer when historical biographies try to be more personal even if it involves some speculation on the writer's part. Earlier this year, I read [b:Romantic Outlaws|25324105|Romantic Outlaws The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley|Charlotte Gordon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1450795048l/25324105._SY75_.jpg|41681472], also a historical biography, but [a:Charlotte Gordon|535959|Charlotte Gordon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1426802622p2/535959.jpg] made me feel like I personally met every - even minor - person involved and almost gave me peek into their souls. I didn't always agree with her readings, but everybody felt as a person. Leanda de Lisle on the other hand focuses way more on the political machinations and situation than the people involved. This for me applied especially to the parts about Jane Grey where I didn't really feel like I learned much new about her, which is kind of alarming considering that my previous sources were very much pop-culture.

The strongest parts of the book were easily the ones focusing on her younger sister Katherine Grey. Maybe it's partially because I didn't know much of her story, but she was also the character with the most life to her. Honestly, reading about the early stages of her romance with her future husband was a delight and the fact that their letters were apparently too spicy for Victorians was a nice bonus. The ending of her story made me cry so hard, you have no idea...

With Mary Grey, I could once again use some more insight, because she was potentially such an interesting figure.


Some random thoughts and observations:

Tudorphiles will enjoy the depth, which will probably bore anybody else. Casualties (although not passive ones, especially Jane) of the entangled issues of royal succession and religious conflict, these sisters have some of the most interesting and tragic life stories of the era. Audiobook is well-narrated. Recommended for history and biography fans.

I loved this book! I learned so much from this. What fascinating stories of love, tragedy and politics. I especially enjoyed learning about Lady Jane Grey's sisters, Katherine and Mary. I saw a different side of Elizabeth I from this. She is often written about as a great queen for England and the common people loved her. But the nobility, in general, disliked her and she was very cruel to anyone that posed a threat to her position.
Excellent reading if you enjoy this time period or history in general!

A very well-researched, well-written and entertaining account of the Grey sisters. According to the will of Henry the 8th, Mary and Elizabeth were illegitamate (sp?) and unable to become Queen; he wanted the Grey sisters and their sons to be the heirs to his son Edward. Edward also wanted and this and included them in his will as his successors. This is the story of why this didn't happen and the consequences of being so close to the throne.

So when I was in junior high school, I challenged my history teacher when he jumped from Edward as King (Henry's son) to Mary as Queen....skipping right over Jane Grey...I challenged him and he didn't believe me...so I brought in literature proving Jane Grey was crowned and was indeed Queen.

So of course, one of the few moments in my life where I got to be right about something in the face of superior intellect naturally makes me appreciate historical accountings of the Lady Jane Grey.

This was a well-researched and well-constructed account of the three Grey sisters, and the succession of the English crown following the reign of Edward VI (Henry VIII's son). While the history was fascinating, it does sometimes get difficult to keep track of everyone (since the age-old tradition of naming every child after the current ruling monarch means that everyone in the kingdom has the same seven or eight names.) Ms. de Lisle's authorship, and the narration of Wanda McCaddon, made this otherwise intimidating biography much more approachable. I liked the many references to later works of literature, and the fact that the book itself focused on the actual history.

De Lisle's writing style is so sluggish at times, though the topic was incredibly interesting - that's the only thing that kept me going. I found it interesting to learn of how Jane's family still had power to disrupt Elizabeth's life, long after Jane's death. I knew nothing of Katherine or Mary before this, and it was refreshing to find more to the story.

I picked this up at the library because I have been interested in Tudor history but did not know much about the Grey sisters beyond Jane's usurpation of the throne (I believe that Edward was too young to change his father's will and Mary was the rightful successor).

Summary: These women were to be the heirs to the English throne but the vicious power struggles of Tudor politics led to untimely deaths and largely unhappy existences. De Lisle uncovers new information regarding Jane's life and illuminates her largely forgotten younger sisters.

I did know Jane due to the fact that she is known as the 9-Day Queen who was then executed by Mary. I knew she was Protestant, otherwise she would have accepted Mary's claim. I did not even know that she had sisters!

My favorite part of this book is how it refuses the traditional passivity assigned to the Greys and gives them back their agency. Jane in particular has apparently been highlighted as a helpless, innocent, victimized female. Yes they were used by their families but they were able to make their own decisions and Jane especially was brilliant. The other interesting point I noticed was how English Protestantism pushed women into a lower position, unable to rule and yet the entire monarchy succession was dependent on Mary, Elizabeth, Katherine, and Mary's ability to marry and bear sons.

It was heartbreaking to read about Katherine and Mary falling in love but being unable to maintain that happiness as Elizabeth refused to allow them peace. Their children, especially sons, threatened her throne. While this is a good principle to have if you want to rule, a modern reader, such as me, feels for the Grey sisters who were separated from their husbands and placed under house arrest until death as Elizabeth outlived them.

As in Wolf Hall, I was slightly confused by the titles of everyone. Additionally there are family trees to show the relations of the main players-I found them somewhat confusing but I'm sure some people would find them more helpful.

Overall: 3.5/5 I enjoyed learning about the sisters but there was a lot that didn't really include them. I also plan to check out this author's other book After Elizabeth detailing the succession that according to Henry VIII's will ought to have gone to this family's descendants but instead returned to the Stuart line leading to the present day British monarchy family.

Didn't finish