The Queen's Mistake - Diane Haeger

★★★★★★★★★★ (7/10)

The Queen’s Mistake is a fictional account of Catharine Howard’s life with King Henry VIII, but what I like best about it is that the author did a lot of research to keep it as historically accurate as possible. All of the dates and historical events are correct, and it’s nice to read an interesting novel where so much care was taken to be correct. It’s almost like a pleasant hidden history lesson.

I have to admit that prior to reading The Queen’s Mistake, I knew very little about Catharine Howard other than that she was Henry VIII’s fifth wife and that she was beheaded. I knew nothing about the circumstances regarding her relationship with the king, her private life, nor the events leading up to her execution. Nevertheless, I have usually found the stories about one of England’s most memorable king remarkably fascinating. When I was younger, I would read about the things Henry VIII accomplished, and then be shocked by the horrible things that happened in his life and during his reign. It’s simply a wonder that a queen like Elizabeth I could have a father as bizarre as Henry VIII, but it makes sense when he’s remembered by the cruelty he was capable of, while she is remembered for the great things she did for religion, the arts, and education.

As to the novel as a work of literature, it was immensely satisfying. I was immediately drawn in by the portrayal of Catherine’s unhappy home life. She lost both parents and was supported by a grandmother who seemed more likely to kill Catherine than show the any kindly emotion toward her. In a situation like this, it’s no wonder that a strong girl like Catherine would choose to rebel and do whatever it was that her grandmother would forbid. What was sad about her life is that she was always a pawn no matter who took care of her. As a woman with the Howard name in the 1500s, she was expected to marry well regardless of her own personal feelings on the matter. She probably thought that being tossed into her grandmother’s care, she had been forgotten about and was free to live her life as she chose. Unfortunately, she became, like her cousin Anne Boleyn, a tool to her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, to improve his own position.

Catherine, however, was just a girl like any other and prone to the emotions and feelings any girl of her age would be. She was interested in love and happiness, and if money happened to be included, it was all the better. She liked having power, which would be one reason for her death, but it didn’t consume her as it did her family. Still, the novel was very emotional: one chapter could leave me feeling elated and hopeful for her happiness, even though in the back of my mind, I already knew what had to happen to her. In another chapter, the reality of her situation sunk in and it was thoroughly depressing that she would have to give up what she wanted. The worst of it was the novel made it seem that she did have a choice, but ultimately chose power over love. The passions and emotional turmoil that characterize this novel are what make Catherine Howard’s tragic story one that I just couldn’t put down.

The Queen’s Mistake is a fantastic historical novel. The history is perfect, the emotional pull is strong, and the characters are deep, complicated, and engrossing. Diane Haeger is now firmly on my list of authors I want to read more from.