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Medieval Babes: Tales of Little-Known Ladies #4
The White Rose Rent: Katherine, Daughter of Richard III
The Tudor Era has dawned. Richard III lies in a shallow grave at Greyfriars in Leicester and Henry Tudor sits upon an uneasy throne. Richard's illegitimate daughter, Katherine Plantagenet, wife of one year to William Herbert, Earl of Huntingdon, struggles to find her path in the strange new world of Tudor England. Only fifteen years old, she fears her husband will put her aside due to her relationship to the deposed King. Frightened and alone, she recalls the events of her younger years, when Richard, Duke of Gloucester took her and her half-brother John to be raised at Sheriff Hutton Castle. Days when it seemed a baseborn girl could reach dizzying heights... Days of happiness before her father took the crown, before her cousins Edward and Richard vanished from the Tower of London, before beautiful Elizabeth of York danced in gold at the Christmas Feast of 1484 and started rumours flying...
106 pages, Paperback
Published September 8, 2018
259 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
J.P. Reedman
105 books169 followersBorn in Canada, J.P. Reedman has been a UK resident for over 30 years. She has been writing since the age of 5, and preferred genres are fantasy and historical (or a mixture of both.) Interests are British history and prehistory, especially the neolithic and bronze ages, archaeology, anthropology and features of the countryside. She is author of the STONEHENGE SAGA a novel that places the legends of King Arthur back into the bronze age, and a number of works about King Richard III, including the epic, I RICHARD PLANTAGENET, which, with both parts combined, is over 250,000 words long and written from Richard's first person perspective. She is also the author of the bestselling medieval novel, MY FAIR LADY, about the little known Queen, Eleanor of Provence which is first in an ongoing series about lesser-known medieval noblewoman. 13 SO FAR!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 21, 2021
The idea of a novella about Katherine Plantagenet, Richard III's illegitimate daughter, never came to my mind - I though there was simply not enough known about her to write it. But J.P. Reedman has a true talent in bringing to life historical figures, even if we don't really know much about them. Her imagination filled the voids left by history, and that's how Katherine's story comes out in a vivid, compelling and believable way. It was so moving at times, and I felt sad when Katherine felt sad, and infuriated when she felt infuriated. I lived her emotions through her telling. That's what a good writer can do. A precious little gem of a book.
February 25, 2021
Great book
Have anyone else think in the people that Richard III left when he died? Well this book presents the story of one girl not older than 15 who lost not just his king but his lovely father, and all the stability she had, this books presents the story of kate one of the bastards of Richard III, historically speaking we know very less about the bastards of Richard except that he seemed to be a responsible father well in this book you will get to know the feelings and thoughts of her daughter, not just her relationship with him but also how was her life after him all with the words of J.P Reedman that I can proudly say now Is one of my favorite authors.
This book is so well done that i loved Kate, She is a girl who doesn't understand well her position as a bastard when she is a kid but she eventually leave her mom who gets an arranged marriage and lives in a different world that her daughter who is taked by her father so she grows up without a mother who rarely return the letters because is very happy in her new marriage but Kate has her half brother Jhon ,so they become besties as politic is changing she grows up with the knowledge that her father is there for her , she meets him often and his wife and heir all have a good relationship but once he become king things move very quickly suddenly kate pass from be a bastard to be a countess and a married girl all thanks to her father who is making sure that his daughter and sons have a good life , but everything goes bad problems every where and kate lose her half brother ned the hair of Richard , then Anne , and Richard, in that moment you can imagine how is for a girl of her age be the daughter of a man who now is called usurper and killer , plus she is not important not even for her husband so she is so lost in this new times her stability died with her father but also Jhon is in risk and all her word is broken in this book you can feel her sadness and anger, is so sad but the end of the book wow even if I almost cried I loved it like crazy what a way to close a great story in general is a great book that will show you the perspective of someone who is rarely taking in count , lovely book .
❤️
Have anyone else think in the people that Richard III left when he died? Well this book presents the story of one girl not older than 15 who lost not just his king but his lovely father, and all the stability she had, this books presents the story of kate one of the bastards of Richard III, historically speaking we know very less about the bastards of Richard except that he seemed to be a responsible father well in this book you will get to know the feelings and thoughts of her daughter, not just her relationship with him but also how was her life after him all with the words of J.P Reedman that I can proudly say now Is one of my favorite authors.
This book is so well done that i loved Kate, She is a girl who doesn't understand well her position as a bastard when she is a kid but she eventually leave her mom who gets an arranged marriage and lives in a different world that her daughter who is taked by her father so she grows up without a mother who rarely return the letters because is very happy in her new marriage but Kate has her half brother Jhon ,so they become besties as politic is changing she grows up with the knowledge that her father is there for her , she meets him often and his wife and heir all have a good relationship but once he become king things move very quickly suddenly kate pass from be a bastard to be a countess and a married girl all thanks to her father who is making sure that his daughter and sons have a good life , but everything goes bad problems every where and kate lose her half brother ned the hair of Richard , then Anne , and Richard, in that moment you can imagine how is for a girl of her age be the daughter of a man who now is called usurper and killer , plus she is not important not even for her husband so she is so lost in this new times her stability died with her father but also Jhon is in risk and all her word is broken in this book you can feel her sadness and anger, is so sad but the end of the book wow even if I almost cried I loved it like crazy what a way to close a great story in general is a great book that will show you the perspective of someone who is rarely taking in count , lovely book .
❤️
February 2, 2020
I loved this book so much.
I love a writer who can make a story out of nothing .... we don’t know very much of Katherine Plantagenet life and to write a book about her is wonderful. All the things that happen around her, with her father and politics must have had an affect on her like it had on margret beaufort and Elizabeth if York and is worked beautifully in this book 📚
Most entrigend I was by her few on Henry Tudor the man who slain her father on the battlefield. She must have hated him so much! And to go and see the man for herself not an impressive warrior or a great and robust. Her bloodline the enemy.
The name ‘Plantagenet’ went from honour to dangerous.....
I love a writer who can make a story out of nothing .... we don’t know very much of Katherine Plantagenet life and to write a book about her is wonderful. All the things that happen around her, with her father and politics must have had an affect on her like it had on margret beaufort and Elizabeth if York and is worked beautifully in this book 📚
Most entrigend I was by her few on Henry Tudor the man who slain her father on the battlefield. She must have hated him so much! And to go and see the man for herself not an impressive warrior or a great and robust. Her bloodline the enemy.
The name ‘Plantagenet’ went from honour to dangerous.....
May 21, 2023
Well written and engaging read
My only criticism was that I really wanted it to go on longer. Then, when you realise how little is known about Katherine Plantagenet, it is probably about right. The ending, though sad and also regrettably inevitable, was beautifully done. I enjoyed this story very much. Thank you.
My only criticism was that I really wanted it to go on longer. Then, when you realise how little is known about Katherine Plantagenet, it is probably about right. The ending, though sad and also regrettably inevitable, was beautifully done. I enjoyed this story very much. Thank you.
January 21, 2025
Katherine Plantagenet was the illegitimate daughter of Richard III. Little is known of her life but here the author fleshes out the few facts to create a plausible novella.
September 1, 2019
A very quick and easy read and I liked the "past to present" format. I do wish the book was longer though. Not much is known about Katherine (illegitimate daughter of Richard III) so the author did her best to create a story as believable as could be. There were just a few parts that I would doubt that a bastard daughter would confront her cousin - future Queen of England but again who knows. If you are a Richard III fan - I would recommend. I will read other books by this author.
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September 15, 2021Interesting Historical Novel
I enjoyed this fictionalized biography of a not so well known woman born out of wedlock to a man who eventually became king. It was interesting that he acknowledged her and her illegitimate brother, and the bits and pieces of the lives of these two based on sketchy details. Good character development and an interesting plot.
I enjoyed this fictionalized biography of a not so well known woman born out of wedlock to a man who eventually became king. It was interesting that he acknowledged her and her illegitimate brother, and the bits and pieces of the lives of these two based on sketchy details. Good character development and an interesting plot.
April 18, 2024
This sounded more intriguing than it turned out to be. Katherine Plantagenet, illegitimate daughter of Richard III, is the protagonist and narrator of this story. Born around 1470, she is fifteen years old when her father dies at Bosworth Field. Not surprisingly, Katherine is devastated. Having been raised at Sheriff /hutton with he half brother John, another bastard child, she is aware from an early age both of her status as an illegitimate child, but also as the daughter of the Duke of Gloucester and the niece of the king. She never goes to court as a child and is already ten when her father has all of his children brought to Middleham for training and protection. After her brother John is knighted, Kytte's father arrnged for her marriage to a Welsh peer, William of Huntington. The disappointing part of this is that Richard himself is a fairly minor, albeit sympathetic, character in the narrative. The author works hard to discover the life experiences and motivations of Kytte, but offers no insight into the great events of her day. In the last chapter, she dies in childbirth.
January 1, 2020
Another well done book by J.P.Reedman in the Medieval Babes, Little Known Ladies series.
Book # 4 is about Katherine, daughter of Richard III, who had a short life and died as Lady Herbert, Countess of Huntingdon ( according to a recent London burial record). She did not live very long after her father's demise, which given the times may have been a blessing.
Katherine's mother is possibly Katherine Haute who Richard gave a life long pension to, having probably been married to James Haute when Katherine was still young. In this version, John of Gloucester or Pontefract had a different mother. They were raised after early childhood in Richard's castle at Sheriff Hutton and she had happy years.
Recommended
Book # 4 is about Katherine, daughter of Richard III, who had a short life and died as Lady Herbert, Countess of Huntingdon ( according to a recent London burial record). She did not live very long after her father's demise, which given the times may have been a blessing.
Katherine's mother is possibly Katherine Haute who Richard gave a life long pension to, having probably been married to James Haute when Katherine was still young. In this version, John of Gloucester or Pontefract had a different mother. They were raised after early childhood in Richard's castle at Sheriff Hutton and she had happy years.
Recommended
July 9, 2023
First be aware that almost nothing is known about this lady, Richard III's illegitimate daughter, so this is total fiction. Even her husband isn't greatly known, although he was married to Elizabeth Woodville's sister before he married Katherine, so we know he had a daughter, who inherited his estate after his death, three years after Katherine.
So the author basically had a blank page and he filled it with things likely and not-so-likely. It's an ok read, but it really isn't about Katherine Plantagenet/Herbert.
I'm also assuming the subtitle (Medieval Babes, really?!) was added to make it more appealing to a younger audience but it just makes it sound stupid. Really, get rid of it.
So the author basically had a blank page and he filled it with things likely and not-so-likely. It's an ok read, but it really isn't about Katherine Plantagenet/Herbert.
I'm also assuming the subtitle (Medieval Babes, really?!) was added to make it more appealing to a younger audience but it just makes it sound stupid. Really, get rid of it.
June 4, 2021
I absolutely love these series of books, the forgotten Princesses.
This time, Katherine was the daughter of Richard III, and her mother got pregnant out of wedlock.
Katherine was lucky enough as a child to be taken under Richard's wing, and got married and had titles. The crown was stolen by Henry VII and she had to live by his rules, Elizabeth Woodville was her cousin and had married Henry, Edward was brothers with Richard III, so therefore made the two girls cousins.
She didn't have a bad life and had ladies attending to her.
This time, Katherine was the daughter of Richard III, and her mother got pregnant out of wedlock.
Katherine was lucky enough as a child to be taken under Richard's wing, and got married and had titles. The crown was stolen by Henry VII and she had to live by his rules, Elizabeth Woodville was her cousin and had married Henry, Edward was brothers with Richard III, so therefore made the two girls cousins.
She didn't have a bad life and had ladies attending to her.
August 26, 2024
Based on a true story, this book is very well written and very well researched. As someone who loves reading about the Tudor period of time, I greatly enjoyed it, start to end. Katherine's life is not well documented, but the author fills in many gaps, including a note where she may be buried (without a stone to mark her resting spot). Katherine has a short life by today's standards, and is constrained by the fact that she is female in a very male dominated society, and has royal blood, which can be a blessing or a curse. A great read.
August 19, 2025
Interesting Story
Interesting take on Katherine Plantagenet's life. I loved the little details that described the way people dressed back then, what the buildings looked like, etc. I wish the author had included the ages of Katherine and her brother John, more frequently. Especially since the story goes back and forth, between Katherine's childhood, and her married life. I have loved every book by J.P. Reedman, that I've read so far. She is a talented author who brings the past to life.
Interesting take on Katherine Plantagenet's life. I loved the little details that described the way people dressed back then, what the buildings looked like, etc. I wish the author had included the ages of Katherine and her brother John, more frequently. Especially since the story goes back and forth, between Katherine's childhood, and her married life. I have loved every book by J.P. Reedman, that I've read so far. She is a talented author who brings the past to life.
July 28, 2020
Reedman really got me - I totally teared up at the end during the rose petal scene. It was the best possible ending that could probably be, and still so bittersweet!
An excellent examination of the regime change from Richard III to Henry VII through the eyes of Richard's illegitimate daughter. And great use of a shifting timeline as each chapter alternates between before and after Bosworth.
December 31, 2018
Loved this! I liked the relationship between Katherine and her husband. However, I kind of didn't like how she built up about one of the Princes being alive and then didn't do anything with it. To be fair, though, considering how early this Katherine appears to have died after Bosworth, maybe she didn't have a choice. WHy she made Elizabeth of York some quiet, plotting schemer is beyond me.
November 11, 2018
Terrific!
A well written and absorbing tale about Edward and Isabella of England. I have read much of the Dispensers, but this book describes his lust for power thoughtfully and Edward as a man who never wanted the throne.
A well written and absorbing tale about Edward and Isabella of England. I have read much of the Dispensers, but this book describes his lust for power thoughtfully and Edward as a man who never wanted the throne.
January 24, 2019
Loved this book
I really enjoyed this book. It bought to life this period of English History,and the way women were treated! The politics of the time, the treachery of people. I wanted more.
I really enjoyed this book. It bought to life this period of English History,and the way women were treated! The politics of the time, the treachery of people. I wanted more.
January 29, 2019
Truth? Fiction? Interesting, but many historical discrepancies.
Many things are historically incorrect. Wish it had been more historically vetted. I do however look forward to reading others.
Many things are historically incorrect. Wish it had been more historically vetted. I do however look forward to reading others.
February 8, 2019
Interesting read.
My grandmother was born in Leicester England. A few years ago my sister and I went to a lecture on King Richard'
s grave site found in Leicester. I also an interested in social history and genealogy.
My grandmother was born in Leicester England. A few years ago my sister and I went to a lecture on King Richard'
s grave site found in Leicester. I also an interested in social history and genealogy.
April 6, 2019
Rose time
This is a short novel based on the life of one of Richard III's illegitimate children. I have been studying that period of history and found this an interesting imagining of the times. I also need to read more Shakespeare.
This is a short novel based on the life of one of Richard III's illegitimate children. I have been studying that period of history and found this an interesting imagining of the times. I also need to read more Shakespeare.
April 10, 2019
I was very disappointed by this book. I usually read anything I can find on the war of the Roses especially if it is about Richard III. Not many people realize that Henry the VII really had no royal right to the throne.
August 6, 2019
Enjoyed this book!
An interesting perspective of a lesser known character in Richard the III's family tree. Since there is no background on how his daughter Katherine died, I find this a reasonable theory.
An interesting perspective of a lesser known character in Richard the III's family tree. Since there is no background on how his daughter Katherine died, I find this a reasonable theory.
March 15, 2023
British history is a passion of mine. Richard III is my favorite English King.
The story was different from others I've read on John & Katherine. It was wonderful to read but the ending felt unfinished. Still, an excellent read!
The story was different from others I've read on John & Katherine. It was wonderful to read but the ending felt unfinished. Still, an excellent read!
December 24, 2024
Well I love historical fiction, especially when I learn about people lives (those I did not know existed) and how it turned out for others. Obviously, we know what happened to other prominent historical figures, but there are so many others that we have never heard about.
June 5, 2019
Good reading
Nice tale enjoyable reading. The author describes the period well the way people dressed and how life was lived in a small household as well as a large palace.
Nice tale enjoyable reading. The author describes the period well the way people dressed and how life was lived in a small household as well as a large palace.
September 13, 2019
not as good as I had anticipated!
February 29, 2020
Brilliant
A long time ricardian I loved this book about Katharine of plantagenet. Many of the non historical facts ring so true.
A long time ricardian I loved this book about Katharine of plantagenet. Many of the non historical facts ring so true.
September 3, 2021
Not enough as actually known about the subject to write a book about her
October 26, 2023
Interesting
I love history especially this period. I learned a lot book waa well researched. I will read more by this author. Good read
I love history especially this period. I learned a lot book waa well researched. I will read more by this author. Good read
January 11, 2024
Phillips Gregory
I loved this book, as much as all of her books. I'm starting my own research, thank you Ms. Gregory!!
I loved this book, as much as all of her books. I'm starting my own research, thank you Ms. Gregory!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews