The sisters who would be queen - Leanda de Lisle

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Leanda de Lisle brings the story of nine days' queen Lady Jane Grey and her forgotten sisters, the rivals of Elizabeth I, to vivid life in her fascinating biography."-Philippa Gregory

Mary, Katherine, and Jane Grey-sisters whose mere existence nearly toppled a kingdom
and altered a nation's destiny-are the captivating subjects of Leanda de Lisle's
new book. The Sisters Who Would Be Queen breathes fresh life into these three young
women, who were victimized in the notoriously vicious Tudor power struggle and whose
heirs would otherwise probably be ruling England today.

Born into aristocracy,
the Grey sisters were the great-granddaughters of Henry VII, grandnieces to Henry
VIII, legitimate successors to the English throne, and rivals to Henry VIII's daughters,
Mary and Elizabeth. Lady Jane, the eldest, was thrust center stage by greedy men
and uncompromising religious politics when she briefly succeeded Henry's son, the
young Edward I. Dubbed "the Nine Days Queen" after her short, tragic reign from the
Tower of London, Jane has over the centuries earned a special place in the affections
of the English people as a "queen with a public heart." But as de Lisle reveals,
Jane was actually more rebel than victim, more leader than pawn, and Mary and Katherine
Grey found that they would have to tread carefully in order to avoid sharing their
elder sister's violent fate.

Navigating the politics of the Tudor court after Jane' s death was a precarious challenge. Katherine Grey, who sought to live a stable life,
earned the trust of Mary I, only to risk her future with a love marriage that threatened
Queen Elizabeth's throne. Mary Grey, considered too petite and plain to be significant,
looked for her own escape from the burden of her royal blood-an impossible task after
she followed her heart and also incurred the queen's envy, fear, and wrath.

Exploding
the many myths of Lady Jane Grey's life, unearthing the details of Katherine's and
Mary's dramatic stories, and casting new light on Elizabeth's reign, Leanda de Lisle
gives voice and resonance to the lives of the Greys and offers perspective on their
place in history and on a time when a royal marriage could gain a woman a kingdom
or cost her everything.