The Last Tudor

Three sisters, one dangerous bloodline. Jane Grey wore the crown for nine days before her father's failed grab for power sent her to the Tower and the block, leaving a letter for her younger sister Katherine with stark advice: learn you to die. Katherine has other plans. She wants love and a life of her own, but her royal blood makes her a threat, first to Queen Mary and then to Elizabeth, who will not let her marry and bear an heir.

Watching from the edges of court is the youngest, Mary Grey, a dwarf the courtiers overlook and who keeps her own secrets well. The closing novel of Philippa Gregory's Tudor series gives each sister her own voice against a wary, unforgiving crown. It is a fine choice for anyone drawn to the women history pushed to the margins, told with warmth and nerve.