Cross and the Crown

It is 1535, and in the tumultuous years of King Henry VIII's break from Rome, the religious houses of England are being, seized by force. Twenty-year-old Catherine Havens is a foundling and the adopted daughter of the prioress of the Priory of Mount Grace in a small Yorkshire village. Catherine, like her adoptive mother, has a gift for healing, and she is widely, sought and admired for her knowledge. However, the king's divorce dashes Catherine's hopes for a place at court, and she reluctantly takes the veil. When the priory's costly altarpiece goes missing, Catherine and her friend Ann Smith find themselves under increased suspicion. King Henry VIII's soldiers have not had their fill of destruction, and when, they return to Mount Grace to destroy the priory, Catherine must choose between the sacred calling of her past and the man, who may represent her country's future.

The Cross and the Crown Series Book 2 It's midwinter in 1539, and Catherine Havens Overton has just given birth to her second child, a daughter. The convent in which she was raised is now part of the Overton lands, and Catherine's husband William owns the properties that once belonged to her mother's family. With a son, Robert, and her new daughter, Veronica, Catherine's life as the mistress of a great household should be complete.Henry VIII's England has not been kind to many of the evicted members of religious houses, and Catherine has gathered about her a group of former nuns in hopes of providing them a chance to serve in the village of Havenston, her City of Ladies. Catherine's own past haunts her. Her husband suspects that Catherine's son is not his child, and his ambitions lie with service at court. Then the women of Overton House begin to disappear, and though one of them is found brutally murdered nearby, William forces Catherine to go to Hatfield House, where the young Elizabeth Tudor lives, to improve the family's standing-and to ensure, for her own safety, that she is as far away from connections to her old convent as possible. Reluctantly, Catherine obeys, only to find herself serving not only the Protestant Elizabeth but also the shamed Catholic Mary Tudor. As the murders in Yorkshire mount up and her loyalty to the Tudor sisters grows more complicated, Catherine must uncover the secret of the killer and keep her dream of a City of Ladies alive.

The King's Sisters continues the story of Catherine Havens. It's now 1542, and another queen, Catherine Howard, has been beheaded for adultery. Although young Prince Edward is growing, and the line of Tudor succession seems secure, the king falls into a deep melancholy and questions the faith and loyalty of those around him. Catherine has found herself in a unique position as a married former nun. Now she is a wealthy widow. She has two children, a boy who has successfully joined the young prince's household and a daughter who lives with her at Richmond Palace, home to Henry's cast-off fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, now designated "The King's Beloved Sister." Catherine also enjoys the attentions of widower Benjamin Davies, and in the festive court atmosphere, she has furtively indulged her passion for him. But, England has changed again. Anne of Cleves hopes for reinstatement as queen-until questions arise about the finances of the houses she keeps. Catherine, as one of the king's "reformed sisters," is, singled out, just as she realizes that she is carrying a third child. The King's Sisters explores the Tudor court under an aging Henry VIII. He now has a son and heir, but his two daughters remain players in the political intrigues. The Cross and the Crown series, follows the very private Catherine as she is, thrust into the scheming. She is skilled enough to serve a former queen, but this may be the very quality that endangers her future. Sarah Kennedy opens magical windows into the world of Tudor's England and brings it to life in vibrant colors and unforgettable reverberations. She reinvents the genre of historical fiction of that period giving voice to women of all ages, social classes, and economic standing. She writes with astounding detail of material culture and deft psychological insight about the experiences of women from the royal sisters to maids and confidants amidst whom the feisty protagonist.