The Heretic’s Wife

Tudor England is a dangerous place to harbor Lutheran sympathies, yet brave souls like John Gough and his sister Kate smuggle protestant bibles into the country and translate them into English for the common man. When Gough is arrested, he recants, but Kate continues on with the mission, falling in love with translator John Frith, who takes her with him into exile in Antwerp. Meanwhile in England, Henry VIII is drifting slowly away from the Catholic faith under the influence of his mistress Anne Boleyn, while Thomas More becomes more and more obsessed with burning heretics and keeping England in the bosom of the church. No one with protestant beliefs is safe, including Kate and her husband, who may pay the ultimate price for their heresy. This is a strong historical, showing another side of the tempestuous Tudor times. Boleyn and Henry VIII, often the focus of these stories, are sideline figures, and the common folk who truly suffered under the intolerance of the regime take center stage while the saintly More is given shockingly brutal treatment. Tudor fans will be pleased and excited by this fresh approach. (Apr.)