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Sarah Kennedy

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The Altarpiece (The Cross and The Crown Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Sarah Kennedy (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 36 ratings

Book 1 of 2: The Cross and The Crown

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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.

Book 1 of 2

The Cross and The Crown
Print length

246 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

September 11, 2018
File size

7449 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . a great many things are happening in The Altarpiece: there is mystery, action, and even some romance. Kennedy has managed to create some interesting characters in the sisters of Mount Grace,particularly in Catherine, who is both intelligent and resourceful."--Historical Novels Review

"Kennedy demonstrates a robust knowledge of Tudor-era medicine and folk cures. The reader is introduced to the mortal effects of monkshood, the blood-clotting capabilities of cobweb and lard, and the healing properties of holly, ale, chickweed and basil. Indeed, one of the most intriguing features of the novel is its many references period antidotes and recipes, and they provide an illuminating glimpse into Tudor-era life. . . . This book recommends itself first on the basis that it is quite simply a well told mystery story. It also makes Tudor England accessible to a large audience, and will hopefully even encourage scholarly interest in the subject."
--Sixteenth Century Journal

"Sarah Kennedy's debut novel, The Altarpiece, is not one to be missed. The thoroughly absorbing story, as finely wrought as the missing artwork that sets the plot into motion, is rife with drama, intrigue, and thrilling historical details that echo the most riveting passages of Margaret George's Tudor-era biographical novels . . . while detailing the utter destruction of the Catholic church in England during the Protestant Reformation. Though the mystery of the missing altarpiece makes this novel a page-turner, at the heart of the story lurks something much more vital: a smart young woman's desire to pursue a much greater life than the one offered to her."--Per Contra

About the Author

Sarah Kennedy is the author of the five-part Tudor historical series, The Cross and the Crown, which includes The Altarpiece, City of Ladies, The King's Sisters, Queen of Blood, and Worlds End. She has also published a stand-alone novel, Self-Portrait, with Ghost, as well as seven books of poems. A professor of English, Sarah Kennedy holds a PhD in Renaissance Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07H9F8FRB
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penmore Press LLC (September 11, 2018)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 11, 2018
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 7449 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 246 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,805,552 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #577 in British Historical Literature
- #583 in History of Renaissance Europe
- #50,239 in Historical Fiction (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 36 ratings

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Sarah Kennedy

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Sarah Kennedy was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. A professor of English, she holds a PhD in Renaissance Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing. She is the author of historical fiction set in Tudor England. The Cross and the Crown series begins with The Altarpiece and continues with City of Ladies, The King's Sisters, Queen of Blood, and Worlds End. She is also the author of seven books of poems. When she's not reading mysteries, crime fiction, or historical fiction, Sarah's working in her garden, walking her dog, or experimenting in her kitchen!

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Tracy F.

Intriguing

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2018

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Set in the year of 1535, during a time when King Henry VIII is breaking ties to Rome, the religious houses of England are being taken by force. Catherine Havens, a 24-year-old adopted foundling of a small Yorkshire village, is widely sought after for her gift of healing. However, when her dreams of having her own place at court die she reluctantly takes the veil. But, when a costly altarpiece goes missing, Catherine along with her close friend are the first to come under suspicion of involvement in the altarpieces disappearance.
The first book in The Cross and the Crown series, Kennedy gives her female characters something that most have written do not—a voice. Set in a time when women were expected to be seen and not heard, and applying even more so to the sisterhood, Kennedy allows her characters to shine. While at the same time, Kennedy is able to keep her readers both engaged and guessing what will happen in each and every scene. Who stole the altarpiece? Where is it hidden? Will Catherine give in and deny her god for her king?
Being both a delight and just as troubling, this first in a series will surely keep readers wanting more of what is yet to come.

Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2018

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The altarpiece (the cross and the crown book 1) is a book set in 1535. The story is a really captivating one. It talked about the tumultuous years of king Henry viii's break from Rome when the religious houses of England were been seized by force. In this turbulent times was a twenty year old Lady, Catherine havens, the adopted daughter of the prioress of the priory of Mount grace in a small Yorkshire village. Catherine had a gift for healing so she is widely sought after and admired for her knowledge, with all things seemingly going in her favor, a tragedy happened, the king divorced her, dashing her hopes of a place at court.
The author did a wonderful job on this book, she presented a haunting side of Tudor England in a style that is really thrilling.

Helpful

Great read

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2018

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The Altarpiece (The Cross and The Crown Book1) by Sarah Kennedy it is a historical fiction novel about the time where the Catholic church was falling apart because of the Protestant Reformation and is especially focus on the lives of the nuns during the period, the nuns used to be protected by the Catholic Crown, but now that the Protestants are ruling Europe the nuns lost their way of living and they do not know how they will survive. The author has a Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature and an MFA in creative writing so she uses her knowledge masterfully to recreate the historical time she is writing about, the characters are well described and well presented, so I was able to connect with them, the pace is quick and steady, the stolen piece from the altar gives it the touch of mystery that makes it more intriguing, I enjoyed the book.

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2018

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I never did very well in history class in either high school or college. I guess that was because my teachers presented it in a boring way.

So imagine my surprise when I began to enjoy learning about history through reading well-researched historical novels. I have especially enjoyed the many historical novels of England – in particular, this book “The Altarpiece (The Cross and The Crown Book 1) by Sarah Kennedy.

There were some formatting problems, but that didn’t appear in any of the reviews I read, so I guess it was just my device. But even those formatting issues didn’t prevent me from thoroughly enjoying this mystery set in Tudor England.

If you want to read a well-researched historical novel with an interesting main character and an exciting mystery, then this is the book for you.

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JLeedom

A different kind of Tudor novel

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2013

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So many novels about the English Reformation and Tudor England focus on lavish court life and Henry VIII's lasciviousness. The Altarpiece instead offers a fresh look at the other side of this momentous change in history. Its focus is Catherine, a young nun whose monastery is being closed during the English Reformation. She must decide what to do with her life now that her lifelong vow has been revoked.

The odds are that you and I would not have been born into court life if we were alive in sixteenth-century England, so the novel's look at the Reformation's effect on common people allows us to see how our own lives may have been changed. The Altarpiece is well-researched with meticulous, gritty detail. Add in a mystery which casts suspicion on all of the characters, and you have the perfect blend for a novel which keeps you wondering at whodunnit and marveling at how, both now and 500 years ago, people's most important skill must be adaptability, since life will always change.

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Purple

3.5* very good historical fiction with editing issues

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2018

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The editing of this ebook has unfortunately caused me to rate this lower than the story warrants. The normal convention of separate paragraphs when each person speaks is absent, and causes the reader much confusion regarding who is speaking. In addition, on my kindle there is no space between a " and the next word. This makes for a VERY confusing read and detracts unnecessarily from a very good and engrossing tale.

I encourage fans of historical fiction - and by that I mean true history that is well researched, with believable characters who appear genuine members of that time period (true and believable medical terminology of the day, etc) to stick with the story despite the editorial challenges. It is well worth the read and would be a 5* novel without the issues mentioned.

The story is a good one, and the life of Catherine, the protagonist, continues as this is the first of a series of novels.

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The Altarpiece (The Cross and The Crown Book 1) Kindle Edition

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Sarah Kennedy

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