50 Must-Read 50 Beta
← The Must-Read 50
Cover of Katherine by Anya SetonKatherine
Classic · Fiction, Classics, History

Katherine

by Anya Seton
1954 · 573 pages · Fiction
70.8Must-Read
Score Classic
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 14 hours to read · about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

In fourteenth-century England, Katherine de Roet, a convent-raised girl of fifteen with no fortune, is married to a rough knight. At court she meets John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, son of the king and one of the most powerful men in the country, and they begin a love affair that lasts decades, through plague, revolt and scandal, and changes the line of English kings.

Why it's worth reading

It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read and is a classic of historical fiction, based on a real love story. Chaucer, Katherine's brother-in-law, appears.

You'll love it if you liked

Cover of Wolf Hall by Hilary MantelWolf Hall
Wolf HallHilary Mantel
Cover of Outlander by Diana GabaldonOutlander
OutlanderDiana Gabaldon
Cover of The Far Pavilions by M. M. KayeThe Far Pavilions
The Far PavilionsM. M. Kaye

Good to know

It's long and romantic. It was written in 1954, and some of its historical details have been revised by later scholars.

By the numbers

70.8Must-Read Score
  • Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller29 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

On the lists
BBC's The Big Read

Reads as

Moving

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

If you like this, read next

Cover of Anna Karenina by Leo TolstoyAnna Karenina
Anna KareninaLeo Tolstoy
Cover of Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtryLonesome Dove
Lonesome DoveLarry McMurtry
Cover of Pride and Prejudice by Jane AustenPride and Prejudice
Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen
Cover of War and Peace by Leo TolstoyWar and Peace
War and PeaceLeo Tolstoy
Cover of From Here to Eternity by James JonesFrom Here to Eternity
From Here to EternityJames Jones
Cover of The Age of Innocence by Edith WhartonThe Age of Innocence
The Age of InnocenceEdith Wharton

Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Classic booksTop 25 · 762 rankedBooks of the 1950sTop 25 · 75 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is Katherine worth reading?

Yes. It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read and is a classic of historical fiction, based on a real love story. It ranks #1,206 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.8 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Katherine about?

In fourteenth-century England, Katherine de Roet, a convent-raised girl of fifteen with no fortune, is married to a rough knight. At court she meets John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, son of the king and one of the most powerful men in the country, and they begin a love affair that lasts decades, through plague, revolt and scandal, and changes the line of English kings.

How long does it take to read Katherine?

About 14 hours (573 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Katherine?

If you liked it, try Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon or The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye.