The Hemlock Cure: "A beautifully written story of the women of Eyam" Jennifer Saint, author of ARIADNE

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This book also follows Isabel and Johan who know something is wrong with Wulfric (Maes father) and that Mae is in danger. I liked the way the book was written from the POV of a woman. Mae, lives with her father, the village apothecary. She works with him and really wants him to accept her as his assistant but these are strange and dangerous times for women. Especially difficult times for those who know how to mix potions and medicines. She does study this however with the local midwife and wise woman. However, their knowledge of herbs and the more natural remedies is going to bring trouble to their doors. To reveal more would spoil a many-layered and multi-threaded plot, which at first seems a bit random, but which slowly builds into a glorious picture of life in a small village, and the trials and tribulations of those who practiced medicine in the middle ages. We also take a trip to London, where the sights and smells of the plague-ridden city are drawn to perfection. The book also examines the nature of family, relationships, and religion. There's also a neat twist, in the shape of the narrator of the story.

Hemlock | The Wildlife Trusts Hemlock | The Wildlife Trusts

Most of the secondary characters are based on actual people who lived there at the time, but for artistic licence the author has based the main storyline around fictitious characters. I particularly liked that despite the patriarchal society they lived in, the women in the story all come into their own - Isabel, the local midwife and Mae's champion, is an especially engaging character, facing her own family challenges, but ready to do battle for her late friends only surviving daughter. Overall, I thought it was a little slow-paced, and I didn’t really connect with any of the characters but still found it an enjoyable, entertaining read. Mae lives alone with her father, the village pharmacist, in the English town of Eyam after her mother and sister Leah both died. Mae’s father Wulfric is strict and doesn’t know that his daughter is secretly visiting Isabel, the village midwife. Isabel was Mae’s mother’s best friend and does not trust Wulfric at all. She has even been branded a witch by him. And then the plague threatens to come to Eyam…The writing is rich and beautiful and I liked the fantastic descriptions of the healing arts employed at that time, from herbal draughts to bezoar stones. The smells, flavours, flora and potions transport you to this tiny village in the darkest of times. I’d like to thank NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for approving me for an ARC of this book. I read this with my fellow Tsundoku Squad member, Wendy. As lovers of historical fiction we were very intrigued by this one and couldn’t wait to buddy read it together. Het draait rond Mae en Isabel, twee vrouwen met een interesse in geneeskunde en dan komt het woord heks dichtbij in de 17de eeuw. Maar we leren ook Isabel's man Johan zijn achtergrondverhaal kennen. Hij trekt naar Londen waar hij de gevolgen van de pestepidemie waarneemt. En dan heb je nog Rafe, die bij Isabel en Johan woont en waar Mae wel interesse in heeft. In hindsight, I thought it helped add her understanding of what really happens. But I mostly found it awkward, confusing and unnecessary.

The Hemlock Cure How a 17th century herbalist’s home inspired The Hemlock Cure

As I wandered through those low-ceilinged rooms, stepping across worm-eaten oak floorboards, I imagined bunches of herbs strung up to dry from the beams overhead, and pictured unusual ingredients – dried earth worms, woodlice soaked in boiled oil, toads and bezoar stones – waiting upon the shelves. This serendipitous visit had gifted me a setting, a nod in the direction of a character or two, but it would be more than a decade before I would begin the process of writing my story – one of ambition and persecution, bravery and belonging. When Uma discovers her husband’s infidelity just hours before his untimely death, the carefully woven threads of her life begin to unravel. Dig out all the plant(s), including the long taproot, (alternatively, glyphosate treatment can be used to eradicate the plant).

This wonderful book is based on true events that happened in 1666’s England during the plague where a whole village, Eyam, quarantined itself in an attempt to slow the number of deaths occurring from the plague, and let me tell you, after the last two years this book certainly makes for an interesting read! Distillation involved heating a liquid to create a vapour in a container called an alembic or still, then cooling the vapour to produce another (scented or flavoured) liquid. The process was necessary to produce ‘waters’ and essential oils. An apothecary’s laboratory and a gentlewoman’s stillroom therefore boasted furnaces, stills (copper, pewter or glass), pans, skillets, funnels, sieves, gallipots, graters and vials. Distilling was a demanding process associated with skill and high status; distilled substances were regarded as ‘perfected’ and therefore highly sought after. As well as Eyam, we get to travel to the plague capital city of London. This brings the small and isolated village into stark contrast and it shows how the plague ravaged the streets, people’s lives and the entire country as a result. Those poor villagers, miles away, were never far from my mind. While the premise really triggered my interest, I found the story a bit all over the place. Leah’s odd perspective had little added value and there are a lot of plot lines that are only slowly dealt with. By the middle of the book, it all feels blended into each other and you have no clue to where we’re going.

The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn | Goodreads The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn | Goodreads

Like so many other writers, I discovered my love of writing when I was very young. I wrote poetry and short stories as a child and teenager; it’s how I made sense of the world. I was delighted when my teacher in primary school bound one of my stories into a ‘proper book’ and read it to the class at the end of the school day. My first audience! I could not have been happier.While I believe this book was marketed as “female friendship” to survive, I found this was much more of a lesser theme to this book. I found most of this was book was about Mae’s independence and actions, as well as her interactions/issues with her father. Beautifully written by Joanne Burn, the characters are realistic and well-rounded (some more likeable than others). I found the setting and history of Eyam particularly interesting.

The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn - Fantastic Fiction The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn - Fantastic Fiction

Isabel Frith, the village midwife, walks a dangerous line with her herbs and remedies. There are men in the village who speak of witchcraft, and Isabel has a past to hide. So she tells nobody her fears about the pious, reclusive apothecary, on whom she is keeping a watchful eye. And meanwhile another danger is on its way from London. One that threatens to engulf them all . . . Mae, the apothecary's youngest daughter, dreads her father's rage if he discovers what she keeps from him: her feelings for Rafe, Isabel's ward, or the fact that she studies from her father's books at night. I was unfamiliar with the story of Eyam prior to reading; plague era fiction isn't usually my go-to but I was drawn in by a pretty cover, and you know what? I wasn't disappointed.The writing weaved in and around the puzzles and problems of the day and the pacing didn’t always flow as well as I would like. Mae as a main character was fascinating. The novel contained themes of medicines, witchery goings on and a great deal of darkness. How fascinating to find out about how an entire village tried to protect themselves from the unknown. Although the timing and POV jumped about a bit, by the end of the novel, when the entire story reveals itself, you’ll be pleased you read this book slowly and immersed yourself in a very fine historical fiction experience. But the story progressed really slowly and I felt my attention waning throughout. The other issue for me was the timehop that was sometimes a little confusing.