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

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Beautifully written & character driven I particularly loved the female relationships that run through the book & the focus on family not necessarily being blood but those you love & care for. Leah's narration & Wulfric's diary entries are a great way to allow the reader more of an oversight of the whole picture. Mae & Isabel really shone through for me. This book will hook you in and not let you go until you are done. It's dark and suspenseful and eery; the atmosphere created in this book is like none other. The book is paced in a beautiful way with the story unravelling so satisfyingly. There was not a moment while reading that I was bored. The characters are mysterious and intriguing. This author did an excellent job of keeping the reader interested. The way the POV of Mae was written was also very unique. I loved the use of diary entries and past memories to help slowly unwind the story. I could not have predicted where the story would go in the end, and finally finding out what the title meant was extremely gratifying.

The Hemlock Cure | Book by Joanne Burn | Official Publisher

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.

Table of Contents

Dit boek speelt zich af in de jaren 1655 - 1665 tijdens de laatste grote pestepidemie in Engeland. Er zijn drie vertelperspectieven. Een tijdens de epidemie, het dagboek van Wulfric en korte stukjes vanuit de vertelster, Leah. 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. Women of limited means could create infusions, which were boiled over a fire. Decoctions involved steeping harder substances (like bark) in hot water for hours, even days. If you could afford the alcohol required for steeping then you would be able to make a tincture, and if you had sugar at your disposal then medicinal cordials, syrups and lozenges became an option. But it will only ever have been gentlewomen and apothecaries who possessed the expensive equipment and quantities of ingredients required to make the more complicated and luxurious remedies – distillation being the most prized and sophisticated of all. This is such a unique, intricate, complex, yet addictive novel. I don’t think I have read anything quite like it.

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

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. Too bad, because there were enough things to like in this story that could have been worked out better to create a gripping read. And that cover is just beautiful, I must admit that.Isabel is the village midwife. She has known Mae since she was born; and after her mother dies, and her father ignores her; Isabel steps in to be a parental figure. She knows that Mae is smart and encourages her learning herblore and healing. Interestingly, the novel is narrated by Mae’s sister who has passed away before the events of the novel. It is a fascinating narration choice and one I enjoyed in the moments when it was most relevant. I sometimes found myself forgetting this narration choice and remembering only when the writing specifically reminded me which was sometimes jarring. However, it doesn’t overshadow the novel and for some readers I think this will add depth to the narration. Share this event Save this event: A VERY SIMPLE MIND: Derek Forbes in conversation with Joel McIver

Hemlock | The Wildlife Trusts Hemlock | The Wildlife Trusts

Basically, it's the story of Mae, the daughter of an apothecary in a small English village during the plague in the 1600s. She desperately wants to be his apprentice, but he thinks otherwise. It is also the story of Isabel, a village midwife, and her husband Johan. There were also parts told from the perspective of Leah, Mae's sister who was killed by their insane, religious father along with their mother.And meanwhile another danger is on its way from London. One that threatens to engulf them all . . . Dig out all the plant(s), including the long taproot, (alternatively, glyphosate treatment can be used to eradicate the plant). I could not help but feel for Mae throughout the story. I was constantly worried what was going to happen to her and did not trust her father at all. At points I was almost scared to read on for fear of Mae’s life! This was a slow burning read where all the small events lead up to a dramatic finale. I kept hoping and praying that Mae would finally be free of that dreadful home but I hadn’t quite imagined events to unfold as they did. There are twists and turns, developments, suspense, and a full character cast that all add together to make this novel one of a kind and truly immersive. I whole heartedly recommend this historical fiction that I truly enjoyed. 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.