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

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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. This book is set in the town (village) of Eyam in the 1660’s when the bubonic plague was sweeping through England. Eyam rose to fame for their measures of self-isolation at that time- meaning the plague was less likely to pass on to other towns/villages surrounding it. This was also a time where religion and witchcraft were warring heads with each other, and accusations of witchcraft arose.

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Mae, Wulfric's youngest daughter, dreads her father's rage if he discovers what she keeps from him. Like her feelings for Rafe, Isabel's ward, or that she studies from Wulfric's forbidden books at night.An intricate, detailed and beautifully written story of the women of Eyam. It’s vivid and poetic, powerfully building tension as their secrets unravel.’ Isabel shares a mysterious history with Mae's father, and she lives in fear of what might befall Mae while living under his roof. Struggling to manage the grief of those around her, she escapes to a remote cottage by the coast where she swims in the winter sea, cooks the forgotten Keralan dishes of her childhood and begins the search for her husband’s lover. Isabel has to tread such a careful path between practicing midwifery and avoiding attention and this is done so well. Baseado em factos reais, a história que nos é contada em “A Cura da Cicuta” é passada na vila de Eyam, entre 1665 e 1666 (período em que Inglaterra se debatia com a peste negra). Também Eyam passará por um período de quarentena com o objetivo de minimizar as consequências da peste.

Medicinal Use of Forest Trees and Shrubs by Indigenous People

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!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. This book has me on the fence. I really enjoyed the story, it’s set in England in the 1600’s when the Plague is running rampant. The story is intriguing and there’s a focus on religion, and the superstitions it brings with it. The characters were all well written and thought out. I can't say that any of the characters felt unique, and that was probably one of my biggest problems with it. The subject matter was similarly mediocre. 'The plague, the church, village herbal women fight the patriarchy' has been done to death, and there wasn't much that made this exploration of those topics unique. Furthermore, the pacing was unnecessarily ponderous, and I spent much of this novel wondering when something was finally going to happen. Sure, it's basically Mae's coming of age story, but I wasn't interested in her at all, so I was pretty bored throughout.

The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn | Hachette UK

This book also follows Isabel and Johan who know something is wrong with Wulfric (Maes father) and that Mae is in danger. 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. 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. When the plague hits their village, Mae's father, the apothecary becomes more powerful. Mae tries to be helpful, but despite her keen intellect, she is limited by her gender.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. 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. 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.

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Consuming any part of the plant can lead to poisoning which affects the nervous and respiratory systems and can lead to respiratory failure. 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 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. When Mae makes a horrifying discovery, Isabel is the only person she can turn to. But helping Mae will place them both in unimaginable peril. In a wholly original take on the Eyam story, Joanne Burn's elegant prose, rich in authentic detail, results in a rewarding and timely read." - Sarah BurtonIn the autumn of 1665, a delivery from London of clothing and cloth arrived at the tailor’s house in Eyam, bringing with it rat fleas and the bubonic plague they carried. Within a few days, the tailor’s journeyman, George Viccars, had fallen ill and died. As the disease spread steadily from house to house, the wealthier villagers were able to escape, having other homes to flee to. But tenant farmers, lead miners and labourers had nowhere else to go, and couldn’t afford to leave their livelihoods behind.