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Start giftingThe Hemlock Cure
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Learn moreA glitteringly dark historical novel of love, persecution, and survival set against the backdrop of one of history’s most terrifying episodes: the Bubonic Plague
It is 1665 and the women of Eyam village keep many secrets. Especially Isabel and Mae.
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.
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.
But others have secrets too. Secrets darker than any of them could have imagined.
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. Meanwhile another danger is on its way from London. One that threatens to engulf them all …
Joanne Burn lives in the Peak District of England, where she is a writing coach. Her first novel, Petals and Stones, was published by Little Brown UK. The Hemlock Cure is her first novel to be published in America.
Kristin Atherton is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.
Reviews
“Spellbinding and profound, The Hemlock Cure is a dazzling act of reclamation of the truth of womenʼs lives. Burn writes beautifully about female courage and retribution, of the ties that make and bind a family, and different ways of belonging. A compassionate and intensely moving novel that is rich in meaning and hugely resonant for our own plague-struck era.”
“An intricate, detailed, and beautifully written story of the women of Eyam. It’s vivid and poetic, powerfully building tension as their secrets unravel.”
“An exquisitely written tale of resilience and reckoning, with female protagonists that are just the right blend of compassion and simmering rebellion.”
“Artfully written and nuanced, The Hemlock Cure is a carefully researched take on Eyam’s sad history, with a rich cast of characters that keep you turning the page.”
“Propels the reader into the seventeenth century. These are not powerless women but women with their own sense of ambition and destiny.”
“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.”
“This page-turning novel delves deep into danger. The darkest threats, we learn, come not from illness or contagion, but from cruelties encompassed by those closest to us. The writing is beautiful, full of scents, sounds and texture.”
“A beautiful, bewitching and powerful tale of brave women’s lives. I absolutely loved it.”
“Deeply unsettling, tense, yet ultimately hopeful, The Hemlock Cure sweeps the reader up into its potions, scents, [colors] and secrets. It is affecting and beautifully observed—a mesmerizing novel.”
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