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hellywelly64's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I’m not a fan of historical novels and this was so not what I was expecting. Set in the famously altruistic Derbyshire village of Eyam at the height of the great plague it follows 14 year old Mae, who has synaesthesia, living with her strict and abusive father. Her only friends are the Frith family, with Isabel the village midwife. The story is narrated by Leah, Mae’s older, deceased sister. Joanne Burn writes beautifully and has obviously researched really well, though you never feel like it’s history lesson, it just makes it all the more believable. Going to read Joanne Burns other novel Petals and Stones.
clairabella_bookworm's review against another edition
2.0
This was not what I was expecting and I just didn't enjoy it. The characters felt flat and, it just felt like the story dragged on unnecessarily.
angelamarie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bessies_books's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sarahlf96reads's review against another edition
4.0
Pros:
- I loved the narrator being Leah, Mae’s older deceased sister. It was so clever and done so well.
- The characters were all written sooo well, I was honestly so scared for Mae at times.
- The diary entry chapters dotted throughout added a bit of backstory.
- Strong relationships were a theme and I am here for it!
- I love the whole ‘not conforming to society’ theme as well, especially Johan and Isabel’s marriage.
Cons:
- The start was a little slow.
- I wanted a bit more background on Mae’s family.
Huge thank you to Tandem for sending me this book as part of a mail out! I’ve tagged the other wonderful accounts who have also received this book so you can check out their posts too!
- I loved the narrator being Leah, Mae’s older deceased sister. It was so clever and done so well.
- The characters were all written sooo well, I was honestly so scared for Mae at times.
- The diary entry chapters dotted throughout added a bit of backstory.
- Strong relationships were a theme and I am here for it!
- I love the whole ‘not conforming to society’ theme as well, especially Johan and Isabel’s marriage.
Cons:
- The start was a little slow.
- I wanted a bit more background on Mae’s family.
Huge thank you to Tandem for sending me this book as part of a mail out! I’ve tagged the other wonderful accounts who have also received this book so you can check out their posts too!
portybelle's review against another edition
4.0
I thought The Hemlock Cure was a spellbinding read. Even though it’s set more than 400 years ago when life was very different in many ways, there is much to connect us to the characters in this book. The author transports us to Eyam which is a place you may well have heard of. In the 1665/6, the village effectively quarantined itself from the neighbouring Derbyshire towns to avoid the spread of the plague. I could easily identify with the villagers unease as they began to hear rumours of an illness which was spreading uncontrollably. We can all now understand that fear and dread as they realised it was coming closer and was then amongst them. Although the main characters in the book are fictional, there are real people who lived in Eyam at that time and their real lives are woven into the story.
This is a time when rumours of witchcraft were rife and where women were looked upon with suspicion and distrust. Mae is a clever young woman who wants to prove to her father Wulfric, the village apothecary, that she too can learn about the medicines he produces. He however sees her of little value being just a girl and not the son he once longed for. We find out more about Wulfric, a very religious man, through his diary and although he claims to be faithful to God’s teachings, we soon find out that he has dark secrets to hide. I liked Mae and often feared for her throughout the book but she proved herself to be strong and resourceful.
The story follows some other villagers too, such as Isobel the village midwife, and is a gently paced read, meandering between the different characters and their points of view and even following some to London where the plague is rife. Although the experiences of the residents of London and Eyam were quite different, their common fear of succumbing to the plague was evident. Rich or poor, good or bad, no family was left untouched.
The Hemlock Cure is a beautifully written book and put me in mind of the writing of both Stacey Halls and Maggie O’Farrell. If you enjoy their books, I am sure you will like this one too. With its dark themes of witchcraft, religion, medicine and disease, I found this to be a captivating read.
This is a time when rumours of witchcraft were rife and where women were looked upon with suspicion and distrust. Mae is a clever young woman who wants to prove to her father Wulfric, the village apothecary, that she too can learn about the medicines he produces. He however sees her of little value being just a girl and not the son he once longed for. We find out more about Wulfric, a very religious man, through his diary and although he claims to be faithful to God’s teachings, we soon find out that he has dark secrets to hide. I liked Mae and often feared for her throughout the book but she proved herself to be strong and resourceful.
The story follows some other villagers too, such as Isobel the village midwife, and is a gently paced read, meandering between the different characters and their points of view and even following some to London where the plague is rife. Although the experiences of the residents of London and Eyam were quite different, their common fear of succumbing to the plague was evident. Rich or poor, good or bad, no family was left untouched.
The Hemlock Cure is a beautifully written book and put me in mind of the writing of both Stacey Halls and Maggie O’Farrell. If you enjoy their books, I am sure you will like this one too. With its dark themes of witchcraft, religion, medicine and disease, I found this to be a captivating read.
kait_lost_in_books's review against another edition
3.0
It is 1666. Plague ravages England. In Derbyshire the village of Eyam takes the unusual step of banning villagers from travelling in order to prevent the spread of the Black Death.
This is Mae’s story as told by her late sister. Mae lives with her father Wulfric, the village apothecary, a religious man who keeps a copy of Malleus Maleficarum (the handbook of the witch finders) hidden in his rooms. He blames Isabelle, the local midwife, for the deaths of his stillborn sons and subsequent death of his wife. He is convinced that she is a witch and that the plague is The Lord’s way of cleansing England of its infestation of witches. Mae fears her father’s wrath but also desperately wants to please him. She longs to train as an apothecary and take over the family business but he has other plans.
If you have an interest in witchcraft or the plague, you may enjoy this story which is based on the tale of the real Village of Eyam who did indeed isolate themselves in order to try to contain the plague. For me it was missing something. There was no hook. I didn’t really care about Mae and Isabelle. It seemed to be telling to separate stories that didn’t really go together and there was what felt like a very clunky London scene to bring lgbt characters in which added nothing to the story. It felt like it was just chucked it in to tick a box.
It was ok. Readable but not something I’m likely to recommend to most people.
This is Mae’s story as told by her late sister. Mae lives with her father Wulfric, the village apothecary, a religious man who keeps a copy of Malleus Maleficarum (the handbook of the witch finders) hidden in his rooms. He blames Isabelle, the local midwife, for the deaths of his stillborn sons and subsequent death of his wife. He is convinced that she is a witch and that the plague is The Lord’s way of cleansing England of its infestation of witches. Mae fears her father’s wrath but also desperately wants to please him. She longs to train as an apothecary and take over the family business but he has other plans.
If you have an interest in witchcraft or the plague, you may enjoy this story which is based on the tale of the real Village of Eyam who did indeed isolate themselves in order to try to contain the plague. For me it was missing something. There was no hook. I didn’t really care about Mae and Isabelle. It seemed to be telling to separate stories that didn’t really go together and there was what felt like a very clunky London scene to bring lgbt characters in which added nothing to the story. It felt like it was just chucked it in to tick a box.
It was ok. Readable but not something I’m likely to recommend to most people.
bleepbloop's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
belbookandacuppa's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75