An intriguing story that builds slowly to a dramatic ending. Full of believable characters and impossible predicaments, the story is set in the time of the plague and although that is the backdrop for the story, the heart of the matter is the terrible plight of women in a society dominated by men who can justify their actions through religion. It kept me enthralled, rooting for Mae, my only criticism being it was a little slow in places. A fascinating read, and I learned a bit more about life in those times.

Some books wear their historical research lightly, others less so, and The Hemlock Cure falls into that latter category. Mae's ambition to be an apothecary is thwarted by her father, whilst the plague and suspicions of witchcraft ravage the countryside. This feels very much like a 2020, covid, lockdown novel to me, making fairly obvious parallels between our recent experiences and those of Eyam. It wasn't a bad read in any way, it just failed to grab me.

A wonderfully paced and packed story of what it meant to be a knowledgable woman in the 16th and 17th century. Magnificently detailed with interesting characters.

Eyam, village of plague.
I have read about Eyam previously and am often left with an impression of a noble village, which indeed it was but the characters in this story tell another haunting tantalising story.
The main character Mae is gifted with a sense of colours in people and objects, this has been passed down from her dead Mother Florence, her Father perceives this gift to be a form of witchcraft.
Leah was Mae's older sister, she was jealous of Mae and told her Father of Mae and Florence's gifts, this eventually led to her own death and haunting of Mae.
The story is narrated by different voices, all of them fascinating.
Lots of love stories and thwarted passions exist, potions and remedies are made and administered. Smells and weather descriptions transport us to the village.
Thank you Joanne and NetGalley

I enjoyed this book and was touched by the writing at points. The story being narrated by Mae’s dead sister was unusual but I think it worked and made it a bit different from other historical witch type tales.

At times, I did feel the pace was slow and possibly could have done without Jonah’s storyline.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. #TheHemlockCure

‘The Hemlock Cure’ takes place during The Great Plague of the 17th Century and follows Isabel, the midwife and Mae, daughter of Wulfric. They both have secrets which they’re afraid to come to light and both women find their lives entwined by the secrets they hide.

The writing style is engaging and I particularly liked the device of having the events narrated through the main character’s dead sister which was an unusual choice. It worked well though and we got a good amount of information about the main character.

“When she reaches into nature’s cornucopia and plucks gratefully that which she needs – adjusting the tincture, infusion or cordial so its colour is just right for its purpose.”

Burns’ research is well above par. The politics of the time, the use of herbal medicine, the religious anguish and fallout from the Reformation are all detailed. I particularly enjoyed the practical everyday details of life without electricity, advanced food preservation or education, and she manages to include it all without being a know it all.

At times, I felt the narrative was disjointed. Even though I liked the narrator, it took me a while to realise who is was and I sometimes got confused between the narrative and the diary entries.

Overall, this one is a bit of a slow burner but it’s a fabulous piece of historical fiction and if you love historical books with a witchy twist I highly recommend you check this one out.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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.

We're sent back in time to 1665 just as The Great Plague is gripping the nation; Eyam decides to shut itself off from the rest of the country once they discover plague has already infiltrated it. Given the past couple of years in the present day, you can't help but relate to that!

But, our focus is upon Mae, the apothecary's daughter and Isabel, the local midwife who is teaching our young protagonist her craft. But pious, controlling Wulfric doesn't want his daughter associating with the midwife let alone befriending her. Wulfric blames Isabel for the loss of his wife and all but deems her a witch. Over the course of the novel we learn that Mae and Isabel have more to fear than just the plague.

What I enjoyed
- Isabel has to tread such a careful path between practicing midwifery and avoiding attention and this is done so well.
- What really captivated me about this was the fact that it's all told from the perspective of Leah, Mae's older, and long dead, sister. I cannot stress enough how well this was done. Leah's character, despite not being able to directly interact with any of the other characters, is so well thought out. She is flawed and sometimes really unlikeable, but altogether human.
- Wulfric terrified me; well done, Burn, well done.
- The pressure really amps up out of nowhere and made me want to read on quicker.

What was ok:
- It was a bit of a slow start for me. But that's just me, and I don't think that in itself should put you off reading. But for me personally I needed a bit more time with the first 50 pages.

All in all I really enjoyed The Hemlock Cure.
Will I reread? Yes. I really feel like this will be an autumn read for me - but perhaps post-pandemic next time.

A captivating read inspired by the history of the plague village of Eyam - the centre of the plague outbreak in 1655. As the disease encroached on the small village, the decision is made by the elders to self quarantine to prevent the spread. Fears grow of the plague taking every one of the villagers as they seek to find preventative and remedies. This is particularly apt considering the pandemic we have been living through these last couple of years. Meanwhile tales from London infiltrates the village bringing news of the city being ravaged by the outbreak. The story rotates around Mae, the 14yr old daughter of the local apothecary Wulfric, a strict and religious man with a dark past, who believes only sinners will be taken by God. Mae disagrees and wants to attempt mixing possible cures. She fears her father's wrath. He is against women learning the trade of medicines. Whispers of witchcraft dance in his thoughts. Local midwife Isabel sees Mae's skills with herbs and medicines and wished she would train as a midwife. Yet midwifery too is linked to countrywide fears of witchcraft. Mae's zealot father would never agree. Mae soon begins her courses, entering womanhood but isabel begs her to keep it secret from her father. Mae is constantly hiding from his wrath. She finds protection from the strong female character of Elizabeth and Isabel. They help her learn about tinctures and potions. When Mae discovers her father's diaries and perused the pages under the dark of night, she uncovers his secrets and desperately seeks means to escape. It will be perilous to attempt. The melting pot of plague, witchcraft, and a zealous and wrathful father creates a high octane backdrop to Mae's desire to escape. I found myself frantically racing through the pages to discover her ultimate fate. A richly woven and captivating historical read. #thehemlockcure #joanneburn #netgalley #historicalfiction #theplague #plaguevillage #witchcraft #midwifery

I enjoyed this, rich in historical detail with vivid characters and the research into this time period really shone through. There are plenty of facts in this novel, woven well with the fiction. The setting of the village of Eyam and the herbs and tinctures used at the time, added to this the witchcraft and folklore. One for fans of historical fiction, a good read.

⭐️ 3 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The Hemlock Cure is a good, solid read,

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.

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.

The story is set in Eyam in 1665 as bubonic plague ravages the country. Mae lives with her murderous and cruel father who is the village apothecary and she is in a race against time to outwit him and survive both him and the plague.
I love history so the subject matter was very interesting but I didn’t manage to enjoy the book as much as I’d hoped. I don’t really know why but it just didn’t fully grab my attention and I couldn’t wait to get to the end. Maybe the book could have been shorter as some events seemed a bit drawn out. Having said that, I’m not sorry I read the book.

DNFed at 14% - I found the narrative and perspectives difficult to follow. As per my review policy, I will not be posting a review outside of this site.

*A big thank-you to Joanne Burn, Little, Brown Book Group UK, and Netgalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Historical fiction based on the real event of a village self-isolating itself during the times of plague. The novel has the central character, Mae, a daughter of an apothecary who wishes to become one, and a narrator who is a ghost, her sister. This rather unusual perspective allows the reader to unravel the mystery behind Mae's mother life and death. Wulfric, Mae's father, as the name partly suggests, becomes a man of evil , obsessed with witch hunting and undergoing transformation in the course of tragic events that befall his family.
The novel offers the feel of the times. Descriptions of London and village into which plague arrives are convincing and so are the characters even though I did not relate to any of them.
A terrific read for fans of historical fiction.

A book that really transports you to life in the 1660s, the author writes so well about that time period.
I saw the list of characters at the beginning and my spirits sank as that often means that the book can be hard to follow. In this case, although the first few pages introduce a number of characters, it did deal mainly with the lead characters and the other villagers were just mentioned in passing.

The plague plays a part but this is more about the lives and interactions of the main characters and less about the sacrifice that Eyam and the villagers faced. This doesn’t detract from it being a good historical read it is just not what I was expecting.
The information stated
“Based on the real history of an English village during the Great Plague, The Hemlock Cure is an utterly beguiling tale of fear and ambition, betrayal, self-sacrifice and the unbreakable bond between two women.”
The second sentence is absolutely correct but I would say it was just set in an English village rather than based on Eyam itself.

However this is an engaging book, mainly the story of Mae, the daughter of the village apothecary. beautifully evocative of the period with it’s references to daily life, potions and herbs and witchcraft.

I was looking forward to reading this story - I have visited Eyam and have long known the story of a village who closed its borders when the plague raged, in order to reduce the spread of the contagion to neighbours. However, I found this book rather disappointing.

The story centres around one family - father Wulfric is an abusive, miserable man, an apothecary and religious bigot, with a wife and two daughters, one of whom dies very young and becomes the 'narrator' of the tale. Which is in itself rather odd. But sadly the author doesn't portray the strains and fears of the village, but concentrates more on the relationship of Mae, who wants to learn about the healing power of herbs, and their neighbour Isabel, who stands on the cusp of being called a witch. The inter-relationships of the characters is a main feature, but is not drawn with great clarity or depth, but more for shock tactics.

I didn't particularly identify with any characters, other than being frustrated when Mae was dithering around trying to escape from her father's imprisonment. The whole thing felt very contrived and one-dimensional.

While it is good to have a different perspective on a much-told tale, this one didn't really concentrate on any one aspect - the witchcraft, herbal lore, plague or coping in a self-isolated village.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was a well written book but I found the book a bit disjointed it was also fascinating at times.

It in the village of Eyam where we see the story unfolding some of it is true but other bits of it are fictitious. It is about two families who have been involved with each other over the years. Isobel Frith is the midwife and is a strong character, she has helped Mae over the years trying to protect her.

I was thinking that the book might have been a bit better with the bits of the flash backs were at the beginning of the book as it would have been so confusing.

1665 and the Plague is raging in London, in the village of Eyam it seems a world away and there are other concerns. Mae is the only remaining child of Wulfric the apothecary, she longs to learn but in reading her father's books she discovers his secrets and desperately needs to escape. Johan hides his love for his sister's husband but when she falls ill he travels to London to help. However a batch of old clothes has arrived in Eyam and the village is no longer safe.
The story of the village of Eyam is well-known, a village that chose to isolate itself whilst the plague raged within. Here that story is used as a backdrop for an interesting historical novel. There are parts that work well, Wulfric's madness and suspicions of witchcraft are frightening and yet believable in the context, the love between Johan and Jacques feels less so. It's a strong book overall and definitely worth reading.

A dark and compelling read.

This book is based on the true events of The Great Plague of 1665-1666. It's set in the city of Eyam where they quarantined themselves to prevent further spread of the disease. The main characters are purely fictional, however, there are some side characters based on real people too.

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.

All in all, it was a very satisfying read and I commend the author for this amazing piece of work.

intriguing historical novel set between 1655-1665 based mainly in Eyam, the village which cut itself off in order to survive the plague. However it didn't quite gel with me as I felt there were too many characters and I got confused with the narrative from Leah, Maes dead sister. It's a beautifully written novel and has lots of interesting aspects, the plague, Eyam, poisons and some of the characters. All in all a good read but not my favourite about this period.

Being born and bred in Sheffield, I have always been aware of the village of Eyam. It is a staple destination on the school trip schedule and all Yorkshire kids are taken there and taught about the enormous sacrifice that the villagers made during the time of the Great Plague.

I have been there several times, both as a child and as an adult. Eyam is a very pretty Yorkshire village, resembling the lid of a chocolate box. Due to its history, however, it has a very haunting atmosphere that stays with you long after the trip is over. To this day, there is an eeriness which lingers over 'the Plague graves'. It is the kind of place where an entire class of children will fall silent, without being told to by the teacher. It has a very sobering effect on people.

The Hemlock Cure is set in Eyam during those same Plague years, when the villagers chose to isolate themselves to prevent the disease spreading to nearby Sheffield and beyond. It was a very heroic act and one that will always be honoured and respected by Yorkshire folk.

Set against this historical backdrop is the story of Mae, the daughter of the village apothecary, who longs to be accepted by her father, Wulfric, as his official apprentice. But Wulfric believes that women have no place dealing in medicines and while he is happy to let Mae pick herbs and berries etc and prepare them for his work, he won't allow her to do more than that. Mae is secretly taking lessons from a local wise woman instead and when Wulfric discovers this, he becomes convinced that Mae is a witch. It doesn't help her case that the Plague is rife in the village and people are dying everyday. Someone must be to blame and witchcraft is as good an explanation as any.

Narrated by a ghost, this novel wings along at a good pace. It captures the haunting atmosphere of Eyam beautifully, transferring it to the page and showing the devastating effect the Plague had on the village. The author has inserted her fictional characters seamlessly into the real history of the village, drawing in actual historical characters too, to add weight and authenticity to her story.

It is a marvelous book and one that has added poignancy as we begin to emerge from a similar pandemic ourselves. It has also made me want to take another trip to Eyam, to repeat my gratitude at the Plague graves, with a new understanding and empathy of what it means to face and live through a pandemic. The Hemlock Cure is a novel that would have been a great read at any time, but which will find an even more sympathetic audience in the years that follow the Covid outbreak. I have very much enjoyed curling up with this novel in the winter evenings, as various storms rage around my home. I highly recommend it. Happy Reading!

Marie x