This book was an interesting and easy read full of genuine fact as well as fiction.
You could clearly see that the author has done her homework in regard to the historical events that took place in Eyam but was also able to create a fictional world around this.

The characters were believable. Some were like-able and others were not, but they all carried the story forward perfectly.
The relationship between Mae and her Father was shocking and devastating, and I felt myself acting as her sister (the narrator), willing her to persevere and to do what she must in order to survive.

The way that women were treated when accused of witchcraft was beyond words, but I felt like this book was a perfect homage to those women. It was also a perfect example of a woman overcoming a mans ignorance, cruelty and domination.

Burn’s descriptive writing about the herbs and their uses was a particular favourite factor in this book for me. I felt like I was in the room whilst they made their tinctures and remedies.

Mae and Isabel were my favourite characters because of their bravery and ability to stand against evil such as Mae’s Father, but Johan’s character was a very nice surprise.
It was good to see a man who genuinely cared for their wife and wasn’t only concerned about overruling her, even if he was not necessarily in love with Isabel. His relationship with Jacques was a smaller storyline within this book, but was just as poignant.
Obviously Mae’s father was not a nice man and I couldn’t stand him at all, but he got his comeuppance, thankfully.

This book was a really great piece of historical fiction with a touch of darkness that I would highly recommend.

Set in Eyam where during the Great Prague the village closed itself off. Nobody was allowed in or out. Mae lives with her father, who is an apothecary to follow in his footsteps as a woman is to be looked upon as a witch. Its a great insight into life at that time and I thoroughly enjoyed it

This fictionalised account of the devastating effects of the plague on Eyam is historical fiction at its best. The scents and sounds of the apothecary workshop are evocatively brought to life, and the stench of death and menace hang over the whole novel. This is a slow burner that builds its world beautifully.

There's plenty of things I loved in this book: the vivid and well researched historical background, the herb lore, and the style of writing.
It was an informative and fascinating read and I liked how the mix of fiction and facts worked.
But it's also terribly slow and nothing seems to happen even if the atmosphere is dark and there's a lot of sense of menace.
You have to be patient because it's an interesting read.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The plague has hit London. People are dying in vast numbers and its only a matter of time before it spreads over the country.
In Eyam, Wulfric lives with his daughter Mae. He is a strange man with a terrible temper. He's also the village apothecary. Mae longs to be his student and secretly studies his books.
Isabel Frith is the village midwife. She uses herbs and remedies which to some people is also Witchcraft, She also has a ward Rafe..
This book is like stepping back in time. It requires concentration so you fully understand the plot and storyline. It is a book that has it all. Set aside time when you wont be interrupted and enjoy..
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this dark book

a true account of the plague back in the day...but it is the story of mae that brings horror to your heart...

the daughter of an apothecary, but her life is meaningless, and where she hopes to help her father with all the healing that he does, he treats her abominably

isobel is the woman that is called in when women are about to give birth but she has a secret that is known to the villagers

its a strange a dark story how womens lives were nothing to men but maes story is what kept me reading this book

The Hemlock Cure is not the normal type of book that I read but as I live near Eyam I wanted to read it. I thought it was a beautifully written book with captivating characters and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

The Hemlock cure by Joanne Burn
This is a beautifully told story of two sisters in the year 1666.This is also the time of the Great Plague that spreads out from London. The village of they live in is in Derbyshire and is called Eyam.The local vicars make the brave decision to isolate so the plague only affects the village when it arrives and does not travel further.
The story is more about the women of the village. Two sisters Leah and Mae make up treatments using healing herbs. Their violent father both instructs them in herb use but also mistreats them. Some of the tale is told from London which gives a real counterpoint to the events. This is a dark story with love, survival and terrifying events all mixing with a frightening time everyone has to live through. The story uses real events combined with the author’s imagination to create a brilliant story.

It’s 1665, a tumultuous time in England, and Mae, a village girl in Derbyshire, in in danger. Isabel, her friend and the village midwife, is worried about her. She knows that Mae’s father’s house isn’t a good place for a young girl. But even she has no idea how dangerous, deluded or cruel Wulfric is. He is the village apothecary and Mae wants to become his apprentice. She teaches herself about plants and their effects on the body without him knowing and her friendship with Isabel is supportive and warm. However, Wulfric wants her confined to women’s work. However, Mae has another talent. She has synaesthesia which is the ability to see scents in colours. Florence also had it and Wulfric considered her to be a witch. She called it ‘her scentcolours.’
A well-thumbed copy of the infamous Malleus Malificarum or The Hammer of Witches is never far away from him. Mae’s mother, Florence is dead and so is her older sister, Leah. Mae’s only family is Wulfric and he is making other, more deadly, plans for her future…. But even she had no idea of how cruel and intolerant Wulfric is until she finds his diary hidden in a chest of drawers. She plans to escape but is it too late?
But something is coming to Eyam from London on a delivery of cloth. Already the bubonic plague is rife in the capital with many dead or dying. Isabel’s husband, Johan, has a friend there, Jacques, who he decides to visit. Will he return?
But as Wulfric hires a male apprentice and keeps Mae a prisoner, the plague begins to take hold in the village. Soon its inhabitants realise that they will have to make a stark choice……
The choice that the inhabitants of Eyam made has parallels with today. They chose to isolate themselves to stop the plague spreading and their graves can still be seen today. It was also a time or religious intolerance and accusations of witchcraft. It was the story of Eyam that drew me to the book but I felt that it almost took second stage to Mae’s story. I liked Mae and understood her determination and ambition.
Mae is a fictional character and was one that I liked and the sisterhood of wise women was well portrayed. I really enjoyed reading about plants and their uses and effects on the body.
However, there was a subplot involving Johan and Jacques which I thought didn’t add anything to the story. Would Johan really travel to London at such a dangerous time, knowing that the plague was rife, and that he might not return? It diverted my attention from what was happening in Eyam and the fateful and terrible decisions awaiting the villagers. I thought that the author could have made more of the villagers’ isolation and how it felt to be denied seeing relatives. But at times it seemed to be more about Mae’s isolation. The author’s notes at the book of the book give further information on Eyam and how many of the villagers died.
Leah narrates part of Mae’s story but as she died when Mae was very small it felt awkward and disjointed.
But the historical research was very well done and I loved the descriptions of colours which made them feel more vivid. However, at times it felt like 2 books; one about Mae and another about Eyam.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

Absolutely stunning and captivating novel, I was utterly gripped and wishing for the best outcome for Mae throughout. There are so many layers to this story and emotional pulls. The writing is superb, I love it when a book really surprises me with its brilliance and that is exactly what this one did. Couldn't put it down.

The Hemlock Cure is not the first book to about Eyam and it’s decision to quarantine the whole village during the plague to prevent the contagion spreading. However, in this case the focus is more on the fictional characters of Mae and Elizabeth and their families, using real events and characters as a backdrop to their story.
Mae is the only surviving daughter of Wulfric, the apothecary. Treated as little more than a servant in her own home, she forms a close bond with Isabel, the local midwife, and her family.
As the plague starts to spread, Mae is imprisoned by her father and uncovers a terrible secret about what happened to her mother and sister. She knows she needs help to escape, but Isabel and her family are fighting battles of their own,
The Hemlock Cure is an evocative and spell binding novel. It conjures up the village of Eyam and Mae’s house so that you really feel you are there, every detail is so effectively drawn. Mae is a wonderful character, such a slight little thing but with a strength of belief and courage that guide her to drastic action. Some difficult themes, such as Wilfric’s treatment of his wife and daughter, the power of religion to guide and control the population, and the dangers of forbidden same sex relationships are explored while staying true to the period.
I loved every minute of this novel, a really powerful and affecting story. Thank you to #netgalley and #bookssphere for allowing me to review this ARC

It's 1665 and in the Derbyshire village of Eyam young Mae lives with her forbidding father, Wulfric, the apothecray. She learns from him and would love to be his apprentice and practise the trade herself, but he won't tolerate that; she's only female. So Mae escapes secretly to spend time with Isabel, the midwife, and her friend Elizabeth who encourage her learning - and teach her some less orthodox recipes as well.

There's a lot Mae has to keep from her father. This friendship; her feelings for Isabel's ward Rafe; and her own blossoming womanhood, which she feels uneasy about in her father's presence. As well she should, we realise.

And what happened to her mother? And her elder sister? Both dead, but how?

The first chapter opens with beautiful writing., lyrical and clever, and it's immediately obvious that the author knows the music of the language of the time. She also has a subtle sense of timing; hints are given which it's up to the reader to pick up and store away to see if they mean what we think they do.

An early hint is more obvious. Eyam. Immediately we know what's going to happen soon: the great plague which leads to the village famously shutting itself off from the world to contain the contagion.

With other hints we have to wait much longer. For example (possible spoilers), how Mae's mother died; Johan's feelings for Jacques.

But occasionally the timing seems odd. For instance, it's only two-thirds of the book before the village is shut off, which left me spending about half the book wondering when they were going to do it. And what the moths, which recur throughout the book, signify is only explained at the end. For me, they didn't add anything, but other people may not feel this. And I did find the occasional sections from the first-person point of view of Mae's dead sister a bit confusing at first.

There are a few anachronisms, surprisingly: bedpans weren't used (or at least written about) until 1670s, and then for invalids only. Chamber pots would have done better. And there are occasional modernisms, like 'they take a left off the main road'.

But quibbles apart, this is a superbly-written book, with a real sense of time and place, and characters we can care about and root for. And the sense of menace and unease which is there all through the book is skilfully handled - and justified.

I really enjoyed this. I was impressed with many of the characters, especially once I read the author's notes at the end. Well written ensuring it is an easy read.

The book is set in 1666 in the village of Eyam in Derbyshire, when the entire village made the remarkable decision to quarantine itself in an heroic attempt to halt the spread of the Great Plague (a true historical event).

Mae, the daughter of Wulfric, the village apothecary, is keen to follow in her father's footsteps, but this is a path closed to women at the time, when women with healing powers were likely to be accused of witchcraft. Instead she studies at night using her father's books and when she makes a startling discovery, she shares it with Isabel the village midwife, and it is a secret that leaves them both in danger. Then comes an even greater danger the Great Plague.

The book is narrated by Mae’s sister, Leah, and there are excerpts from Wulfric’s diary, which give a dual perspective and an insight to the motivations of Wulfric.

The book examines the hysteria that can emerge when people are fearful and are powerless to prevent catastrophic events impacting on their lives. It also deals with lockdowns and quarantine as a method to try to halt the spread of a deadly disease, something we all now have experiecnce of.

This book has a fantastic sense of time and place. It leaves the reader feeling as fearful as the characters. The descriptions allow the reader to experience the sights and sounds of 17th Century Eyam, and the oppressive nature of the situation they all find themselves in. The character development is also excellent.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this book, and have already preordered a physical copy (the cover is beautiful).

Thank you to NetGalley and the Little, Brown Book Group for an ARC in return for a honest review.

Ruth’s reviews: The Hemlock Cure, Joanne Burn

Plague is rife in London in the winter of 1665/1666. It feels like a long way for the villagers of Eyam, until it makes its way to their doorstep. The villagers take the brave decision to lockdown to stop the plague spreading to bigger towns and cities near by. But for Mae, the bigger danger lies within her home.

I really enjoyed this book. It is less about the plague than I thought it was going to be (and less than I’ve made it sound), and more actually about Mae, her mother and sister, and her relationship with the village midwife.

As it’s the 1600s of course there is a huge undertone of witchcraft (any independent women clearly must be witches…), but it isn’t a witchy book.

I thought this was a great insight into life during the fear of both the plague, and the fear of the independence of women and there are some clever little twists in the plot too.

Definitely worth a read.

Once I had worked out who everyone was and how they were related, I really warmed to this story. Perhaps a little unusually, our narrator is a dead person. This works really well; she tells us about events that occurred when she was still alive and speaks to those still living although they cannot hear. I liked the portrayal of village life in Eyam, with a slightly cloying atmosphere exacerbated by the aftermath of the Civil War and the arrival of the Plague from London.
We follow two main families, each with their problems and secrets. Clockmaker Johan and midwife Eleanor have four children of their own, plus another they treat as such, and an apparently happy home. But that’s just the half of it.
Mae lives alone with her apothecary father Wulfric, keen to learn his trade but wary of what he might do next. I think the character of Wulfric would be distasteful enough just from the normal run of the story but the addition of his diary entries, dotted between chapters, makes him really chilling.
For most of the book I wondered whether the title was spurious. Spoiler alert: it isn’t.

Joanne Burn's story of 17th Century plague-ridden England is a thoroughly-researched, engaging tale of hope, determination and secrecy.
The novel focuses primarily on Mae, a young girl in the village of Eyam whose interests lie in herbal remedies and following in her father's apothecary footsteps, but Dr Dad has other ideas, and many, many secrets... Meanwhile, across the village lives pregnant midwife Isabel, Mae's secret mentor, and her husband Johan, who are also hiding some major skeletons in their closet... Meanwhile (!) the great plague is heading their way...
This novel is being released at such a poignant time, with the symbolism of all the secrets and deception being a big hit with me. The descriptions of the town itself during their months in lockdown, where people were clearly terrified to even leave the house, are thoughtfully portrayed and hit very close to home, I'm sure we'd all agree.
The characters are also a real strength of the development of this novel, particularly when the 17th Century beliefs and superstitions come into play. It's clear that this is a writer who knows her historic onions!
Throughout the story, we also see little snippets from Wulfric (Dr Dad)'s diary, which was an intriguing driving force in the plot. However, it's made clear from the beginning that we're reading from a dead person's point of view. Personally, I wasn't sure this added anything to the story. If anything, there were some moments where it felt forced, as if Burns had suddenly remembered and thought "Oh! Mustn't forget about the dead girl's opinion on all this!". But luckily, it wasn't too much of a distraction from the rest of the excellently-written drama!
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I downloaded this book because I love historical fiction and the cover is beautiful! Also the story is set in Eyam, which is where my grandmother's family came from!

It is 1665 and teenage Mae desperately wants to be an apothecary, like her father Wulfric. But Wulfric ignores Mae's obvious natural talent, preferring instead to take on a male apprentice - whom, ironically, Mae ends up teaching! So Mae turns to Isabel, the village midwife, who walks a dangerous line with her herbs and remedies. In those days an intelligent, strong-minded woman could easily be accused of witchcraft. As Mae tries to hide her friendship with Isabel (and Isabel's adopted son, Rafe), another danger is on its way from London. One that threatens to engulf them all.

The village of Eyam, in Derbyshire, is now famous for being the 'Plague Village' - where the inhabitants courageously chose to close themselves off from the rest of the country to avoid the sickness passing onto others. 'Lockdown', basically! Despite being an apothecary, Wulfric favours prayer as the best way to prevent the Plague from spreading, even destroying Mae's notes when she tries to research a treatment or cure. The author's research into herbs and their use in the 17th century is incredible, and I also loved all the historical detail, about how the Plague affected London, and how only the rich could run from it - the poor had to stay and suffer! Eyam itself was not quite as realised as I'd hoped, but many real-life characters had 'walk-on' parts, which was a nice touch.

The only negative for me was the omnipresent narrator, who kept pulling me out of the story while I tried to work out whose viewpoint it was. Despite that, I loved this story of female friendship and empowerment.

Thank you to Joanne Burn and Sphere/Little Brown for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Set in the English village of Eyam during the plague year of 1666. This village famously shut itself off from visitors during the Black Death, halting the spread of the plague in the area but at great cost to the villagers lives. Add a witchcraft element.

I thought I would enjoy this book but unfortunately it just didn't grip me. The historical part is well researched and written and a lot of it. It's quite a dark read which I normally really enjoy so I don't know why I didn't connect with it.

However I did like the unusual narrator she added to the feel of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC

I love historical fiction books set during this period in time where there is a witchcraft theme. Therefore I was really excited by the premise of this book but unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations.

The Hemlock Cure introduces quite a few characters in the opening pages so it took me a while to get to grips with who was who. We mainly follow Mae, the daughter of the village apothecary who is a formidable and intimidating figure, and Isabel, the village midwife. Mae wants to follow in her father's professional footsteps but also wishes to escape his controlling ways. She finds an ally in Isabel and the book depicts the two women's struggles in a world where whisperings of witchcraft and the threat of plague put them both in danger.

My main issue with the book was that the writing didn't work for me. It lacked depth so I didn't feel like I really got to know any of the characters or could engage with their journeys. It often felt like the book was trying to do too much and not giving each thing or character enough time to add the complexity and detail I was hoping for.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC.