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A review by portybelle
The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn
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.