Bookseller Reviews
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A stunning and gorgeous debut.
The year is 1665 and the women of Eyam keep many secrets. Some of which could easily end lives quicker than the wave of death that is spreading across the ... READ MORE
Secrets and sisterhood
Set in the village of Eyam in Derbyshire during 1666, Mae lives with her repressive father Wulfric, a religiously zealous apothecary. As the Great Plague r... READ MORE
Plague & Prejudice
I adored this tale of wise women who are forced to hide their skills in a society that sees their knowledge as inferior.
Set in Eyam against the backdrop ... READ MORE
Synopsis
It is 1665 and the women of Eyam keep many secrets. 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 Wulfric, the pious, reclusive apothecary.
Mae, Wulfric's youngest daughter, dreads her father's rage if he discovers what she keeps from him. Like her feelings for Rafe, Isabel's ward, or that she studies from Wulfric's forbidden 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 unspeakable peril. And meanwhile another danger is on its way from London. One that threatens to engulf them all...
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.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
- ISBN: 9780751581928
- Number of pages: 336
- Dimensions: 238 x 164 x 36 mm
- Weight: 530g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allA beautifully written story
"The Hemlock Cure" had me wiping away tears one minute and uttering some choice profanities the next. Mae is a character that you can't help but like, and ... READ MORE
Dark historical novel
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 t... READ MORE
Great read
I live near Eyam and am aware of its history and how many books have been written about it- some better than others!
I'm pleased to say this was one of the... READ MORE
Bringing life to grim subject: a plague village
"The Hemlock Cure" by Joanne Burn is just brilliant. I really enjoyed the story, the characters and the way the story unfolded. It can be a bit grim writ... READ MORE
Dark historical novel
This is really quite a dark book set in 1666 during the plague. It is based predominantly in the village of Eyam which locked itself down for the safety o... READ MORE
An interesting take on a well-worn theme
When I first picked up this book I made assumptions as to how the story would play out - a village is faced with the outbreak of a terrible illness and the... READ MORE
CAn Mae escape the twin dangers of witchcraft and plague in 17th century Eyam?
The village of Eyam chooses to cut itself off from the world in order to contain the plague that has arrived there from London in 1665. But there's somethi... READ MORE
A haunting witchy read
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... READ MORE
Novel set in 1660s EYAM - Derbyshire
By reading this novel, I have learned something new. The people of Eyam were threatened by the onslaught of the Black Death, which was spreading from Londo... READ MORE
Witchcraft, superstition, and death in Eyam
The Hemlock Cure is set in the English village of Eyam, Derbyshire, during the plague year of 1666. The village famously shut itself off from visitors duri... READ MORE
Enthralling
A multi-faceted story of one household (mainly), one village during the plague
which beset England in the middle of the 17th century. Prejudice and suspic... READ MORE
Evil requires a strong cure
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.... READ MORE
A poignant story of 17th century lockdown
Joanne Burn's story of 17th Century plague-ridden England is a thoroughly-researched, engaging tale of hope, determination and secrecy.
The novel focuses... READ MORE
Great Book
The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn is an excellent and fascinating historical fiction that gives the reader a glimpse of what it would have been like to have ... READ MORE
Fictional novel set in The Plague
Set in the village of Eyam during the time of the great plague (1660's). A fictional account of the lives of the villagers , set against the true story of ... READ MORE
Well-written tale that wears its extensive research lightly
With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy.
This book was of interest to me not only because of the subject matter generally -... READ MORE
Brilliant
The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn
Loosely based on a true story.
( Eyam is a Derbyshire village that closed itself off to protect the area during the 17th c... READ MORE
Wonderful read
I have heard a little of Eyam and to read a historical fiction of Eyam was something i wanted to do. The book takes us into a C17 witch story during plagu... READ MORE
Quite a story! Eyam in 1665 brought to life.
This novel centres mainly on three families living in Eyam during the Plague of 1665. Rather than concentrate on the dying and Eyam’s role in preventing th... READ MORE
A simplistic plot
Using the setting of Eyam in the 1600s is a great idea and one that has been used before in novels because of its rich and important history. Not only does... READ MORE
Packed with detail
This is a powerful story with a really strong sense of time and place. It’s woven around fact and is rich in historical detail which makes it a compelling... READ MORE
A true feast
What an incredible story. Every page was a delight. I’m a keen home cook and I enjoy well written historical fiction. I collect cookery books, so I was pa... READ MORE
Historical Plague Pandemic
I loved the timeliness of this book set in the plague years in 16th Century northern England as a village decides to quarantine itself to prevent the sprea... READ MORE
Step back in history
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 ... READ MORE
Well crafted read
Set in 1665, this is a fictionalised part of the story of the plague village, Eyam, in the Peak District. This is a village that closed its borders to peop... READ MORE
Loved this historical fiction
I have always been fascinated with the events of the plague and especially what took place in the village of Eyam. When I saw there was a book based around... READ MORE
An excellent retelling of an old tale
What could have been just another book about how witches lived in the 17th century turned out to be quite satisfying.
"The Hemlock Cure" is based on actua... READ MORE
complex and well-rounded characters
The Hemlock Cure is set during a time of real events when the Great Plague was ravaging through England in 1665. There have been numerous books around the ... READ MORE
clever setting and intensely written
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 Wul... READ MORE
plague quarantine story
I loved the timeliness of this book set in the plague years in 16th Century northern England as a village decides to quarantine itself to prevent the sprea... READ MORE
Eyam, village of plague
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 ... READ MORE
The Hemlock Cure
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)... READ MORE
Very descriptive,exciting read,you just cannot stop reading
Really enjoyed this book,chapters are not long and boring,a truly descriptive exciting book to read,Intwines daily struggles,with the characters lives in 1... READ MORE
Well researched, well written historical fiction read
This is a story that is based on true events which happened in 1666 England, during the plague, a whole village, Elam, has quarantined itself in order of t... READ MORE
A fascinating insight
The Hemlock Cure was a fascinating insight into the lives of ordinary people during the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) epidemic of 1665-1666. The plague is v... READ MORE
The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn
The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn is the story of the village of Eyam in the 1660’s and it is in set in time of the plague. In the story you meet the charac... READ MORE
Engrossing.
A multi-faceted story of one household (mainly), one village during the plague which beset England in the middle of the 17th century. Prejudice and suspici... READ MORE
Recommended
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 info... READ MORE
A stirring, rich and deeply felt exploration of strong, powerful women living in a world governed by male rules, fears and ignorance.
I live near Eyam in Derbyshire, where this book is set, and so was eager to read it. I started off nibbling at the book, reading a few pages here and there... READ MORE