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The Hemlock Cure

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The Hemlock Cure

By: Joanne Burn
Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
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About this listen

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.

©2021 Joanne Burn (P)2021 Hachette Audio UK Fiction Historical Fiction Village

Critic reviews

"Vivid and poetic." (Jennifer Saint)

"Exquisitely written." (Sonia Velton)

"Heart-wrenching." (Rebecca F. John)
All stars
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This was not what I was expecting at all and it took a short while to get into it. However i ended up being totally enthralled. Brilliant book and wonderful narration.

Wow!

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Really enjoyed this book. It’s the first book where I’ve actually felt like I was there. It was narrated nicely and the story was good.

A great listen

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I loved listening to this story, so beautifully read by Kristin Atherton. It was a tough life in the 1600’s and Joanne Burn creates a very real picture of it, whilst still telling a very believable story!

Excellent writing of a proper story 😊

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I know of Eyam quite well because I have an aunt who lives nearby, so I am very familiar with the story of it shutting itself off from the rest of the world during The Plague. This was historically interesting in itself, but the quite common views of the time that witchcraft abounded amongst the female population. The fact that Florence and May are both synaesthetic - which must have been impossible to grasp as a fact and not magic - adds another element to the story. Obviously, witches, to a hard-nose puritan! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was very well performed and characterised.

Fascinating and well-performed!

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The story was slow to get going. l found myself shouting at the speaker "kill him and get on with it"! Predictable.

OK, but slow.

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