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A review by jenbsbooks
The Village Healer's Book of Cures by Jennifer Sherman Roberts
3.0
This was a book club pick ... included in KU (text/audio) but alas, my KU subscription ended and I'm taking a break. It was available at my library in physical book, but I need digital. Kindle was $2.49 with $1.99 add-on audio, so not bad, although a one-time read with KU would have also sufficed. Even owning it, I don't think I'll ever revisit. As I was reading this for bookclub, my plan was to use the Kindle app to read & listen, so I'd have the text right there if I needed to stop and make notes or highlights. I could NOT get the audio in the Kindle, had to use Audible, and then would have to find my spot, which was annoying to me, as I'd hoped the "whispersync" would be in full effect, but it wasn't working for me.
I track my books on a variety of Goodreads shelves ... I put this on historical, British, 1st person, past-tense. I put it on my "realistic" shelf, but also "powers/abilities" (and those two generally cancel each other out). The "power" here was very slight, and not really fully explained (the MC could sense feelings/memories). I also debated putting it on my "not non-fiction but true-ish" shelf as the main villain IS a real documented person, and one of the other characters story arc was taken from another history. In the end, I didn't feel it was close enough to warrant being on that shelf ;) I did put it on my "recipes" shelf, although I'll not be following ANY of these recipes (and they weren't given in full).
It starts off with a "recipe" involving boiling a 12-day old pig, and then (August1646) again features a pig in distress. My DIL is an animal lover, and I think she wouldn't get past this first page.
There's Author'sNotes at the end regarding the "recipes" saying they are real, and includes some of the original (modernized/corrected in the story) and bibliography of where they came from. I think the recipes are probably the most interesting part about the book. Some are truly horrible, and one wonders if anything like this actually worked ever? I'm sure there is some science behind some of it, THAT would be interesting to follow up on. I know plants and herbs have medicinal uses and were the only option at that time, but needing such specifics as a "12-day old pig" or earthworms, a dead man's skull (for the "falling sickness" ... which I may have!) or a dead snail (best it have died on its own rather than found live and killed). Some of the steps and combination though ... how were these thought up? Of course modern medicine has it's own "how did they figure that out" aspects as well.
I didn't love the story, it was fine, just not really keeping my interest. The MC a young woman who has lost her baby and husband, raising younger brother, learning the healing arts from another woman/Agnes. Two possible love interests - Simon and Robert. A murder and mystery (symbols), a witch hunter.
I struggled a bit keeping track of who was who, remembering the characters. Maybe not invested enough to be paying attention, but with Robert Sudbury, he would be referred to as Robert, or Sudbury, and sometimes it would change in a single paragraph. I remember I had to just double check, yes, this is ONE person - the wealthy stranger come to town, scarred face, into alchemy.
Because this was for bookclub, I did delve a little deeper than I might have otherwise ... so some things I might bring up at discussion:
Foremothers (so often hear forefathers or forebears, but trying to think if I've heard "foremothers" before). Robert's mysterious equipment - casks and flasks and boxes and boxes of books. "Cunning" woman.
A little repetitive - pretty much on the same page:
the drive to know, the thrill of solving a deep and mysterious puzzle.
driving ambition to know, to discover?
The secrets of nature were far too close to the secrets of God Himself (that IS science)
Witches aren’t discovered, but rather created in the minds of the people.
Even in the best of people and the best of places. We’re only one step from the animals when we’re weak or afraid.
... we do not use our fists to hurt when we can use words to heal.
... he forced me to tell these stories. And now I wonder if he himself is starting to believe them (that happens!)
People wanted to believe there was a reason for their bad luck and misfortune. Blaming Mary Fawcett was easier than blaming God.
Bookclub tonight - I'll update my review if anything discussed increases my appreciation.
I track my books on a variety of Goodreads shelves ... I put this on historical, British, 1st person, past-tense. I put it on my "realistic" shelf, but also "powers/abilities" (and those two generally cancel each other out). The "power" here was very slight, and not really fully explained (the MC could sense feelings/memories). I also debated putting it on my "not non-fiction but true-ish" shelf as the main villain IS a real documented person, and one of the other characters story arc was taken from another history. In the end, I didn't feel it was close enough to warrant being on that shelf ;) I did put it on my "recipes" shelf, although I'll not be following ANY of these recipes (and they weren't given in full).
It starts off with a "recipe" involving boiling a 12-day old pig, and then (August1646) again features a pig in distress. My DIL is an animal lover, and I think she wouldn't get past this first page.
There's Author'sNotes at the end regarding the "recipes" saying they are real, and includes some of the original (modernized/corrected in the story) and bibliography of where they came from. I think the recipes are probably the most interesting part about the book. Some are truly horrible, and one wonders if anything like this actually worked ever? I'm sure there is some science behind some of it, THAT would be interesting to follow up on. I know plants and herbs have medicinal uses and were the only option at that time, but needing such specifics as a "12-day old pig" or earthworms, a dead man's skull (for the "falling sickness" ... which I may have!) or a dead snail (best it have died on its own rather than found live and killed). Some of the steps and combination though ... how were these thought up? Of course modern medicine has it's own "how did they figure that out" aspects as well.
I didn't love the story, it was fine, just not really keeping my interest. The MC a young woman who has lost her baby and husband, raising younger brother, learning the healing arts from another woman/Agnes. Two possible love interests - Simon and Robert. A murder and mystery (symbols), a witch hunter.
I struggled a bit keeping track of who was who, remembering the characters. Maybe not invested enough to be paying attention, but with Robert Sudbury, he would be referred to as Robert, or Sudbury, and sometimes it would change in a single paragraph. I remember I had to just double check, yes, this is ONE person - the wealthy stranger come to town, scarred face, into alchemy.
Because this was for bookclub, I did delve a little deeper than I might have otherwise ... so some things I might bring up at discussion:
Foremothers (so often hear forefathers or forebears, but trying to think if I've heard "foremothers" before). Robert's mysterious equipment - casks and flasks and boxes and boxes of books. "Cunning" woman.
A little repetitive - pretty much on the same page:
the drive to know, the thrill of solving a deep and mysterious puzzle.
driving ambition to know, to discover?
The secrets of nature were far too close to the secrets of God Himself (that IS science)
Witches aren’t discovered, but rather created in the minds of the people.
Even in the best of people and the best of places. We’re only one step from the animals when we’re weak or afraid.
... we do not use our fists to hurt when we can use words to heal.
... he forced me to tell these stories. And now I wonder if he himself is starting to believe them (that happens!)
People wanted to believe there was a reason for their bad luck and misfortune. Blaming Mary Fawcett was easier than blaming God.
Bookclub tonight - I'll update my review if anything discussed increases my appreciation.