I half follow along with several online book clubs. Although I wish I could, I don’t have the time to read all of those books along with everything else on my list. The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room is one of those book clubs that I periodically check in on. And I am more than happy that I checked the new season. It includes The Fair Botanists by Sara Sheridan, one of the best books I’ve read in 2022!
The Fair Botanists, Sara Sheridan
It’s the summer of 1822 and Edinburgh is abuzz with rumours of King George IV’s impending visit. In botanical circles, however, a different kind of excitement has gripped the city. In the newly-installed Botanic Garden, the Agave Americana plant looks set to flower – an event which only occurs once in several decades.
When newly widowed Elizabeth arrives in Edinburgh to live with her late husband’s aunt Clementina, she’s determined to put her unhappy past in London behind her. As she settles into her new home, she becomes fascinated by the beautiful Botanic Garden which border the grand house and offers her services as an artist to record the rare plant’s impending bloom. In this pursuit, she meets Belle Brodie, a vivacious young woman with a passion for botany and the lucrative, dark art of perfume creation. Belle is determined to keep both her real identity and the reason for her interest the Garden secret from her new friend. But as Elizabeth and Belle are about to discover, secrets don’t last long in this Enlightenment city. And when they are revealed, they can carry the greatest of consequences . . .
Why You Should Read This…
When I discovered this book on the Reading Room, it wasn’t available through any Canadian retailers or on Kobo, so I ordered this one from the UK, and was forced to wait a few weeks. It was more than worth the wait…
You don’t find many historical fiction books set in a hyper-specific time period. Yes, it will be during the French revolution or the Second World War or a monarch’s reign. However, The Fair Botanists is set during the few months leading up to George IV’s visit to Scotland, and this is a fantastic hook. Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities, and this is a fascinating episode in its history. (If you know Edinburgh at all, it will feel like you are back there!)
Elizabeth and Belle are radically different women, but both escape the expectations that everyone around them puts on them. They have lives outside of their romantic relationships, still somewhat rare in hist-fic. I loved both of their stories, and they both kept me reading non-stop, and I especially appreciated that both of their characters were well-developed- one was not shortchanged for the other. All in all, this is an incredible piece of historical fiction!
Is The Fair Botanists on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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