The group continues to enjoy a wide range of genres from different settings and times in history, often leading to discussions beyond the confines of the novel.
‘The Fair Botanists’ by Sara Sheridan was our choice for June, and it transported us to Edinburgh in 1882, just as the city’s Botanic Garden was preparing to move to its current site at Inverleith. The Garden brings together two very different women – Belle Brodie, a well-educated and wealthy courtesan with a passion for botany and the dark art of perfume-making, and Elizabeth Rocheid, a recently widowed newcomer to Edinburgh and a skilled botanic artist. Both are fascinated with the Agave Americana plant which only flowers once in its lifetime before it dies, especially as its bloom is imminent and its seeds are precious. Belle and Elizabeth become friends, but they both carry secrets which threaten to damage their relationship. The story paints a fascinating portrait of what Edinburgh was like during the Enlightenment period, with Sir Walter Scott playing a prominent role in the story, alongside references to Robert Burns, Adam Smith and David Hume. The impending visit of King George IV, which Sir Walter Scott helped to organise in real life, is threaded throughout the novel and is one example of how the author succeeds in blending fiction with the real history of the Edinburgh summer of 1882; we truly felt immersed in this historical era!
At the end of the book, Sara Sheridan explains where she got her inspiration to write ‘The Fair Botanists’ and which of her characters were based on real life people. We all found this fascinating as it added an extra dimension to the story. Visits to Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens are now on the bucket list!
Louise Elsome
‘Bookworms’ Group Coordinator