Winner of the Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2022
Waterstones Scottish Book of the Month for July 2022
Exclusive Edition with extra content
A Standard Edition is available here
Could one rare plant hold the key to a thousand riches
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 that only occurs once every few 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 borders 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...
Publisher: Hodder & StoughtonISBN: 9781399719315Number of pages: 384Weight: 260 gDimensions: 196 x 128 x 30 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'Sheridan creates an evocative,enjoyable portrait of 1820s Edinburgh and of two women determined to lead independent lives.'- Sunday Times
'Completely enchanting and fascinating... a rollicking and immensely readable tale... Sheridan succeeds in what very few have attempted before; in imagining early 19th century Edinburgh as a genuine if imperfect city of enlightenment,a thrilling,optimistic and romantic landscape where science flourishes,beauty is created,wrongs are righted,possibilities are infinite,and women can begin to dream,at last,of how it might feel to be free.'- Scotsman
'Lush,seductive and scandalous,this is a gorgeous read.'- Daily Mail
'Compelling,fascinating and incisive about its social context. A cracking good read.'- Val McDermid
'What a beautiful,immersive gem of historical fiction this is!'- Good Housekeeping
'An absolute treat for fans of historical fiction and rich storytelling.'- Red Magazine
'A vibrant mix of history,romance and mystery.'- i Paper
'Dazzling,original,full of wonderful characters and so interesting! Anyone who's ever looked at a flower will love it as much as I do.'- Katie Fforde
'Joyously seductive prose with evocatively-drawn characters, The Fair Botanists is a beautiful tale of scandal and intrigue firmly rooted in the capital of 1820s Scotland.'- Susan Stokes-Chapman
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