Jane BorodaleKnot

I read "The book of Fires" by the same author and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I decided to buy this book. Unfortunately it did not meet my expectations. I found the characters poorly developed, and there were a lot of lengthy herbal descriptions that I found rather boring. The main character failed to arouse my interest and sympathy, and none of the other characters stood out in any particular way. The plot was quite basic and I think I only finished it because I hardly ever abandon a book mid-way. I give it three stars rather that two because even with all I've just said the book was beautifully written and I enjoyed the style.

I'm only about 30-35 pages into my book by her,... and loving every page,.... her style of writing draws you in, and enchants you into SEEING her characters,.... her style is refreshing, and well-researched,...... as I came to expect in her first book 'Book of Fires' I can't speak for the questions above, regarding sexual content and violence,...only that her previous book was tastefully written and sex or violence were never issues,...which was fine,.... I don't need such things to hold me to a book,.... they're cheap theatrics and bore me. But Good writing,....? Ahhhhhh,.... yes. As a writer, I can best compare her to Jean Auel of Clan of the Cave Bear series,.... which kept me spellbound,... It's VERY Rare for me to actually LIKE a female author,.... but I am a fan of this one,... and cannot wait to see where her next book promises to take me into another time,.....

This is a really lovely book. Part fact and part fiction it marries a good story with life in the 1500's.It is set around a house on the edge of the Somerset Levels,and involves with the building of a knot garden and how it features in the life of a plant historian. It has particular relevance to the present day flooding and one deduces that flooding was,and is part and parcel of the land evolution,and nothing much has changed.

After thoroughly enjoying Jane Borodale's first book, Book of Fires, I was really looking forward to this one. Once again her writing is beautiful and the research into plants and their medicinal uses was amazing. What this book lacked was enough of a story to keep me interested. I kept thinking it would pick up and it never did.

I have a few niggles about the main charater, Henry. I find it difficult to believe that someone who doesn't know that much about gardening (as compared to his head gardener), nor that much about herbal remedies, wants to spend the greater part of his adult life translating a book on herbs and medicinal plants. I thought that there could have been something said about farming practices in the 16th century and particularly about companion planting. I also thought that Henry was not pro-active about anything apart from the book, and rather just let things happen around him - this is not the character of someone who had the drive to complete a 10 or so year project. I finished the book and the chapter with the butterflies I thought was particularly beautiful. I read this book because I loved the Book of Fires.