Botanical Curses and Poisons

The Shadow-Lives of Plants

By: Fez Inkwright

Narrated by: Leslie Howard

Discover the folklore and history of our most toxic plants.

"If you drink much from a bottle marked 'poison,' it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later." (Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland)

In both history and fiction, some of the most dramatic, notorious deaths have been through poisonings. Concealed and deliberate, it's a crime that requires advance planning and that for many centuries could go virtually undetected. And yet there is a fine line between healing and killing: The difference lies only in the dosage!

In Botanical Curses and Poisons, Fez Inkwright returns to folkloric and historical archives to reveal the fascinating, untold stories behind a variety of lethal plants, witching herbs, and funghi. Going from A to Z, she covers everything from apple (think of the poisoned fruit in "Snow White") and the hallucinogenic angel's trumpet to laurel, which emits toxic fumes, to oleander (a deadly ornamental shrub), with each plant beautifully illustrated by the author herself. This enthralling treasury is packed with insight, lore, and the revealed mysteries of everyday flora-including the prevalence of poisoning in ancient Rome, its use in religion and magic, and common antidotes - making this perfect for gardeners, writers, folklorists, witches, and scientists alike!

©2021 Fez Inkwright (P)2021 Tantor

Informative and entertaining

Each section was bite size, not overly informative or overly dramatic which made it enjoyable for me. If you’re looking for a book that is more in one direction of either of those, then this probably isn’t for you.

pleasing poison

this is, oddly but pleasingly, a calming and soothing book about poison. The narrator has a lovely voice and the writing is interesting and informative and personal. The poetic interludes are apt and fitting.

The readers voice is absolutely pleasent!

This is an awesome and enchanting history book. I learned so many new tid bits!

More than deadly plants

I learned quite a bit from this book. Learn the lore behind why a plant is thought to be poisonous, to it's chemical compounds. It's narration is clear and concise.

What a great book!

I loved learning from this book. It so neatly wove fact with history, mythology, and legend. It was completely engaging.