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.

Great stories

Enjoyed listening to the 'back stories' of each herb and plant. Worth the listen

A+

Very well read via Audible! A+

The book was really good! Super light & enjoyable! Loved all the folk tales and historical references used to explain the cultural history of a lot of plants throughout the world and it showed how they can be so different from place to place, sometimes! Loved the stories of old wives tales, the old fears of witches etc, medicinal uses prior to better scientific experimentation, uses within war and punishment, etc… truly would recommend this read! Fascinating!

Side note: Are mushrooms plants? They’re fungi so I don’t think so. I’ve learned lots about mushroom foraging and identification over the years.. this book had a whole surprise section about mushrooms!! 🍄 💕

Interesting and full of history and information

I loved this. A good balance between facts and folklore and history and myths. I have been looking for a book like this. Great!

Worth it

Very interesting. This book weaves together facts, quotes, historical items, and mythology very well. I definitely enjoyed it

Great book, narration needs editing

Really enjoyed the storytelling of this book and bought the print version. The narration would benefit from editing as there are many words that are mispronounced.