{"product_id":"the-fair-botanists","title":"The Fair Botanists","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSELECTED AS THE WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Compelling, fascinating . . . A cracking good read' \u003cem\u003eVal McDermid\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'An evocative, enjoyable portrait of 1820s Edinburgh' \u003cem\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Lush, seductive' \u003cem\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Completely enchanting' \u003cem\u003eScotsman\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A beautiful tale of scandal and intrigue' \u003cem\u003eSusan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCould one rare plant hold the key to a thousand riches?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt'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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 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 in the Garden secret from her new friend. But as Elizabeth and Belle are about to discover,\u003cstrong\u003e secrets don't last long in this Enlightenment city . . . \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eAnd when they are revealed, they can carry the greatest of consequences . . . \u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e'Dazzling, original, full of wonderful characters' \u003ccite\u003eKatie Fforde\u003c\/cite\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e'An absolute treat for fans of historical fiction and rich storytelling' \u003ccite\u003eRed Magazine\u003c\/cite\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e'Lively and generous-hearted, with an array of utterly engaging characters,\u003cstrong\u003eThis enchanting novel reads like a warm tonic for the soul'\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ccite\u003eMary Paulson-Ellis\u003c\/cite\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e'As rare and lush as the Agave flower itself,\u003cstrong\u003eThe Fair Botanists is a richly realised , transportive delight'\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ccite\u003eRachel Rhys \u003c\/cite\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e'Beautiful ... Every sentence is a gift.\u003cstrong\u003eIf you love The Doll Factory or The Binding , you'll love this'\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ccite\u003eMiranda Dickinson \u003c\/cite\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e'Delightfully original , sensuous historical fiction , led by a charge of female characters as captivating and complex as the brightest of botanical flowers'\u003cstrong\u003eCari Thomas \u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Hodder Paperback","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40839569145941,"sku":"9781529336221N","price":11.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2481\/5790\/files\/2e98f1cb-0932-47ff-8f4e-d16f0fa710ba.jpg?v=1716460403","url":"https:\/\/smeikalbooks.co.uk\/en-us\/products\/the-fair-botanists","provider":"smeikalbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}