Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants

Written 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!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781666163940

Reviews for Botanical Curses and Poisons

[Izchel A. Zapata · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great stories about each plant. I thought it was just going to be a book listing the plants and info about them, but it was better than that. Tells about myths and legends associated with the plants, as well as history. It was incredibly interesting to listen to.

[Jess Gustafson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fantastic exploration of historical uses and folklore. I'm buying myself a hard copy just for reference. The narrator was a delight to listen to as well