A beautifully written book, highly recommended for people with an interest in plants and history. These sort of books are my favourites and a must have in my library.
The Knot by Jane Borodale;
The story about a remarkable man, Henry Lyte;
This is a story about dreams, about the fragility of human achievements and the restorative and destructive powers of nature.
Anno 1565. Across Europe.a new era of natural science is dawning. In a remote corner of Somerset, a pioneer is working to change the course of English Botany. Passionate, private, meticulous, Henry Lyte has begun to neglect his other responsibilities in the pursuit of knowledge. This has happened before with disastrous results.
The good and vertuous Physition, whose purpose is rather the health of many, than the wealthe of himselfe, will not, I hope mislike this my enterprise, which to this purpose specially tendeth, that even the meanest of my countrymen (whose skill is not so profound, that they can fetch this knowledge out of strange tongues, nor their abilitie so wealthy, as to entrtaine a learned Physition) may yet in time of their necessitie have some helps in their owne, or their neighbors fields and gardens at home.
Henry Lyte, a Niewe Herball 1578
