The Knot

by Jane Borodale

When Henry Lyte brings his young bride Frances home to his Somerset estate, he hopes she will share in his devotion to the garden—a refuge of fruit trees and flower beds, with a knot of herbs at its heart. Henry is a scholar, and his life’s work is his ‘herbal’—a book of plants and their medicinal properties, intended for those who cannot afford physicians’ expensive cures.

But life on the edges of the flood plains makes Frances uneasy, and there are strange rumours abroad concerning the death of Henry’s first wife—rumours that can be traced to his step-mother Joan Young, a grasping woman eager to seize control of the Lyte inheritance. And while Henry cannot tear himself from his studies, he stands the risk of losing everything he loves.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, 16th Century, British Literature, Literary Fiction, Historical

437 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Jane Borodale has a postgraduate degree in site-specific sculpture from Wimbledon School of Art. She has written and exhibited work for a variety of sites, including the Foundling Museum in London and the Wordsworth Trust, Cumbria. She was recently Leverhulme Artist in Residence at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Sussex, and lives in the Westcountry with her husband, poet Sean Borodale, and their two children.

Her first novel THE BOOK OF FIRES is being translated into many languages and was shortlisted for the 2010 Orange Award for New Writers

Her new novel THE KNOT is about the forgotten botanist Henry Lyte and his translation of an influential 16th-century herbal.

Reviews

[Kirsten Fleetwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb lead me to think this is the story of Frances, but it isn't.
This is the story of the 16th century scholar and botanist, Henry Lyte, who translated a herbal from Dutch into English, and who created a beautiful knot garden at his home in Somerset. Frances is Henry's wife, and she is a peripheral character.
I really enjoyed this gentle, slow novel, even though I have only the faintest interest in botany and herbal lore. I liked Henry's humanity and kindness and humour, he is a very real character.
For all that the book drifts along, there are passages of real, gut churning horror, and i wept profusely at least twice.
If you are looking for a book to immerse yourself in that's beautifully written and meticulously researched, I would recommend The Knot very highly.

[Kristen McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for everyone, but I loved this slow, thoughtful, moving meditation on Time, Nature, Love, Death, and Family. The main character struggles to balance the life of the mind with his exquisite - and often painful - awareness of the rhythms of the natural world. The gorgeous details about 16th century life and the rich countryside of Somersetshire are mesmerizing. The narrative is also deeply moving. A gorgeous book if you don't mind a very slow pace.

[Tracy Smyth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not for me. I found it very slow going and had a lot of trouble getting through it.

[Penelope Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main problem I had with this book was the blurb on front and back. It is a meticulously-researched and thoughtful fictionalisation of the life of Henry Lyte, who translated a book on herbs in the 16th century. At the start of the book, he has just married his second wife, and brings her from London to live on his remote estate where he is establishing an unconventional garden. The garden and his potentially useful translation are his obsessions. Years pass, children are born and die, the book makes slow progress.
From the blurb, I got the impression ("All seasons pass, and what lasts is love.") that the book would be about his tricky relationship with his wife, her concerns over the death of her predecessor, and the danger that his obsession with plants would ruin his human relationships. This is not really accurate, and my warped expectations seriously impeded my ability to accept the book (and the Lytes' marriage) on their own terms. Their apparent inability to talk to each other, while leading to a moving scene after the death of their son, grated, as did the lack of real empathy by anyone including the author for the wife. Most of the book is about the progress of plants, and Henry's thoughtful but not always scintillating ponderings on life in the countryside.
The prose is lyrical and evocative, but the main characters tend to talk in the same style, which is a bit annoying.

[Eva Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely slowly paced read. It kept me company when a heat wave hit Norway this summer and it was too hot to sleep. The way Borodale describes Lyte's garden and the Somerset countryside was incredibly calming.

There was also the mysteries of what had really happened to his first wife, Anys, and to the widow Hodges' daughter, but I must admit that when it was finally revealed, it was a bit anti climatic.

Widow Hodges telling about what occurred right after her daughter was born broke my heart a little, though.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. This was a quality read and I enjoyed it, but it was very very slow. It is a great achievement conjuring up the times and the herbal knowledge.

[Gill Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very disappointing after having read The Book of Fires. Borodale is expecting a lot from her readers, with such a bland protagonist as Henry Lyte. Unlike her other novel, the characters are poorly developed here, the pace is unbearably slow and there is not enough tension to hold the reader’s interest. I didn’t find Lyte convincing as a plantsman.

On the positive side, the prose is pretty at times.

Residents of Somerset may find this book interesting, as it is based loosely on a real person and an actual place. Otherwise, it’s quite a chore to read.

[Judith Shore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the slow pace as the author had clearly done her research on British herbs and plants so I just sat back and let it flow over me. Not to everyone's taste but I really enjoyed her Book of Fires so I had hopes of something good. I wasn't disappointed.

[Tracey Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I attempted to read this novel a few months ago and just couldn't get into it, but refusing to let it beat me I recently picked it up again and eventually finished it. I found it a slow read although on realising that it was based on real events my interest picked up. As I am a real history lover, I lapped up the whole description of Henry and his family's life. As with Jane Borodale's previous book, she manages perfectly to grasp the era the novel is set in and obviously has done huge research on the subject. I found myself often googling the meaning of diseases mentioned in the book and the different characters which many were real people. I felt slightly let down as the book and title was based around Henry's knot garden (and his herbs)but which was dropped towards the end of the book leaving me unsure how his garden eventually turned out. I also felt that after so much description, to round the last thirty years of his life up in a six page epilogue left me feeling slightly cheated, I would have loved to have slightly more attention paid to the next chapter of his life. I would say that although it was not a gripping read, it's one of those books that you ponder over for quite a while after you have read it.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely book. Historically rich in setting and time and place. A simple story but a good one. Will recommend to Rochelle.

July 2017 - On a rainy day outing, I recently visited the (Lyte) Cary Mansion in Somerset England. This beautiful old National Trust Manor house turned out to be THE manor in which this novel about Henry Lyte, a botanist (?) takes place. Many things there seemed very familiar, including the name 'Lyte' and the beautiful gardens, so I asked several of the docents if they were familiar with the book and one of them said, 'Oh, yes, he lived here. This was his house.'

I'd realized but not really registered that Lyte was an actual historical figure. However, suddenly I could really see him with his wife and family living there; his lovely daughter and all his children, so many of whom, sadly, died at early ages. This knowledge and having read the book enriched our visit to the house all the more, making it much more interesting and enjoyable! I love historical fiction and here it was, in actual form and substance - bricks and mortar w/ antique furnishings, art, tapestries, etc. as they were in Lyte's time hundreds of years ago. Pretty fascinating for me.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was surprised to see the back story of a house I drive past on the way to the West Country. Henry Lyte was a botanist who translated a french herbal to make the contents available to the people (those who could read in Elizabethan England). Lots of detail of life on the Somerset Levels and the garden at Lytes Carey (of which sadly there is nothing remaining). This is the story of the man driven by his translation whilst bringing up a number of children, fighting action by his step mother to keep control of the family home as well as his own demons. At times I felt floundering in detail but the chapters vary in length, with details of a herb at the beginning of each, so it was easy to break it up. In addition to the naturalist element there were references to religion and the monarchy and the lives of those living in less salubrious accommodation. Even the Lyte family had only a tentative hold on life itself. Loved the character of the gardener who knew his stuff! I do like Borodale's easy style.

[Cathyrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of Henry's garden and each season passing and the changes it brings. It is a gently paced book, though there is a sense of anticipation as the drama slowly builds. Henry is utterly absorbed in the planning of his new garden, and translating a book describing plants and their properties, both refuges he creates for himself at time when his family suffer hardship and the rights to his property are under threat. Despite the tranquility of the garden, there is a sense of unease and signs that all is not well, the blind widow whose presence unsettles Henry, and his second wife's disinterest in the garden and her fear of the marshland around them. Henry's character is convincingly portrayed, while his view of the world and his academic ambitions stand out -his contemporaries clearly do not share his views of disseminating knowledge to all. A thoughtful, lovely read, I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Knot
Jane Borodale (Author)

Jane Borodale's second novel The Knot contains the same fine writing, and story-telling skill that made her debut The Book of Fires such a success. The Knot is set in the past, and tells the story and family complications of Henry Lyte, a sixteenth century scientist, with his new life, following the tragic death of his first wife. It has echoes of Rebecca, but The Knot is a wholly and completely original read. It mixes in nature, and science, with darkness, and unsolved mystery, that keeps the reader, and the character guessing.
This is a rewarding book, with much to recommend it, from the depictions of everyday life, and the natural world. The scientific research that must have gone into the writing of the book in no way detracts from the richly interwoven narrative, or the surprising ending of the novel. There are plenty of issues raised with the reading of the novel, and it would give any reader's group plenty to discuss in meetings.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a love story about 2 person.

There is some mention about his love for his previous wife, less mention about his current wife (a Londoner who was uplifted from her city life when she married him). This is a story about Henry Lyte, about his love for botany and his life as he wrote a (the first) herbal book in English.

But this beig Jane Borodale, she can write beautifully even when it is about plants and herbs. And there was this scene when Henry and his current wife talked about their son who had passed away, and I teared even though I was reading in a train full of people.

Beautiful writing, and you will not regret it if you put in the effort to finish the book.

[Sue Nurse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I attended a literary lunch at which Jane read and discussed this book. She bought the book to life with anecdotes and her thorough investigations and research. Living close by to Lytes Cary and having visited several times, I bought and have enjoyed the book. At certain points it is quite slow but I enjoyed the descriptions of life on the Somerset Levels very much. However, no real climax or outcome I felt.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this, it's a nice gentle story about one of the founding fathers of English botany..... the focus is on everyday dramas typical of the 16th century. Really comfortable reading....

[Julie Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a gentle plodding read. It's worth a look, it's uncanny how it links to what is happening on the Somerset levels at the moment.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written but not like a novel really - more a fictionalised biography as there was no real climax to the story.

[Debra Rossenrode · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane Borodale's second piece of fiction and although an enjoyable and interesting read based on an historical figure in the 16th century I would recommend her first book The book of fires

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the slow poetry of this.

[Mark Rudd · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautifully written book, but not for me.
If I hadn't known Lytes Cary, I'm not sure how much it would have meant.
Too few of the characters were well enough "drawn" to appeal to me.
Probably a very good representation of how life was in Sleepy Somerset at the time.