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The Years Between #1
Salt of the Earth
Based on true events, a forgotten story of courage, conviction and Europe is on the cusp of seismic change. In the Alpine village of St Niklaus, the war seems far away. Yet everyone is fighting a personal battle.In the shadow of a mountain, 14-year-old Seraphine helps Mama manage the farm while Papa defends Swiss borders. She dreams of seeing the world. After the war.A young medical graduate arrives in the valley. Under the patronage of a local doctor, he puts his faith in a revolutionary idea. He is determined to influence the world. After the war.Dr Bayard cannot wait until after the war. In the most beautiful place on earth, people still suffer from a centuries-old affliction. Armed with a theory, two sacks of salt and a mule, Bayard climbs a mountain, intent on treating one tiny village.The paths of two unlikely young people cross in turbulent times – against the backdrop of one country doctor's fight against folklore, prejudice and false pride.Salt of the Earth is a journey of bravery and broken hearts following their call. A quest for love and healing in the face of precarious destiny.“Meticulously researched and beautifully written, this fascinating novel tells the little-known story of a life-changing medical breakthrough in the tumultuous times of WWI.” – Clare Flynn, author of The Pearl of Penang“A powerful and heart-breaking tale of a cure for one of history's most devastating ailments.” Liza Perrat, author of The Bone Angel trilogy
- GenresHistorical FictionWar
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2023
70 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
J.J. Marsh
34 books178 followersAs a child, Jill read so obsessively she got kicked out of the school library. But her passion for words continued. She graduated in English Literature and Theatre Studies from the University of Wales and set up a theatre company. Since then, as an actor, director, teacher, writer and journalist, she’s worked in fifteen countries. She learnt something from each one.
Now, with her husband and three dogs, Jill lives in Switzerland, a country with four languages and mountains of new words.
She works as a language trainer all over Europe, collaborates with Nuance Words and Triskele Books, and contributes regularly to Words with JAM magazine. But most of the time, she writes. And reads.
Behind Closed Doors is the first Beatrice Stubbs novel, a European crime series set in compelling locations all over the Continent.
Now, with her husband and three dogs, Jill lives in Switzerland, a country with four languages and mountains of new words.
She works as a language trainer all over Europe, collaborates with Nuance Words and Triskele Books, and contributes regularly to Words with JAM magazine. But most of the time, she writes. And reads.
Behind Closed Doors is the first Beatrice Stubbs novel, a European crime series set in compelling locations all over the Continent.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 18, 2025
what a hidden gem of a book!
I went into this book totally clueless, just reading it to check of a category for a challenge I was doing, and I was so drawn in that I finished it in one night.
It's packed with information but reads like a lovely story of family and small town life during World War 1, not like a textbook.
so glad I read it!
I went into this book totally clueless, just reading it to check of a category for a challenge I was doing, and I was so drawn in that I finished it in one night.
It's packed with information but reads like a lovely story of family and small town life during World War 1, not like a textbook.
so glad I read it!
October 9, 2023
Set in Switzerland in the era of WWI and up to the mid-1920s, we first meet Seraphine where she lives in the Alps. Her life is hard. She’s the illegitimate child of an unwed mother who has found a husband and given birth to two other children. The two children (sons) suffer from cretinism (congenital hypothyroidism) and the daughter (as well as the mother) has a goiter condition.
The daughter has the burden of caring for the family with her work tending the sheep as well caring for her brothers. The father is off patrolling the borders and the mother is clearly depressed and doesn’t do much other than sit at the house. The only break Seraphine gets is when she’s at school.
We’re then introduced to Bastian, a young man who was in medical school but conscripted into the army during the war. Eventually, he is mustered out and returns to school in Zurich. We meet his friends and learn about his life.
The chapters alternate with the two main characters and also include newspaper articles of the era detailing the Russian revolution and the Swiss workers’ strikes, as well as letters between a number of people that help move the story along.
Eventually, Bastian comes to the Alps to assist a doctor who is working on a cure for cretinism and goiters and the two main characters meet.
The book is called Salt of the Earth for a reason as this doctor, among others, believes these conditions are caused by a lack of iodine in the diet. It’s especially important to not have an iodine deficiency in the preconception stage. The doctors’ work focuses on helping the people of the Alps and concentrates as well on the pregnant population to try to stop these conditions from manifesting in the infants and children.
Intrigued by the story and the iodine component, I took a deep dive into the history of this disease and who started the research into a cure. The author used the real history in the story, even naming the doctor, H. Eggenberger, as a peripheral character, as well as using Otto Bayard as a mentor to the male protagonist.
She also used Anna Heer, a female doctor, who founded the first professional nursing school in Switzerland. The female protagonist also did some work with a real person, Lotte Volger, who specialized in moulaguese. I had never heard of moulages so did a look around online about them as well. They were wax models of how certain conditions manifested themselves on patients. Lot of great innovation happening in Zurich medically in that era and I love how it was woven into the tale without being boring.
I learned a lot reading this story. I love novels that use real events from the past as a jumping off point for the book. When such whets my appetite for more information, that’s even better. The author even worked in a famous murder that occurred in Santis, Switzerland in order to get the male protagonist out of a sticky situation he found himself in. It was quite a clever use of a historical event in the time period.
I’m also curious about the author and why this thyroid condition intrigued her enough to write this book. I guess I’ll never get the answer to that question. Haha.
Historically set with a lot of references to everything that was happening in this era, this is an enjoyable story with characters who speak to the reader with their kindness and concern, not only for their loved ones, but for humanity at large. I liked the characters and the setting as well as how the author wove all the elements together.
A lovely read and beautiful story that I very much enjoyed.
The daughter has the burden of caring for the family with her work tending the sheep as well caring for her brothers. The father is off patrolling the borders and the mother is clearly depressed and doesn’t do much other than sit at the house. The only break Seraphine gets is when she’s at school.
We’re then introduced to Bastian, a young man who was in medical school but conscripted into the army during the war. Eventually, he is mustered out and returns to school in Zurich. We meet his friends and learn about his life.
The chapters alternate with the two main characters and also include newspaper articles of the era detailing the Russian revolution and the Swiss workers’ strikes, as well as letters between a number of people that help move the story along.
Eventually, Bastian comes to the Alps to assist a doctor who is working on a cure for cretinism and goiters and the two main characters meet.
The book is called Salt of the Earth for a reason as this doctor, among others, believes these conditions are caused by a lack of iodine in the diet. It’s especially important to not have an iodine deficiency in the preconception stage. The doctors’ work focuses on helping the people of the Alps and concentrates as well on the pregnant population to try to stop these conditions from manifesting in the infants and children.
Intrigued by the story and the iodine component, I took a deep dive into the history of this disease and who started the research into a cure. The author used the real history in the story, even naming the doctor, H. Eggenberger, as a peripheral character, as well as using Otto Bayard as a mentor to the male protagonist.
She also used Anna Heer, a female doctor, who founded the first professional nursing school in Switzerland. The female protagonist also did some work with a real person, Lotte Volger, who specialized in moulaguese. I had never heard of moulages so did a look around online about them as well. They were wax models of how certain conditions manifested themselves on patients. Lot of great innovation happening in Zurich medically in that era and I love how it was woven into the tale without being boring.
I learned a lot reading this story. I love novels that use real events from the past as a jumping off point for the book. When such whets my appetite for more information, that’s even better. The author even worked in a famous murder that occurred in Santis, Switzerland in order to get the male protagonist out of a sticky situation he found himself in. It was quite a clever use of a historical event in the time period.
I’m also curious about the author and why this thyroid condition intrigued her enough to write this book. I guess I’ll never get the answer to that question. Haha.
Historically set with a lot of references to everything that was happening in this era, this is an enjoyable story with characters who speak to the reader with their kindness and concern, not only for their loved ones, but for humanity at large. I liked the characters and the setting as well as how the author wove all the elements together.
A lovely read and beautiful story that I very much enjoyed.
October 13, 2023
JJ Marsh at her finest. No one gets murdered in this one, but it is a well written tale, based on facts, of medical experiments and breakthroughs along with a romance in the beautifully described mountains and valleys of Switzerland. The author has a gift for bringing characters to life with her brilliant descriptions.
November 9, 2023
I received a copy of Salt of the Earth in exchange for an honest review. See the full review at https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/
Reading in the 21st century, and from a country where iodinated salt is the standard, it is hard to imagine the devastation of pervasive iodine deficiency in isolated, alpine communities in the 19th and early 20th century. Symptoms ranging from unsightly goiters to birth defects that left children barely able to function past toddling age ran rampant in these communities, villages where every person who can work, needs to.
With all of this as a harsh reality in the lives of her characters, Marsh weaves a deft, and lovely tale about a young doctor who finds himself at the heart of some of the most dramatic medical research of the early 20th century, and an Alpine girl who wants nothing more than to help her afflicted brothers, and gain independence from her overbearing mother. On its surface, that sounds like a fairly basic set up for a historical romance: 1 lonely doctor + 1 girl needing escape = true love and riding off into the sunset. Sprinkle in chosen historical place and circumstantial details and you have a conventional, if uniquely set, story, but Marsh does not work on the conventional level. Both of these young people have personal goals and futures far beyond romance, and their personal stories, and this particular time and place they inhabit, and are far more interesting for it.
Written with so much research about a time and place, and a nearly miraculous medical cure, that we really all should know far more about than we do, Marsh has crafted a truly beautiful tale about people brave enough to try something new. This is a story about courage on the parts of doctors, patients, entire communities willing to address a pervasive need, all wrapped around a tender core. Unflinching, lovely, vital in a 21st century where too many people are still skeptical of their doctors’ motives, this is one novel that I can recommend for just about everyone.
Reading in the 21st century, and from a country where iodinated salt is the standard, it is hard to imagine the devastation of pervasive iodine deficiency in isolated, alpine communities in the 19th and early 20th century. Symptoms ranging from unsightly goiters to birth defects that left children barely able to function past toddling age ran rampant in these communities, villages where every person who can work, needs to.
With all of this as a harsh reality in the lives of her characters, Marsh weaves a deft, and lovely tale about a young doctor who finds himself at the heart of some of the most dramatic medical research of the early 20th century, and an Alpine girl who wants nothing more than to help her afflicted brothers, and gain independence from her overbearing mother. On its surface, that sounds like a fairly basic set up for a historical romance: 1 lonely doctor + 1 girl needing escape = true love and riding off into the sunset. Sprinkle in chosen historical place and circumstantial details and you have a conventional, if uniquely set, story, but Marsh does not work on the conventional level. Both of these young people have personal goals and futures far beyond romance, and their personal stories, and this particular time and place they inhabit, and are far more interesting for it.
Written with so much research about a time and place, and a nearly miraculous medical cure, that we really all should know far more about than we do, Marsh has crafted a truly beautiful tale about people brave enough to try something new. This is a story about courage on the parts of doctors, patients, entire communities willing to address a pervasive need, all wrapped around a tender core. Unflinching, lovely, vital in a 21st century where too many people are still skeptical of their doctors’ motives, this is one novel that I can recommend for just about everyone.
May 21, 2025
Having read most of JJ Marsh’s books, including all of the DI Beatrice Stubbs series, I elected to read “Salt of the Earth”. I was so pleased I did so. It was a fascinating read - combining actual facts set in history (over 100 years ago) woven into a wonderful fictional story. The character development was very well done too. It was definitely a departure from her “DI Beatrice Stubbs” series and her “Run and Hide Thrillers” series. A great read!
October 31, 2023
Once again, JJ Marsh has created characters that become your friends and you feel at a loss when you finish the last page of the story. And what a story!!!! A topic that I hadn't thought about or knew anything about. This book needs to be read. Thank you for such a wonderful story and beautiful characters.
January 9, 2024
Set in Switzerland in the early 20th century as WW1 rages, Salt of the Earth tells the story of Seraphine, Bastian Favre and how a doctor’s dogged persistence changed lives. As the story begins Seraphine is fourteen, helping her mother on their farm in a small isolated Alpine village while her stepfather is fighting in the war. It was a hard life, particularly as many children in the area, including Seraphine’s two younger brothers who she cared for lovingly, were born with terrible disabilities, and adults suffered from a swelling in the neck area.
When the opportunity arose to listen to a talk by Dr Bayard about the health of the people in the valley, Seraphine was determined to attend. That decision changed the course of her life.
In 1916 Bastian Favre was released from military service to resume his medical training, firstly assisting Dr Eggenberger, the chief physician in a hospital just outside Zürich and eventually, after passing his final exams, working with Dr Bayard in his practice serving the valleys of the Swiss Alps.
Salt of the Earth is beautifully and sensitively written, bringing the likeable characters and beautiful setting vividly to life. It is also a fascinating introduction to a medical intervention I knew nothing about. Most of today’s medications are taken for granted without knowing the backstory of how they came about. This was quite eye opening, particularly as thyroid issues run in my family, with such a relatively simple fix, once tested, for the horrendous ailments afflicting the Alpine communities.
The author also gives a captivating insight into the Swiss mountain communities and how they lived, the determination of those in the medical profession who, although hampered by the doubts and dismissiveness of the people and those in authority, continued to fight for their beliefs which, in the end, were proved successful. And the lovely cover compliments the story perfectly.
When the opportunity arose to listen to a talk by Dr Bayard about the health of the people in the valley, Seraphine was determined to attend. That decision changed the course of her life.
In 1916 Bastian Favre was released from military service to resume his medical training, firstly assisting Dr Eggenberger, the chief physician in a hospital just outside Zürich and eventually, after passing his final exams, working with Dr Bayard in his practice serving the valleys of the Swiss Alps.
Salt of the Earth is beautifully and sensitively written, bringing the likeable characters and beautiful setting vividly to life. It is also a fascinating introduction to a medical intervention I knew nothing about. Most of today’s medications are taken for granted without knowing the backstory of how they came about. This was quite eye opening, particularly as thyroid issues run in my family, with such a relatively simple fix, once tested, for the horrendous ailments afflicting the Alpine communities.
The author also gives a captivating insight into the Swiss mountain communities and how they lived, the determination of those in the medical profession who, although hampered by the doubts and dismissiveness of the people and those in authority, continued to fight for their beliefs which, in the end, were proved successful. And the lovely cover compliments the story perfectly.
October 17, 2023
Life-affirming, moving and memorable
This remarkable novel, set just after WW1, pays tribute to the Swiss doctors who transformed lives in remote farming communities with their treatment for ‘goitre’, a treatment as simple and cheap in administration as it was miraculous in impact. Although the history of thyroid treatment is in itself fascinating, it is the beautifully told story of Seraphine and her doctor, which won my heart.
These two main characters are so real that I felt gutted at every setback and cheered them on every time they got up again to fight their different battles for what was right and true. Dr Bayard brings the literal ‘salt of the earth’, in the form of iodised salt, not just to cure thyroid deficiency but also to prevent it.
As a girl, Seraphine fights not only the condition itself but her own lack of self-worth, while taking on gruelling responsibilities for her disabled family. Her daily heroism in her home and her hopes for something more from life are sensitively portrayed. As a woman, Seraphine gains ‘average’ in nursing examination results and the reader knows that average means exceptional, given the odds she fights against.
She and the doctor epitomise the ‘salt of the earth’ celebrated by the author throughout the novel: ordinary, hard-working, stubborn people who change the world despite the brilliant men in power. And of course those in power WERE men.
In her thrillers and murder mysteries, J J Marsh always shows a breadth of vision, an international perspective and an underlying appreciation of women’s achievements. In ‘Salt of the Earth’ these are taken to a new level. With world news ever more horrific, I so much appreciated the accurate historical reminder of true ‘humanity’ and humanitarian work in difficult times.
This is a must-read, not least for Barry the mountain dog – I love him!
This remarkable novel, set just after WW1, pays tribute to the Swiss doctors who transformed lives in remote farming communities with their treatment for ‘goitre’, a treatment as simple and cheap in administration as it was miraculous in impact. Although the history of thyroid treatment is in itself fascinating, it is the beautifully told story of Seraphine and her doctor, which won my heart.
These two main characters are so real that I felt gutted at every setback and cheered them on every time they got up again to fight their different battles for what was right and true. Dr Bayard brings the literal ‘salt of the earth’, in the form of iodised salt, not just to cure thyroid deficiency but also to prevent it.
As a girl, Seraphine fights not only the condition itself but her own lack of self-worth, while taking on gruelling responsibilities for her disabled family. Her daily heroism in her home and her hopes for something more from life are sensitively portrayed. As a woman, Seraphine gains ‘average’ in nursing examination results and the reader knows that average means exceptional, given the odds she fights against.
She and the doctor epitomise the ‘salt of the earth’ celebrated by the author throughout the novel: ordinary, hard-working, stubborn people who change the world despite the brilliant men in power. And of course those in power WERE men.
In her thrillers and murder mysteries, J J Marsh always shows a breadth of vision, an international perspective and an underlying appreciation of women’s achievements. In ‘Salt of the Earth’ these are taken to a new level. With world news ever more horrific, I so much appreciated the accurate historical reminder of true ‘humanity’ and humanitarian work in difficult times.
This is a must-read, not least for Barry the mountain dog – I love him!
October 24, 2023
We take modern medical advances for granted and yet we do well to remember those whose perseverance and skill led to some amazing breakthroughs in medical science. In this beautifully detailed novel we follow the story of Seraphine, a wise teenager, whose love and devotion towards her younger disabled half-siblings is as enlightening as it is endearing especially when her path crosses with that of Bastian Favre, who, released from the army, takes up a place at the University of Zürich. Whilst the long shadow of The Great War war still rages across Europe, Bastian embraces a new, and quite different, life as a medical undergraduate.
Without revealing too much, this intricately researched story looks at the emergence of a medical breakthrough concerning iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism, serious medical conditions which afflicted the population of the Alpine area where Seraphine lived. Bastion’s link with the area, and his connection to Seraphine, are beautifully explored by an author who knows how to keep the reader invested in place, time and characters. The author uses her words eloquently and with such lyrical quality that I found myself returning to re-read paragraphs and phrases, catching unexpected moments in the heart of the story and in the beautifully detailed reason d’etre of the book’s title. Salt of the Earth is a lovely story about loss, hardship and the advancement of a medical treatment which will have a profound effect on lives going forwards.
October 10, 2023
I’m so glad that publication of ‘Salt of the Earth’ coincided with my week-long holiday in Crete! Beautifully crafted, this is a real page-turner not just for revealing the history behind iodine deficiency in causing goitre (and knock on disability) in certain Alpine populations, and how local medical teams worked tirelessly to test and develop treatments to address this in the early 1900s, but also for a carefully woven fictional backdrop of real family hardship, loss and love — all set against the backdrop of the First World War and early 1920s. To be immersed in the Swiss Alps for the duration was a delight— and JJ Marsh did a superb job of evoking everyday life there 100+ years ago, with rich characters and evocative settings, the latter no doubt partly drawing on her own experience of living there. If you love historical fiction (with a sprinkling of romance) I highly recommend this! Beyond learning so much about the origins and treatment of hyperthyroidism— and the medical politics surrounding it — it was also fascinating to glimpse daily life in a neutral country during WW1.
February 4, 2024
Salt of the Earth is based on the true story of how Dr Bayard was determined to heal the people in his alpine village from goitre and other thyroid-affected illness and birth-defects, which he believed were caused by iodine lacking from their natural diet. The story is beautifully written in a way that truly captures the spirit of life in both rural Switzerland and city life in Zurich. The challenges Dr Bayard faced during and after WW1 and his determination to fight prejudice and influence the world for the greatest good leave a lasting impression.
February 15, 2024
Fascinating Book
I have read everything by this author and this book really gets you thinking. We take for granted having ionized salt. Who would have guessed it was such an issue in Switzerland in the early 1900s. This book is fiction, but does describe what several physicians did to protect their patients/family from Goiter and Cretinism. One of the remarkable young physicians in this book helps the two main physicians get rid of the main thyroid issues in their country and finds his true love along the way. Thanks to the author for telling this story!
I have read everything by this author and this book really gets you thinking. We take for granted having ionized salt. Who would have guessed it was such an issue in Switzerland in the early 1900s. This book is fiction, but does describe what several physicians did to protect their patients/family from Goiter and Cretinism. One of the remarkable young physicians in this book helps the two main physicians get rid of the main thyroid issues in their country and finds his true love along the way. Thanks to the author for telling this story!
May 15, 2025
J.J. Marsh is an incredibly excellent writer, now among my favourite authors. I started reading her work with the very entertaining DI Beatrice Stubbs series which I have yet to complete. However I made a change to this love story set against the backdrop of medical struggles to offset the physical damage of iodine insufficiency in the early 20th century in Switzerland. The characterisations are perfect, the situations compelling with writing so beautiful it brings tears. I never award 5 stars, this book deserves 10.
June 21, 2025
An interesting story set in Switzerland during the 10s and 20s of the last century, moving between mountain valleys and the city of Zurich and covering a wide variety of topics like WWI, medical research and women's advancements in society. While I really enjoyed the book (especially as someone living in Switzerland) the style of writing felt a bit mechanic. Some chapters also felt a bit unnecessary (especially the first one from Clothilde's perspective - could have been just a flashback or short mention in the following chapters)
July 2, 2024
A well written historical novel with a love story thrown in. My favorite genre. There were a few scenes that seemed like transgressions—they either needed to be omitted or developed more. What happened to Bastian’s friendship with Walter? The chapter about American doctors iodine studies seemed out of place. Other than that, an interesting read.
August 4, 2024
I wanted to like this book. It's historical fiction based on real events, plus it's about medical stuff.
The first half or so is OK, but then it just collapses into a cheap romance novel. The end is really weird, there is something brought up, not resolved or expanded on, and then suddenly the book ends.
The first half or so is OK, but then it just collapses into a cheap romance novel. The end is really weird, there is something brought up, not resolved or expanded on, and then suddenly the book ends.
October 8, 2024
Overall the book was pretty good. To know that it is all true - the iodine, the 2 doctors etc made a fascinating story. But we start with a pregnant teenager and jump to the daughter being 14 years old with no explanation. I also expected more from the ending - it just ended even with the wish for their children.
February 13, 2024
historical fiction at its finest
This historical fiction book set in Switzerland in the early 1900s taught so much about the country and their efforts to eradicate the effects of lack of iodine.
This historical fiction book set in Switzerland in the early 1900s taught so much about the country and their efforts to eradicate the effects of lack of iodine.
March 27, 2024
Iodine Deficiency still persists in several parts of the world today.
Interesting historical fiction about uphill efforts in Switzerland to educate and cure goiters and cretinism in rural areas after WWI.
Interesting historical fiction about uphill efforts in Switzerland to educate and cure goiters and cretinism in rural areas after WWI.
September 11, 2024
very interesting read
I enjoy books based on real people. I had no idea about this topic at all but having 3 daughters with Hashimoto’s Disease it has made me understand this topic even more. Very interesting and informative.
I enjoy books based on real people. I had no idea about this topic at all but having 3 daughters with Hashimoto’s Disease it has made me understand this topic even more. Very interesting and informative.
December 30, 2023
Good plot, intelligently written, likable characters, engaging and also of general interest regarding historical facts and setting. Pretty impressed - and I really enjoyed this read
February 9, 2024
Very interesting historical fiction!
June 5, 2024
Entertaining and educational historical fiction covering the iodine deficiency endemic in Switzerland.
December 17, 2025
I enjoyed the historical side of the book, rejoicing in its factual base. However, towards the end, it was simply a love story and I don’t do books about ‘Romance.’
July 11, 2024
Loved this - very educational and fascinating bit of historical fiction. Quite a departure for J.J. Marsh and really enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews