Botanikova dcera

by Kayte Nunn, Hana Vašková (Translator)

V Anglii konce 19. století stále panují přísné společenské konvence. Svéhlavá a odvážná Elizabeth je dcerou významného botanika a sběratele cenných rostlin. Také ona miluje květiny a je skvělou ilustrátorkou. Bohužel je ale žena, a tak nemůže své touhy o objevování cizích krajů a rostlin uskutečnit. To vše se změní, když její otec vážně onemocní a na smrtelné posteli dceři svěří riskantní a nebezpečný úkol. A Elizabeth vypluje za největším dobrodružstvím svého života.

Na opačném konci světa, v australském Sydney, a o několik desítek let později Anna truchlí nad ztrátou své milované babičky. Byla to právě ona, kdo v Anně probudil lásku ke všemu, co roste. Během rekonstrukce babiččina domu objeví Anna ve zdi zvláštní skříňku a v ní skicák plný nádherných akvarelů z konce 19. století a pytlík se semínky.

Chce-li Anna zjistit, jak se předměty ocitly na tak dlouho ve zdi starého domu, musí se i ona vydat na cestu a konečně se postavit tváří v tvář vlastním démonům.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Book Club, Historical, Australia, Romance, Mystery

361 pages, Hardcover

First published July 31, 2018

About the author

Kayte is the author of seven novels, including the international bestsellers The Botanist's Daughter, The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant, The Silk House and The Last Reunion.

The Botanist's Daughter was awarded the 2020 Winston Graham Historical Fiction Prize, and was selected as the National English Honour Society's Common Reader for 2023/4..

Her books have been described as, 'sensitive, atmospheric and often heartbreaking' (Who Weekly), offering 'compelling storytelling' (Australian Women's Weekly), and 'deliciously immersive' (The Daily Telegraph).

Kayte's novels are available worldwide in English, and have been translated into ten languages.

Born in Singapore, raised in the US and the UK, she now lives in Northern NSW, Australia.

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reviews on this ranged widely from 1 to 5 stars. I thought it was a pleasant if not memorable read. The mystery was interesting, the time in Chile was especially good, the two story lines were equally balanced, and the characters were fine.

I am not going to judge this book on this, but I am really, really over dual timelines. I feel this gimmick has been exploited to death and I will be actively avoiding it from now on. This probably means my choices of historical fiction books will be limited but so be it.

Funnily enough the cover is so beautiful I was almost reluctant to return the book to the library!

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2017 Anna is renovating her grandmother‘s home which has been left to her. During this renovation a hidden shelf in the wall is uncovered. A notebook and an intricately carved metal box are found hiding in this space. Inside the box is a sketchbook with stunning watercolours of plants, a photograph and a small bag of seeds. These set Anna, who owns a garden business, on a quest to find out more about all the items. The second story in the timelines is from 1886. Elizabeth determines to honour her father’s search for a rare, though highly poisonous plant. Along with her maid Daisy, she sets off on a sea voyage from Cornwall to Chile. There she finds love. But danger is also luring close by. Danger that is intrinsically linked to the search for the plant, because Elizabeth is not the only one after it. And some people it seems will stop at nothing to get what they want. Elizabeth is aware it is imperative the plant does into fall into the wrong hands.
Drawn into this book from the opening page, I loved the two stories and eventually seeing how they fitted together. The settings are brilliantly done and the characters are interesting. I really liked all the main characters, except obviously the one in particular the reader is not meant to like. Though I am nobody’s idea of a gardener, I loved all the information about plants, especially the unique plants of Chile. Loved the difference in cultures too between Victorian England, Chile and modern day Sydney Australia.
Both Anna and Elizabeth are prepared to take a risk. Both have to move on from sorrow in their pasts. They are likeable, enjoyable characters and Elizabeth’s loyal maid Daisy is a sweetie. Yes, there is romance that blooms as well as the flowers. For me this was a fascinating read that had me enthralled. I’d read one of this author’s books before and enjoyed it but this one was much richer. I adored it from start to finish. A truly engrossing read.

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
The Botanist’s Daughter signals quite the turning point for the author of this fascinating historical fiction, crossed with dual narrative tale. It is Kayte Nunn’s first venture into the world of historical fiction. It gives me great pleasure to see Kayte Nunn, an author I have been a fan of since her debut novel, take flight and soar with a new genre. The Botanist’s Daughter is a victory piece for Nunn and it has secured a spot in my most treasured reads of 2018.

In this beautifully realised novel, two women of the same profession, the field of botany, are in a race to find the key to a powerful flower. These two women are separated by time. In Victorian England, Elizabeth is quite the trailblazer. She leads the charge, continuing in her late father’s endless search to source a precious plant that has the power to heal beyond words. It is a hazardous quest, which involves a lengthy voyage from Cornwall, to Chile. Elizabeth will stop at nothing to fulfil her father’s legacy, but it is a journey marked by much danger. Another pioneering botanist who appears over a century after Elizabeth is Anna, based in Sydney in the present day. When her grandmother passes away, Anna discovers a mysterious metal box among her belongings. Inside she finds a cache of items. These include a book of watercolour sketches, a photograph and a bag of seeds. For Anna this sets forth a pathway to self discovery and an unearthing of a century old tale.

The Botanist’s Daughter is quite the showpiece. It enthralled me from the opening, through to the final parting words. The Botanist’s Daughter is a book that ticked all the boxes for me and I was sad when I came to the close of this wonderful set piece. Kayte Nunn is an author I have followed and supported since her first novel came out in 2016. Since whispers of this novel first surfaced, I have been eagerly waiting its release and I’m so pleased to give this book my full recommendation.

It is always interesting to see where an idea for a book first germinates. In The Botanist’s Daughter’s case, the author has a personal interest in botany and it truly does reflect through the passionate storytelling of Kayte Nunn. An afternoon spent in a favourite locale, Sydney’s botanical gardens and the connection the author made to a sundial, spurned on this story idea. A visit followed to Kew Gardens and The Botanist’s Daughter was born. It is a magnificent tale at that!

The Botanist’s Daughter is structured in the form of dual time frame narrative, weaving into and out of chapters situated in 1800’s Cornwall and Chile, along with Sydney in the year 2017. There is a rich sense of place that pervades The Botanist’s Daughter. I particularly enjoyed the Chile based scenes, as this is a locale I have not read about before. The transitions of time and place were handled with poise. I found that I was equally enamoured by the past and the present day storylines. Time slip narratives are often hard to pull off, but Kayte Nunn doesn’t shy away from the challenge of a dual narrative approach. What culminates is an engaging story, rooted firmly in both the past and the present, with illuminating connections.

Kayte Nunn’s leading protagonists, Elizabeth in the past and Anna in the present, are both intriguing. Nunn outlines both these women extremely well and I found I enjoyed each woman’s personal story equally. It is hard to achieve this balance in dual time frame narrative, but Nunn achieves success in this area of her new novel. Elizabeth is a determined, single-minded and fearless woman. She definitely is ahead of her time. I enjoyed following Elizabeth’s incredible journey to fulfil her late father’s great quest. This was one of many reasons why I remained glued to the pages of this novel. Supporting Elizabeth is her loyal servant Daisy. I found Daisy endearing and the unsung heroine of the tale. Anna, the present day protagonist, was a layered character. I enjoyed the process of unpacking Anna’s personal issues.

A spellbinding and timeless family mystery awaits the reader when they choose to take a journey with the cast of The Botanist’s Daughter. This aspect of the novel was perfectly paced. The placement of the metal box of treasures discovered by Anna in the present day was an excellent catalyst to commence the intrigue side of this novel. For me, this was my favourite part of the novel. The focus on botany and the search for the miraculous plant that holds the key to potentially saving the lives of many was completely enlightening. Nunn deserves full praise for her research efforts in this area. When the reader reaches the conclusion of The Botanist’s Daughter, a gentle line of new love and hope closes off this meaningful journey.

Whilst I am trying to tread a careful line in gushing too much over this book, I must also add that The Botanist’s Daughter is a book that is beautiful both on the outside and on the inside. The breathtaking cover design which sprawls to the inside cover of this book and it is just so exquisite, I adored the birds and flowers. I must recommend you purchase a hard copy of this book if you have a weakness for gorgeous covers!

It is with no hesitation at all that I heartily recommend this novel to all. If you take great delight in well presented historical fiction, The Botanist’s Daughter is yours for the taking!

The Botanist’s Daughter by Kayte Nunn was published on 31st July 2018 by Hachette Australia.
*I wish to thank Hachette Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.

The Botanist’s Daughter, is book #87 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge

[Bianca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been coming up on my feeds so I'd thought I'd check it out, despite its cliche and uninspired title.

This was told via two different POVs with two different timelines. Anna lives in Sydney, Australia in 2017. While renovating her grandmother's house now Anna's, she discovers a beautiful box that contained some treasures. Her curiosity is aroused. The other protagonist is Elizabeth Trebithick who lived in Cornwall, the UK in the late 1800s. A death bed promise to her father sees Elizabeth undertake a long voyage to Valparaiso, Chile in search of a rare plant.

As you've probably guessed, there's a connection between Elizabeth, the journal and Anna's grandmother's house.

The Botanist's Daughter was a reasonably good novel. It didn't quite tickle my fancy, but then this genre is not my cup of tea. I also thought the love interests for both women were too good to be true. Unfortunately, I never felt fully engaged and didn't get invested one way or the other. I did listen to the entire audiobook, especially since it was narrated by Caroline Lee, one of my favourite narrators. (NB: I did get annoyed with the way she pronounced Valparaiso, the Anglisiced way, but that's me being pedantic).

[Rambling Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hum.

Well, it wasn’t great.

On the plus side, the mystery and concept were both reasonably interesting.

On the negative side, it read like a bad high school creative writing task. Ridiculous descriptive language. Unbearably cliched. Beautiful protagonists. (The particular irony being that the beautiful protagonist from the 1800s wants to be more than a lovely wife to a man she barely knows, but we know so little about her beyond the beauty the author continuously shoved down our throats... and she ends up married, quickly, to a man she barely knows.) The book can’t decide if it’s feminist or not. So many characters exist just to propel the story; they’re lucky if they’re even cardboard cutouts of people! It’s spectacularly tone deaf and lacking in self-awareness.

It also can’t decide if it’s a mystery novel, chick lit, or a straight up romance novel, so the tone is odd.

There’s large passages of expository dialogue that seriously made me cringe.

It also ended on an unexpected cliffhanger(ish) moment. I won’t be returning for the obvious sequel.

Would not recommend. I would return it to Big W if I could.

[Theresa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Botanist’s Daughter by Kayte Nunn takes the reader back to a time and place where the interest in botanical medicine was gaining momentum. Plant based medicines, particularly the history of, is an interest of mine and when this novel popped up on my radar, I knew it was one I needed to read, especially once I found out about the author’s own passionate interest in botany. Usually, when an author has a passionate interest in the topic they are writing on, you can be assured you’re in for a good show. I highly recommend checking out Kayte’s Pinterest board on The Botanist’s Daughter. You can really see where she got much of her inspiration from and there’s a definite magic associated with seeing the novel come to life when you’re viewing all of the images she’s saved. Spending time looking at that was a great way to finish off this novel.

The Botanist’s Daughter is a time-slip narrative, or dual perspective if you prefer, where one character in the present day discovers a link to a person from the past and we become privy to two stories moving along within different eras. I absolutely loved this novel, both eras, both women, both journeys. It just hit the right note for me from the very beginning. The magic of finding a box with treasures from the past drew me in and held me captive. And the seeds! What a find, and how incredible that under Anna’s guiding green thumb, she got them to sprout after lying dormant for so long. It was this botanical aspect of the story that interested me the most. The quest for cuttings and seeds and the power of plants that stretches across the ages. More so though, the knowledge about the power of plants, because it’s one thing to have a plant that has useful properties, but it’s entirely another to understand its uses. Kayte tapped into this with intricate detail throughout this novel, highlighting how botanical art was also a source of information about the plants depicted, their origins and uses, the dangers and benefits. There was a lot more to this stream of art than pictures of pretty flowers.

“Anna was once again reminded of how extraordinarily long some plants had been around for, blooming, dying and blooming again across the centuries, seeds scattered on the wind, seedlings divided and shared, sold and replanted in foreign soil.”

The setting of Chile was vividly engaging and I applaud Kayte for how beautifully rendered this was. Likewise, Cornwall and Sydney both popped off the page, but it was the sections set in Chile that really swept me away. Our two leading ladies were a treat to spend time with, but if I’m honest, I preferred Anna, our modern day heroine to Elizabeth, our 19th century botanist. There was an arrogance to Elizabeth that proved to be her undoing. Throughout the story, her deception over her new friends and family unsettled me and it came as no surprise that this cost her dearly in the end. I lamented the fact that she hadn’t trusted in those around her when the true consequences of her stealth were realised. How easily things could have differed if she had confided in her husband and ensured he understood the danger that was lurking over them. But even she underestimated the greed associated with being the first botanist to bring a new and powerful plant out into the world. She miscalculated the urgency, and I think, to a certain degree, also felt guilty about the wrongness of what she was doing, which was essentially stealing a dangerous plant that she had obtained via means that were deceptive. My sense of foreboding that had been plaguing me was sadly realised but in a far more terrible way than I could have possibly envisaged. I did love Daisy, her loyal maid, who proved herself to be the most honourable and trustworthy of companions. Her steadfast promise to Elizabeth was honoured across the generations and I appreciated the way this linked the past with the present for Anna and her mother and sister. The way this story from the past played out was evidence of Kayte’s mastery over her own novel. She didn’t shy away from pulling the rug out from under us. It was a bold move, but it took The Botanist’s Daughter from being a good novel to a truly great one.

The Botanist’s Daughter is Kayte Nunn’s first novel of historical fiction and I have to say, she’s done a marvellous job of it. The novel moves along briskly with a full cast of characters, all doing their bit to tie the threads of this story together. We are treated to a spark of romance between Anna and a lovely gentleman who appears as the perfect match for her, but I do like how Kayte kept the focus on the family mystery and Anna’s journey to redefine her own life, rather than distracting from the main storyline with this romantic inkling. All in all, The Botanist’s Daughter is a novel that I recommend highly to lovers of historical fiction and all things botanical. The sumptuous cover with its beautiful images of birds and flowers extending into the inner jacket is equally as delightful as the story that it’s wrapped around.


Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing me with a copy of The Botanist’s Daughter for review.

[Calzean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. In the early part of the book there is a months long sailing trip from England to Chile. That's how I felt during the story, a long period of not much happening with the occasional surprise.
Modern Sydney, a young lady has just lost her grandma and inherited the family home. During renovations she finds a diary and a box containing a set of beautifully drawn paintings of flowers. Her research takes her to Cornwall where she unearths the history of a lost female relative and her life in the 1880s. The two central woman are like bookends. They both have just lost a close relation. They both are a bit lost before they both travel overseas and find unexpected love. They both love flowers. They both are beautiful. And so on and on and on.

[Brooke - Brooke's Reading Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

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**4.5 stars**

The Botanist's Daughter by Kayte Nunn. (2018).

In Victorian England after her father's death, headstrong adventuress Elizabeth travels to Chile to find a rare and miraculous plant on his behalf. To do this she will face a sea voyage and unforeseen danger.
In present-day Australia, Anna finds a mysterious metal box containing a beautiful sketchbook, a photograph from 1886 and a bag of seeds. This will lead her on a journey far from careful safe life and make her face her own demons.

This historical fiction and dual narrative novel is both engaging and enjoyable. I appreciated both narratives and their lead characters immensely. Elizabeth and Anna were both charismatic, intelligent and likable. The descriptions of flora and the art in the sketchbook really paints a picture and creates a stunning imagery in the mind. I was immersed in this book from the very beginning and found it to be a very easy read. A couple of times I had to look up the definition of a word used but nothing wrong with extending my vocabulary haha.
I'd happily and highly recommend this absorbing well written novel.

[Donna Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story of mystery, botany, and intrigue. I didn’t love it. The characters were really likable, and that kept me interested when the story details didn’t quite hold me. What I liked about this book was the focus on botany and plant art. It’s unusual to read about international incidents over a plant!

[The Reading's Love Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

RECENSIONE QUI: https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/...


"La figlia del mercante di fiori" mi ha affascinato sin dalla prima pagina sia per lo stile scorrevole e magistrale dell’autrice e sia per la storia che racchiude. Il romanzo porta il lettore in un periodo in cui stava prendendo piede lo studio scientifico della botanica. Quando un autore riesce ad appassionare i propri lettori con l’argomento che tratta nella sua storia, vuol dire che è riuscito a scrivere una storia di un certo calibro. Protagoniste di questo romanzo sono due donne determinate amanti della botanica e separate dal tempo. L’autrice infatti narra di pari passo la storia del passato e la storia del presente. Nell’Inghilterra vittoriana conosciamo Elizabeth, figlia di un importante botanico che viaggia nel mondo per scoprire nuove piante. Dopo la morte del padre, Elizabeth prosegue la sua ricerca in Cile per scoprire e portare al sicuro una preziosa pianta che ha il potere di guarire ma anche di uccidere. Il percorso di Elizabeth è segnato da molte insidie e un’avventura misteriosa e pericolosa cambierà la sua vita. Nell’Australia odierna, invece, conosciamo Anna che dopo la morte dell’amata nonna scopre una misteriosa scatola contenente oggetti, fotografie e disegni di piante. Per Anna, questo sarà il percorso verso la scoperta di sé. Le protagoniste Elizabeth nel passato e Anna nel presente sono intriganti; l’autrice delinea perfettamente queste due donne e ci affascina con le loro storie personali e la loro determinazione nel superare gli ostacoli. Elizabeth è una donna decisa, risoluta, senza paura e soprattutto curiosa di scoprire nuove piante e nuovi profumi. Mi sono immersa completamente nel suo incredibile viaggio per completare la grande ricerca di suo padre. La sua fedele amica Daisy è un personaggio accattivante e fedele che la accompagna nel suo viaggio e che, a mio parere, la si può vedere come una seconda eroina. Anna invece è un personaggio leale e laborioso, non si concede l’opportunità di essere felice fino a quando un mistero di famiglia si impadronisce di lei. Il ritrovamento della scatola misteriosa, l’attenzione per la botanica e la ricerca della pianta miracolosa che contiene la chiave per salvare la vita di molte persone mi hanno intrigata subito. Ho amato la descrizione dei giardini botanici di Sydney. L’autrice riesce a farci entrare nella storia, a farcela amare, a farci sentire protagonisti e a farci sentire gli odori dei fiori e delle piante. Raccontato dai pov alternati di Elizabeth e Anna, le storie delle due si intrecciano perfettamente l’una con l’altra. Potrebbero essere donne completamente diverse che vivono in tempi diversi, ma il loro senso di avventura è lo stesso. L’autrice ha inserito tanti dettagli riguardanti l’arte della botanica, sulle piante raffigurate, sui loro usi, sui loro benefici e sui loro pericoli. L’ambientazione in Cile, in Australia e in Inghilterra hanno reso ancora più coinvolgente la storia. Un mistero di famiglia affascinante e senza tempo attende il lettore in un viaggio avvincente di amore e speranza tra passato e presente…

CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
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[Marjolein · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay and the writing style was just fine, but I figured out the mystery pretty quickly so the ending was a bit of a letdown in my opinion. Still, it's a lovely read and I enjoyed it just fine.

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was on the UK promotional blog tour for this book, thank you to the publishers for letting me be a part of the team!

The Botanist’s Daughter is a story with a very interesting premise. Set between present day Australia and 1880s Cornwall/Latin America, a young graduate student Anna is living a quiet but botanical life, after studying Plant Studies. After her Grandmother’s house is cleared out, she stumbles onto a locked box and finds a diary, some jewellery, illustrations of flowers and a few photos. It’s clear that a real family mystery has been uncovered. Meanwhile, in the past, Young Elizabeth is asked by her dying father to make a dangerous trip across the ocean to look for a rare flower. It was interesting to learn more about plants (I once studied Floristry) so having it in a novel made a nice touch. I liked the aspects of diary, letters and family secrets being uncovered. From both the past and present day perspectives, I found an array of characters that kept me interested till the final page. All I’ll say is that I really need to visit Kew Gardens now!

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

'As Matisse said, "There are always flowers for those that want to see them."'

[Dorian Jandreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

KNYGA IŠ BIBLIOTEKOS.

Ana, gyvenanti Australijoje, ima remontuoti senelės namą. Darbininkai išgriovę sieną randa metalinę dėžę ir užrašų knygelę. Šiaip ne taip atidariusi dėžę joje randa didžiulę augalų piešinių knygą datuojamą 1886-1887 metais. Ana pradeda aiškintis, kas šių piešinių autorius ir skaityti užrašų knygelę. Taip ji atsiduria Anglijoje... Na, o 1886 metais po tėvo mirties Elizabetė išsiruošia į Pietų Ameriką tęsti tėvo darbo – rasti mįslingą augalą. Ten ji įsimyli ir išteka už vietinio Čilės gyventojo. Tačiau tai dar ne viskas...

Knygą pasirinkau skaityti dėl pavadinimo, nes pats kolekcionuoju augalus. (Daugiausia orchidėjas). Kadangi skyriai knygoje trumpučiai – negalėjau atsitraukti. Knyga mane įtraukė ir nepaleido. Ypatingai patiko Elizabetės istorijos dalis, nes istorija pasakojama 2017 ir 1887 metais. Knyga parašyta lengvu stiliumi ir lengvai skaitoma. Puikiai tinka praleisti laisvalaikiui.

Man patiko ši knyga. Net labai. Ir trūkumų joje neradau – tikrai mano stiliaus istorija: paslaptys, istoriniai siužetai, meilė ir laiminga pabaiga. Ko daugiau norėti? O ir knygos, kurios veiksmas vyksta Čilėje nesu skaitęs. Galėjau mintimis nusikelti į tą įdomią šalį.

Rekomenduoju visiems, kam patinka lengvi romanai, šiek tiek meilės, šiek tiek intrigos ir žinoma daug paslapčių.

[Frances · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had the makings of an interesting read particularly if one is interested in gardening and plants but spoiled in both narratives by the 'Mills and Boon' story lines...also abrupt endings to both narratives. Could have been good but needed a better editor.

[Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

No

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Here in this garden was the proof: while some lives ended, the rest of the world marched relentlessly on.’

There are two strands to the story within this novel. The first, set in the 1880s features Elizabeth Trebithick in Cornwall. Elizabeth’s father was seeking a rare plant in South America. The plant is considered to have miraculous powers, and after her father dies, Elizabeth takes up his quest. Elizabeth, with her servant Daisy, travels from Cornwall to Valparaiso in Chile. The second strand of the story starts in Sydney in 2017. Anna Jenkins’s grandmother has recently died, and Anna is renovating the house which her grandmother left to her. As walls and shelves are removed, Anna discovers first a notebook and then a mysterious metal box containing a sketchbook of watercolours, a photograph, and a small bag of seeds. Anna is a botanist and is intrigued by her find.

Two different journeys in two separate centuries. We accompany Elizabeth as she travels from Cornwall to Valparaiso, while she looks for this wondrous plant, and as she finds a new life. We accompany Anna as she travels to London and then to Cornwall in search of answers. Who was responsible for the watercolours, and how did they end up in her grandmother’s home? And, as we accompany these two women on their separate journeys, we see some of the best and worst of human nature on display.

‘She had much to find out and she must tread carefully.’

I found this novel intriguing. For me, working out the connections between the two stories became less important as I turned the pages. I wanted to know what happened to Elizabeth, and I wanted Anna to find happiness. While some aspects of the story are sad, the presentation of the story held my attention from beginning to end.

‘There are always flowers for those that want to see them.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Deborah Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. The story was good and it was interesting. I loved the way plants figured into the story, and the sketching done by Elizabeth. I loved Anna's discovery during remodeling. The story was fairly predictable - it was easy to figure out who the author was, who the child was, etc. The narrator had a pleasant, soothing voice and I frequently found myself enjoying her voice but not listening to what she had to say. The book alternated between Elizabeth in the 1800s and Anna in present day. The narrator didn't change her voice to announce the chapter titles, so I rarely caught when it transitioned. We'd be in the 1800s and suddenly it would say she drove a car or something and I'd realize, belatedly, that we'd switched to Anna. There were a lot of pointless characters which also made it hard to keep up with, so I usually didn't bother with trying to figure out who they were, other than the main characters. It also ended on an odd note, and I had to rewind to see what I'd missed, to discover I hadn't missed anything. Overall, it was a good story, just not anything to write home about. I'd recommend this to be read in print instead of listened to.

#abookbyoraboutajournalist

[María · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 de 5 estrellas (no está mal)
Una historia con la que no he conectado demasiado y se me ha hecho insulsa, previsible y con un final demasiado precipitado.
Esperaba algo más enriquecedor respecto a la cultura chilena y también con respecto a la botánica pero me he quedado con la misma información que si no lo hubiese leído.
Los personajes son planos y solo me ha interesado realmente Georgina, hermana de la protagonista porque me parece la más realista respecto a la época y está bien perfilado pero el resto no me cuadran.
Es un libro fácilmente olvidable y que no recomiendo demasiado.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely read, a dual timeline historical novel with lots of botanical detail and a little light romance. Like many other readers, I was also taken with Christa Moffitt's beautifully illustrated cover - I'm really taken with her work - here are a few of her other designs:
.
In the first timeline, in present day (2017) Sydney, horticulturalist Anna Jenkins is mourning the recent death of her beloved grandmother, "Gus", together with other personal demons that become apparent as the story unfolds. She's commencing the work of renovating Gus's dilapidated Paddington terrace, which she's inherited. While removing old bookcases, the workmen discover an old diary and a mysterious engraved box in wall cavities. Anna, with the input of her mother and sister, sets about solving the mystery of the items' provenance and the identity of the artist responsible for the beautiful botanical artworks she finds inside the box.
In the interwoven second timeline, which opens in Cornwall in 1886, Elizabeth Trevithick is also mourning, for her recently deceased father, renowned plant collector John Trevithick. Before his death, her father asked her to take on a challenging mission on his behalf - to travel to Chile in search of an elusive species of lily. While beautiful, the plant is deadly if handled wrongly, but in the right hands is reputed to have powerful medical properties. Trevithick is adamant that his daughter must identify the plant and send samples to the Kew Gardens collection, before the plant falls into the wrong hands - those of his villainous rival, Damien Chegwidden.
As the stories unfold, Anna moves ever closer to solving the mystery of the diary and artworks, uncovering links to her own family's history.
The Botanist's Daughter is an enthralling and luminous tale as two women, 140 years apart, but whose lives reveal many parallels, make journeys of discovery, finding adventure and unexpected romance along the way (while integral to the story, the romance element wasn't to my mind overpowering to the main mystery-discovery storyline, which suited me as I'm not a great afficionado of the pure romance genre). Kayte Nunn's prose is straightforward, strongly evocative of the settings and the emotional experience of her central characters, without becoming bogged down in excessive detail at any point, which makes for a relatively fast read. Her achievement in attributing distinct voices between the two main characters, while maintaining the momentum of the whole, is what makes this such a successful piece. Usually in dual-timeline narratives, which have become quite prevalent in recent years, I find myself substantially more engaged in one storyline than the other, but I'm happy to report that that wasn't the case here.
Highly recommended to those who enjoy a light but engrossing historical read, especially those who (like myself) have an interest in all things botanical.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story this one is but I picked the worst time to start reading it I was so busy and didn’t get a lot of reading time in but when the book wasn’t in my hands my mind never stopped thinking about it and trying to rush back to it, fabulous story, beautifully written, I loved it, I wanted to get to then end but I didn’t want it to finish, this is one that I suggest do not miss reading.

This story spans from Victorian England Cornwall when a young woman named Elizabeth daughter of botanist John Trebithick takes up where her father sadly couldn’t finish and that is searching for a very rare and dangerous plant in Chile, unknown for woman in this era to do so but stubborn Elizabeth with her maid Daisy, set off on a dangerous journey that will bring many changes to this gifted painter’s life, with danger and other people after the plant there is danger lurking close by and a secret to uncover.

Years on 2017 and Anna Jenkins who is a horticulturist, (this love of plants she got from her grandmother) is now renovating her beloved late grandmother’s home in Sydney when she discovers a gorgeous tin which has treasures packed inside, and here starts another journey but this time to discover the true owners of the paintings and the truth about the seeds that have been found. Anna uncovers a lot on her journey to Cornwall England more family and the truth about the journey to Australia by a woman and a child back in 1888.

This is a story that pulled me in from page one, the characters come to life on the pages, I loved Anna and Elizabeth and getting to know them was wonderful, the settings so very beautiful and the story threaded through two time lines had me devouring the words, and the flowers that are described had me thinking about my Nana’s garden with some of them, this the first of MS Nunn’s books I have read but it won’t be the last, this one ticks all of the boxes for a book that is engrossing and so very enjoyable and one that I highly recommend, fabulous story, truly don’t miss this one.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved The Botanist's Daughter by Kayte Nunn.

A dual timeline ~ two botanists; centuries apart.

Set from within The Botanical Gardens, Sydney to Cornwall in England to as far away as Chile in South America.

You'll visit interesting places ...

Hidden secrets are held within a metal box which changes a person's life.

Breathtakingly beautiful ...

It is the flowers, the gardens and the botany which will entice you as you weave your way through the stories.

Find out the connection between the two sun-dials in the gardens; and a certain lily which holds a secret as well as what's contained in the metal box.

The art of sketching, flowers and turning them into watercolour to make certain flowers come to life play an important role in the book.

I particularly liked hearing about the rhodendron flower ~ one of my favourite flowers also from the Blue Mountains of Australia.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, The Botanist's Daughter by Kayte Nunn and highly recommend.

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them".

[Claire Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read that I've been looking forward to since seeing the cover. This is overall a mystery, an adventure and a romance that takes place in two different centuries following two different women who are both searching for something. The mystery starts in 2017 when Anna finds a box hidden in a wall ands takes it upon herself to uncover the mystery of it. Running parallel is an adventure in 1887 in Chile where Elizabeth from Cornwall has travelled to search for a flower. I was very much intrigued with both stories, though really liked Elizabeth's adventure slightly more and waiting expectantly for each of her chapters. There is a love story in both centuries, though one happens and the other is just starting to bloom. Very enjoyable

[Rhiann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light easy read

[Amina Hujdur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uživam u ovakvim sagama u kojima se prepliće sadašnjost i prošlost. Mala doza misterije, porodičnih tajni, botanike i dva kontinenta povezana jednom pričom. Od mene petica 👍❤️

[Lesincele · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5. La trama y la ambientación del pasado en Chile me han gustado mucho. Pero me ha faltado profundidad en los personajes y en la trama en sí.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il titolo originale dell’opera, The Botanic’s daughter, è senz’altro più calzante rispetto alla traduzione italiana; sì perché, la prima protagonista in ordine di tempo, Elizabeth, è la figlia di un botanico, di un ricercatore appassionato di piante, di uno scienziato avventuriero in un’epoca in cui, senza aerei per attraversare il globo terrestre, si utilizzava la nave. Un viaggio pericoloso, malsano, che lasciava scie di incauti viaggiatori morti a bordo durante le lunghe rotte atlantiche.

E proprio uno di questi viaggi pericolosi affronterà la giovane Elizabeth. Per tener fede alla parola data al padre morente, partirà alla volta del Cile a caccia di una pianta terribilmente pericolosa per chi dovesse incautamente mangiarla, ma anche ricca di promesse per chi ne sapesse sfruttare le potenzialità curative.

La storia del viaggio e delle avventure della giovane e temeraria ragazza, armata solo di pennelli e colori per ritrarre le specie incontrate in meravigliosi acquerelli botanici, si intreccerà tra le pagine con quella di Anna. Ambientata ai giorni nostri, in Australia, vediamo la giovane alle prese con l’eredità lasciatele dalla nonna Augusta, una magnifica casa con giardino annesso. I fiori e le piante fanno parte anche della vita di Anna, che ha studiato botanica ma si è poi dedicata alla manutenzione dei giardini altrui, e con questo lavoro si guadagna da vivere.

La scoperta di una meravigliosa scatola di metallo e di un diario, nascosti tra le mura della casa, scatenerà nella sua vita una tempesta di eventi e di concatenazioni straordinarie, che la porteranno sulle tracce della misteriosa pittrice di fiori e piante a cui la scatola era appartenuta, Elizabeth, conducendola di nuovo in Cornovaglia, dove tutto era iniziato.

La storia è molto interessante e, sebbene il tema della scatola che contiene segreti sia più volte apparso in tanti romanzi contemporanei, non manca di appassionare il lettore, che non vede l’ora di scoprire tutte le carte della coinvolgente vicenda.

Il tema delle piante, dai nomi alle proprietà medicinali che possiedono, è ben delineato dall’autrice, che ha sicuramente condotto una ricerca approfondita nell’ambiente dei botanici e degli erbari.

Le peculiarità dei personaggi sono ben sviluppate, ed ognuno di è essi ben caratterizzato e con una personalità ben definita. Anche i paesaggi appaiono vivi nelle attente descrizioni, che non risultano però tediose. Dunque una bella prova per questa autrice esordiente in Italia, che speriamo ci regali presto nuove storie.

" Anna ripensò alla tragedia che aveva colpito Elizabeth e suo marito, assassinati perché possedevano quella pianta. Un evento che aveva alterato la storia della sua famiglia per sempre. Le girava la testa quando ci pensava. Se Elizabeth non avesse intrapreso quel viaggio così pericoloso insieme a Daisy, sua sorella, sua madre e sua nonna non sarebbero mai nate. E se Elizabeth avesse avuto successo, il mondo sarebbe stato un posto diverso. Quante cose dipendevano dalla piega che prendeva il destino."
.
Emanuela - per RFS

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love it, but it fell short

The premise of the story is great - a dual timeline, two likeable heroines and a botanical theme. However, the writing felt laboured, as though the writer sat with a thesaurus open on her lap as she wrote it. The dialogue felt clunky and and artificially old-fashioned. It was such a shame that small details like the location of Liverpool (in the North West, not the North East!) weren't corrected by proof-reading. I felt myself cringing in places where the writing lacked subtlety. I forced myself to read to the end but was disappointed by the resolution (or lack of!) I take my hat off to anyone who can write a novel but this one fell short for me.

[Emily Sayers · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I perhaps cared about plants at all this would have been more interesting, because the botanical research was certainly the most important part. However, where Kayte Nunn clearly knew a lot about plants, she doesn’t seem to know anything about people. The dialogue seems to be written by an 8th grader attempting to be an adult— very forced and awkward. Would not recommend.

[Emrys · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

All in all a fun read, but a tad too predictable for my taste. I especially enjoyed the landscape and plant descriptions, some of which made me homesick to Cornwall. However, the predictability meant the stakes felt significantly lower than could have been the case, which in turn slowed down my reading of this book.
Still, there are plenty of people in my life I will be recommending this book to, because, as I said, it may not be a flawless read, it is definitely amusing and has a considerable historical escapist fantasy quality.