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by Bonnie Ferrante, Virtual Voice (Narrator)

In the time of Queen Elizabeth I of England, fifteen-year-old Rosemary Prowd has a secret that could kill her. When she flees, with her parents, to her godmother’s cottage, the danger follows her. She seems to be destined to become a homeless beggar, the victim of a stalker, accused of witchcraft, or hung as a thief. As her support system collapses, her survival depends on her wits, courage, and determination. Then a mysterious plant opens a world of possibilities. Will using it be her salvation or her doom?

Audible Audio

Published April 15, 2025

About the author

Bonnie Ferrante is a hybrid writer (publishing traditionally and self-publishing). She was a grade school teacher for thirty-three years, ten as teacher-librarian. She has received three OAC grants for her writing. She has recently entered the field of self-publishing and is greatly enjoying illustrating her own picture books although this becomes more difficult as her Parkinson's Disease progresses.
Bonnie also has a Youtube site.
"Welcome parents, teachers, and kids to my safe youtube site. Kids can listen to a book being read or a story being told, learn about words and numbers, and sing along. Adults can watch a book trailer and find new ways to teach your children using inexpensive materials, active learning, and the outdoors."

Reviews

[NotAmanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big thanks to Bonnie Ferrante for the eARC in exchange for the review.

Rosemary is a girl on the cusp of womanhood. Her family lives with her uncle and his daughters until gossip spreads, forcing Rosemary and her family to flee.
Rosemary, with her mother and father, move into her Godmothers house, a widow who acts a town healer. Rosemary is taken under godmothers wing and taught about herbs and healing. It is tough times all around and slowly, Godmothers things are sold off, usually to pay for Fathers drinking and poorly though out investments.
Rosemary's past isn't left in the town they fled, leaving her uncle and cousins though. Rosemary sees ghosts and now, they are feeding off her energy and becoming violent.

With a terrible accident, leaving her motherless, her father decides to venture out to the city because of a deal he couldn't pass up. Of course, taking Godmothers belongings to sell for the monetary commitment needed.
Rosemary and Godmother develop a relationship and Rosemary takes care of her and finds a new herb that is practically a miracle, healing and bringing good luck to all who use it. Until, Rosemary starts to run low... then the towns folk begin to look for revenge.


Ok, so I was totally not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I don't usually go for time period pieces, but there was so very little reference to it that it made no difference. There is a queen referenced, but it could have been made up and still been as relevant.
This is very much a feminist piece. It makes note of women not being able to own land and the ridiculous notion that women must be married by a certain age.
This one gets a full 5 stars and I highly recommend.

One thing to note is that maybe another quick once over for editing would be good, the ages of Rosemary skip around a lot, it's her 13th birthday, then her 16th, then 15th... I think maybe in the first write, Rosemary was younger than in later edits.

[D.J. Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book of Bonnie's that I've read and let's just say that I'm a fan. Bonnie's writing style is so immersive and detailed. And who doesn't love a classic you're-a-witch, ghost story? As the protagonist, young Rosemary is misunderstood, snarky, and plagued with the ability to see ghosts. But she is endearing and oftentimes quite hilarious, even if she doesn't mean to be that way. Another aspect of this book that I LOVE is the images throughout; the headers and the scene breaks. Visually, they pulled the story together and made me so much more intrigued. Although historical fiction (the book is set in England during Queen Elizabeth I's time) is not my usual go-to genre, I can definitely say that Bonnie has prompted me to explore this genre more and I'll definitely be reading more of her books.

[Rosemary Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reads almost like a Grimms fairy tale. The main character starts out as obnoxious and lazy. She learns along the way but not before she has several of the villagers hooked on a drug that she doesn't know anything about. She passes it out and takes it herself with no knowledge of its addictive qualities just because she finds a new plant in the forest and thinks it might help these people. Her father is a leech. She sees ghosts when she gets upset. No real substance to the story.