4.59 avg rating — 44 ratings

"“When Secrets Bloom” completely swept me away. This book isn’t just about history, it’s about courage and the price of knowing too much. From the first page I felt like I’d been dropped into the cold, candlelit streets of 15th-century Transylvania, I could smell the herbs and hear the echo of boots.
We begin with Kate's story. She is a young woman with vast knowledge in healing but walking on the edge between being respected for her skill and condemned for it. When a difficult birth forces her to defy her husband’s order and risk her life to save another’s, I knew I was reading about someone extraordinary. Alongside Kate’s story we meet Moise, a young Jewish apprentice working in a printing press. His story unfolds alongside Kate’s and when their paths finally intersect, the whole novel clicked into place in an unexpected way.
What I loved most is how real these people feel. Kate is brave, but also angry, questioning. Moise carries an idealism that gets him into trouble. They both had to survive and resist in a world ruled by men, the Church, and superstition. I liked the thought that even in the darkest centuries there were women who dared to heal and men who dared to dream."