january sale
25% off selected Scottish titles
25% off selected Scottish titles
Independent Scottish Bookshop
Every book chosen by a bookseller.
Independent Scottish Bookshop
In stock
Scottish BookAuthor: Sara Sheridan
£9.95 Original price was: £9.95.£7.46Current price is: £7.46.
A richly atmospheric novel set in 1822 Edinburgh, where a rare flowering plant sparks intrigue — entwining botany, perfume-making, secrets and female friendship amid Enlightenment society. Perfect for readers of sensual historical fiction and clever, character-driven tales.
dispatched by Royal Mail Tracked 48
We found The Fair Botanists to be thoughtful, engaging, and quietly bold. It blends science, secrecy, and friendship into a story that feels both grounded and generous.
As Independent Scottish booksellers, we write all of our descriptions personally, we hope you enjoy this one.
In the summer of 1822, Edinburgh is preparing for spectacle. George IV’s visit has the city polished and restless, its Enlightenment confidence on display. Into this atmosphere arrives Elizabeth, newly widowed and newly unanchored, drawn toward the calm order of the Botanic Garden on the city’s edge. With a sketchbook in hand, she finds both purpose and distraction among its beds and glasshouses.
There she meets Belle Brodie, brilliant, impulsive, and deeply invested in the science and commerce of plants. Belle’s fascination with botany extends beyond respectable study into the more fragrant, profitable world of perfume making, though the true nature of her work is something she guards closely.
The Fair Botanists moves through salons, studios, and garden paths, attentive to how knowledge is shared and withheld. Edinburgh emerges as a place of curiosity and constraint, where women navigate ambition within narrow margins. As friendship deepens and secrets strain to remain hidden, the novel explores creativity, desire, and the risks of being seen clearly in a city that prides itself on enlightenment but watches closely all the same.
Historical Fiction