Imperfect Alchemist by Naomi Miller

Synopsis
In Tudor England, two women dare to be different …

Two women. One bond that will unite them across years and social divides.

England, 1575. Mary Sidney, who will go on to claim a spot at the heart of Elizabethan court life and culture, is a fourteen-year-old navigating grief and her first awareness of love and desire. Her sharp mind is less interested in the dynastic alliances and marriages that concern her father, but will she be able to forge a place for herself and her writing in the years to come?

Rose Commin, a young country girl with a surprising talent for drawing, is desperate to shrug off the slurs of witchcraft which have tarnished life at home. The opportunity to work at Wilton House, the Earl of Pembroke’s Wiltshire residence, is her chance.

Defying the conventions of their time, these two women, mistress and maid, will find themselves facing the triumphs, revelations and dangers that lie ahead together.

Review
Imperfect Alchemist is the story of two different women, one a Countess, one a maid who grow a close bond that crosses their social standing. Mary Sidney is only fourteen when she goes to court to serve Elizabeth I, and only fifteen when she is married to the Earl of Pembroke. Rose is sent to work for the first Countess of Pembroke, Lady Catherine, after her mother is accused of witchcraft. At Wilton House, Rose’s talent for drawing is nurtured by Lady Catherine, and she is taught to read and write. After Lady Catherine’s death Mary and Rose, mistress and maid, are brought together in a friendship that lasts through love, loss, and the highs and lows over their years together. Told in three parts that follow Mary and Rose through their lives, this is a fascinating read.

I love reading books set in one of my favourite periods of history as it is like meeting old friends again. Mary Sidney is someone I have come across several times as she was a formidable woman, and one of the first to have a play published. Naomi Miller really brings this fascinating young woman to life, her intelligence, the love for her siblings, her love of literature and her fascination with science, in particular alchemy. Her childhood was permeated with the loss of siblings, especially her sister Ambrosia after which she was sent to court and married to the older Earl of Pembroke, who liked her for her intelligence. It is the grief of loss that ultimately brings Mary and Rose close; Rose is mourning the loss of Lady Catherine, Mary’s predecessor, and Rose is the same age as Mary’s sister Ambrosia. Both also share a love of herbs for healing and ultimately the science of alchemy. They may come from different backgrounds, and have different levels of education, but like and alchemy experiment the two disparate parts come together to make a partnership based on respect and devotion. I loved reading about Mary’s collaboration with her brother, diplomat and poet Philip Sidney, how their close bond made for a perfect working relationship. She went on to create a Writer’s Circle at Wilton House which included writers like John Donne, Edmund Spenser, Ben Johnson and Amlia Lanyer, the first of it’s kind. The other relationship that stood out for me was between Rose and fell maid Cecily. Rose would go to any lengths to protect Cecily and her children, they were like family to her.

Whilst this book is mainly set during the reign of of Elizabeth I, the sixteenth century was still a patriarchal society, and there is no doubt that Mary Sudney would not have achieved so much without the support of her husband who was drawn to her by her education and intelligence. Naomi Miller highlights the many problems that women faced at the time. Rose’s mother, like many women who helped heal with herbs, was accused of witchcraft but found innocent, but the taint never left her. Also highlighted is the perils of childbirth, and the susceptibility of young children to childhood illnesses. Naomi Miller has obviously done a lot of research and it shines through in the historical detail she has put into this book. It is important to remember that this is a work of fiction, it may have historical figures in like Raleigh and Shakespeare, but there is artistic licence at play and some situations are imagined.

Imperfect Alchemist is an erudite, and seductive read that draws you back to the sixteenth century and into the lives of these two strong and intelligent women. Naomi Milller’s knowledge of the period shines through in her plot, setting and characters adds an authenticity to the book. I’m really excited to read her next book in her series celebrating Renaissance women, all contemporaries of Shakespeare. I loved reading this book, the perfect blend of fact and fiction with a strong female lead, a fabulous start to a new series.

Id like to thank Lesley Crooks from Allison and Busby for inviting me to be part of the blog tour in return for my honest review.