The Book of Thorns

Fox (The Witch of Willow Hall) takes readers on a journey across Europe as Napoleon attempts a return to power. Told from the viewpoints of two sisters separated since childhood, the narrative focuses on Cornelia, raised in Sussex by a cruel uncle, and Lijsbeth, raised in servitude in Brussels. After Cornelia flees England for France, she finds work as a naturalist attached to Napoleon’s army. With her extraordinary ability to listen to flowers, Cornelia uses botanicals to heal injured French soldiers as the army moves toward Brussels; at the same time, she enters into an unconventional romantic relationship. Meanwhile, as a servant with no family, Lijsbeth finds solace in arranging the flowers that commune with her, and in the love of a British soldier. With the two sisters on opposite sides of the conflict, they finally come face to face when the armies clash at Waterloo. However, when Cornelia’s unique healing abilities land her in trouble, the sisters realize they may not get the chance to find out what happened to their mother.