Sindy

I am not a scientist nor have anything to do with the sciences. Yes, this book was way over my head in areas, but the stories of what each element can do and the personalities and careers of those that were involved are fantastic. I could turn around and retell the stories to my friends and make them interested.

Historically Informative, Edge of the seat Action, Compassionately Written.

When Seppala and Togo first drove through Nome. They were a 20 dog team with bells on them. An Alaskan Santa Claus to the rescue was the visual I had from that scene.

I highly recommend this book. The delivery of the background information was fantastic, the setting of the stage was well done. I learned about diphtheria, eradicated in my life, but what a nasty bacteria! A truly enjoyable listen!

I liked the way she described the chemical reactions to the human body for each type of plant. It amazed me about the effects of corn!

Who knew that Deadly Nightshade is related to the tomato? And nicotine from the tobacco leaf is a neurotoxin. This kind of information is absolutely invaluable.

The narrator was very consistent as there is a specific format to each plant type. She was very engaging.

I had to have the hardcover and have bought several copies for friends. I highly recommend it.

I am amazed at the amount of research that was done for this book. Deborah Harkness is truly the historian here - I will check out some of the reference books she listed on Amazon. The characters were likeable and mature. Some self-pitying occurred, but not for too long. The romance seemed juvenile, but what real romance isn't (at least it wasn't harlequin-type). She has a handle on the rules for being a witch and utilizing witchcraft vs. magick. The other creatures were developed enough for this story and I'm sure they will develop more in the subsequent book(s). I enjoyed the rich texture, scents and colors. The narrator did a fabulous job with the accents, voices, dialog and inflections. I gave it 4 stars because the storyline didn't move fast enough to keep me totally engrossed. I was able to not listen for a full day now and then.

This book has put my experience & communication with my dogs in a whole new light. The narrator did a perfect job with the flow and pace of the words. There were some difficult patches in the story, but all main characters are enjoyable. Highly recommend. Bring tissues.