An occasional journalist and blogger, Sara has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent and blogged for the Guardian and the London Review of Books. She is a member of the Historical Writers Association and the Crime Writers Association and occasionally mentors for the Scottish Book Trust. Both Belle and Elizabeth have great character arcs, and their friendship helps them both develop as individuals. I have written lots of things from 1820, 1830 and 1840 – that is a period I know well," she says. "Although, normally, it is more about explorers and adventurers on a physical journey."

Book review: The Fair Botanists, by Sara Sheridan - The Scotsman

I really enjoyed the convergence of all of these storylines, and the ramifications of what happens to the flower. The pace was slow but deliciously told, the characters were really interesting and believable, I particularly enjoyed the Edinburgh setting which I could visualise so clearly.

On Starlit Seas

When the two meet, the tapestry of secrets and deceit starts to unravel for them both when it becomes apparent that neither can run from who they really are, and what they truly desire.

The Guardian ‘They ransack our village for sport’: one - The Guardian

Set in Edinburgh during the reign of King George IV, the book is a brilliant evocation of what it was to be a woman in this Enlightenment city. We meet Elizabeth, newly widowed and sent to live with her late husband’s aunt; the excellently named Clementina. Elizabeth hasn’t had a particularly happy marriage and this move promises to open up new experiences. Not least among these is the chance to sketch the flower of a Century plant, a slightly mad American Agave, which flowers only once every thirty years. And there is more we have to endure as we also have far less water now to help nurture our trees – just as the climate is in crisis. The Israelis, who control 85% of our water, regularly cut off our supplies. Yet Israel has built up water reserves for 30 years. Some of the best botanical illustrators were women. You see this right through the Georgian era and into the Victorian era. There were quite a few around Edinburgh within those hundred years."Congratulations on the publication of The Fair Botanists. Could you tell us a little more on what you wanted to explore in writing this story? The story centres around a young newly widowed, Elizabeth Rocheid, and Isobel "Belle" Brodie, the half-sister of Joseph Brodie, a gentlemen of reasonable wealth and stature. These two women have interest in botany and it is this that brings them together. What develops from here is a tale of identity (plants and people), status, money, plans and love, death, theft and passions, alongside a visit to Edinburgh from the king, George IV. The only chance he has to save himself and prove worthy of Maria is to unmask the gang and break free from their clutches, but will it be enough? On Starlit Seas is a breathless tale of adventure, love and chocolate set at the height of the British Empire.

Review of ‘The Fair Botanists’ by Sara Sheridan – Just

Charged with a mission by the Empress of Brazil, celebrated writer and the toast of Georgian London, Maria Graham sets off for England with the Brazilian civil war at its height. Newly widowed and a woman travelling alone, the stakes are high and when she accepts roguish smuggler Captain James Henderson’s offer of passage on his ship, she gets more than she bargains for. Margaret was told to leave her rooms and she refused to go. She was quite famous for being strong-minded. So, there is a little bit of Margaret in Belle, then some of the very upmarket courtesans that you read about during the Georgian era, such as Harriette Wilson in London." Added into the mix is Belle Brodie, granddaughter of an aristocrat who is empowering other women through the use of scented oils (what wouldn’t she give to see what that agave smells like?) and Mhairi, a blind woman who is a whizz at whisky blending and might just be able to help Belle out. The two female leads in the novel, Belle and Elizabeth – I wish I knew both in real life! Belle Brodie, is a courtesan. She just does her own thing and seeks pleasure where she can despite what society might dictate. Elizabeth has just suffered a bereavement and so is seeking new adventures. /having worked at Kew Gardens, she is keen to work in the new Edinburgh gardens. Are there other women from Enlightenment Edinburgh that you’d like to explore in fiction? Or you’d like to see other writers or film makers portray?I was trying to remember all those women," says Sheridan. "Often in historical fiction, people go immediately to the names you will recognise and largely they are male. I found that Elizabeth became a bit tedious. I wanted her to learn more from Belle in terms of being single minded and independent - which I know is not necessarily right for me, because as a gentle-woman of the time, she ought to have run a mile from Belle (as she very nearly does) and she certainly wouldn't have imitated her. I don't mean I wanted her to take up Belle's profession, but I wanted her to have a bit more of Belle's gumption. She'd had a horrible past, but I felt her ending was just a little bit too dependent on being saved rather than having her save herself. Again, I know that's not necessarily true to the era, so maybe I'm being unfair - but I find the more I like a book the more I am enjoying the characters, the more harshly I judge them. Now that is highly unfair, so let me say again here, I really like Sara Sheridan's female protagonists and I did enjoy this book very much. When the 23 foot aloe finally flowers – will Mr McNab’s secret dealings be exposed? Will Belle gain the scent she desires? Will Elizabeth find her future fortunes in its golden blooms? Lively and generous-hearted, with an array of utterly engaging characters, this enchanting novel reads like a warm tonic for the soul’ Mary Paulson-Ellis Your novel is set in Enlightenment Edinburgh, a period of great change in the city. What drew you to this setting?