Everything Is Poison
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Everything Is Poison
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Narrated by:
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Joy McCullough
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Written by:
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Joy McCullough
About this listen
This historical novel in prose and verse tells the story of a deadly secret hiding in plain sight and of the women who risk everything to provide care for those with nowhere else to turn, perfect for fans of Blood Water Paint and The Lost Apothecary.
Early Seventeenth-Century Rome
For as long as she can remember, Carmela Tofana has desperately wanted one thing: to be allowed behind the counter of her mother’s apothecary in Campo Marzio, Rome. When she turns sixteen, she’s finally allowed into the inner sanctum: the workroom where her mother, Giulia Tofana, and two assistants craft renowned remedies for their customers. But for every sweet-smelling flower extract in the workroom, there’s another potion requiring darker ingredients. And then there’s Aqua Tofana, the apothecary’s remedy of last resort for husbands who are just as deadly as any disease. In all Carmela’s years of wishing to follow in her mother’s footsteps, she never realized one tiny vial could be the death of them all.
©2025 Joy McCullough (P)2025 Listening LibraryWhat the critics say
★ “Bracing…. Enrapturing…. This eloquent, rapid-fire novel is rich in cadence and history.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "Acclaimed author and playwright McCullough exquisitely reimagines her play La Tofana’s Poison Emporium into a historical teen novel that smoothly mixes in Italian history. Fans of McCullough’s Blood Water Paint (2018) will be enthralled to delve into another story that includes interspersed verse on the subject of 'giving women a choice over what happens to their bodies.' A must-read for those who embrace the #MeToo movement."—Booklist, starred review
"Everything Is Poison’s mixture of tenderness, brutality, loneliness, resignation, and joy makes for an intimate reading experience. Free-verse poems between prose chapters elevate the story and highlight the universal elements. An emotionally stirring celebration of women finding community."—Kirkus Reviews