Lethal yet miraculous seed pods, and a yoga retreat called Namaste House, lie at the heart of this exhausting blend of mystery and intrigue
Scarlett Thomas’s new novel opens with the death of Oleander, grand matriarch of the Gardener family and owner of Namaste House, a yoga retreat favoured by celebs.
She leaves an odd inheritance for her family – mysterious seed pods, rumoured to be both lethal and the source of all enlightenment, the former claim not quite as far-fetched as it might at first seem, given that four of the family disappeared in the 80s while on an expedition looking for a miracle plant on an uncharted lost island.
Fans of Thomas’s work won’t be disappointed with this, her ninth novel; she has woven her distinct brand of mystery and intrigue into a complex family saga peppered with meditations on nature – and plenty of sex.
But as the plot thickens and the connections and confusions multiply, it all begins to feel a bit like the sensory overload of a bad trip. I felt in need of a weekend at Namaste House myself by the end of it.
The Seed Collectors is published by Canongate, £14.99
She leaves an odd inheritance for her family – mysterious seed pods, rumoured to be both lethal and the source of all enlightenment, the former claim not quite as far-fetched as it might at first seem, given that four of the family disappeared in the 80s while on an expedition looking for a miracle plant on an uncharted lost island.
Fans of Thomas’s work won’t be disappointed with this, her ninth novel; she has woven her distinct brand of mystery and intrigue into a complex family saga peppered with meditations on nature – and plenty of sex.
But as the plot thickens and the connections and confusions multiply, it all begins to feel a bit like the sensory overload of a bad trip. I felt in need of a weekend at Namaste House myself by the end of it.
The Seed Collectors is published by Canongate, £14.99
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