The Half-Life of Ruby Fielding

by Lydia Kang

Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World’s Worst Diseases

It was a funny thing: when every day was extraordinary, it was the ordinary that became ever so odd.

the way an oak tree’s roots would disregard the pavement and buckle it with a shrug.

She pointed to the hydrangea. “The flower buds contain a cyanide compound. The rhododendron has poisonous leaves that can stop the heart and cause nausea and tingling. Oh, and honey made from the flowers is poisonous too.”

She walked over to the one that looked like a delphinium. “Monkshood. Aconitine is the poison found throughout the plant. Causes heart palpitations, salivation, vomiting. And finally, snakeroot. It can cause nausea, vomiting . . . and death. White hellebore. A plain-looking plant, isn’t it? You eat enough of this one, you’ll fall into a coma and die.