Saint Hildegard’s Guide to Wellness: Herbalism, Nutrition, and Health Advice from a Trailblazing Medieval Nun

This middling debut from Vornholt outlines a holistic approach to physical and mental well-being based on the ideas of the 12th-century Benedictine abbess St. Hildegard. Relating the guidance outlined in Hildegard’s The Book of Subtleties of the Diverse Nature of Things, Vornholt notes that the nun encouraged living “in harmony with the universe and nature” and maintaining “a balance among rest, meditation, prayer, and exercise.” Unfortunately, Vornholt doesn’t detail what following these principles looks like in practice. The most useful section describes the health benefits of “Hildegard’s favorite herbs” and how to grow them. For instance, Vornholt recommends planting basil in sandy, moist soil and suggests it can mitigate “feverish illnesses,” while parsley thrives in “semishade” and boosts the cardiovascular system. However, Vornholt struggles to make a case for why readers should take seriously 800-year-old health advice. He argues that Hildegard’s theories “have been broadly confirmed by modern food chemistry research and can thus claim scientific support,” but he doesn’t discuss any of the apparently plentiful evidence that would confirm this claim. It also feels like an oversight that Vornholt doesn’t explain how Hildegard learned or discovered the information she imparts. Even readers sympathetic to traditional medicine will wish for a more substantial treatment. (Sept.)