Review: "The Lost Apothecary," by Sarah Penner

 

The Lost Apothecary, by Sarah Penner, is historical fiction sprinkled with fantasy. It is a non-linear, intensely paced novel with three narrators across two time periods. In 1719 London, Nella works as an apothecary, working in the shop once owned by her mother. After being betrayed by a lover, Nella's work leads her to help women poison the men in their lives that have done them wrong. Eliza is the 12-year-old housemaid who befriends Nella when her mistress sends her on an errand to the apothecary. In the present, Caroline finds herself alone in London on what is supposed to be a tenth wedding anniversary trip. On her first day there, she finds a blue vial with a bear etched on its surface. Nella and Eliza's story unfolds, in 1719, as Caroline puts together the story of the origins of the vial. You quickly see many parallels between the past and the present. At the center of the novel is a story about the bonds and friendships between women, men’s betrayals, and womanhood itself. The characters are introspective, each making brave decisions to give closure to all three narrators. At the end of the novel, Penner includes magic and apothecary recipes and some historical context on poisoning in 18th century London. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a story with lots of twists and turns and strong women characters. The storylines were so intriguing that I found it to be a quick read. 📖🐛🐛🐛🐛