Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⬜
Title: The Lost Apothecary
Author: Sarah Penner
Genre: Historical Fiction
Author Info: She/Her
Setting: London, England
Month Read: March, 2021
Book Type: Hardcover, BoTM
Publication: 2021
Pages: 320
*March Book of the Month Selection
TRIGGER WARNING-
Death/ Infidelity/ Abortion/ Murder
"Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman."
No Spoiler Summary:
The Lost Apothecary is a book about Nella, a woman who runs a back alley apothecary shop in the London of another time, and Caroline, in present day, who finds a mysterious vial near the river and dives into research on where it may have come from. A tale of two women, both unhappy, and the town that keeps them both searching for meaning.
Caroline is from the States, and has just been cheated on by her long term husband, and she decides to take their anniversary trip to London alone. She finds a vial which leads her to discover more than just the original owner, but also her passions and wants in this new life she's thinking of forging for herself.
Nella takes over her mothers' apothecary, and we quickly meet Eliza- a precocious 12 year old sent by her mistress to get a poison to kill her master. Nella is known by the woman of London as a means to an end for men in their lives who act in a way that is shameful, violent, or sexually perverse. Once you go to Nella, you can consider the man taken care of. Nella also takes many steps to make sure that things are discreet, and nothing can get traced back to her- until she supplies the wrong client.
During The Lost Apothecary you get to travel to two very different Londons, and the cast of characters that each woman discovers during her time in the city. Will either find what they're really looking for?
Review:
I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it being read. Not only was this my first foray into historical fiction this year, but the characters are compelling, and the writing reads quick.
You can definitely tell this is a debut novel, some of the plot doesn't feel completely figured out, and Caroline is (VERY) annoying at times- but I think we'll see a lot of good things from Sarah Penner in the future.
The premise of this book was really interesting, and not like things i've read recently. A little bit historical fiction, a little bit fantasy, and a little bit of thriller intrigue thrown in kept me turning page after page. I'm definitely glad I got this in my BoTM box, and love getting to add this to my collection.
Recommendation:
Books set in dual timelines and/or different POVs:
*The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
*Furyborn by Claire Legrand
*The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
*Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Historical Fiction:
*The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
*Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
*The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E Schwab
*Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
*The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
"... not everything in my life was how I imagined it would be, and that I hadn't lived up to my own potential. And worst of all, I'd been too scared to even try."