In The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, Nella began working in her mother’s apothecary shop when she was 
barely old enough to walk and talk. Helping women with whatever maladies affected them was the number one rule. Little did she know that by 1791, twenty years after taking over the shop, Nella would also be making poisonous elixirs which wronged women would buy to use against the men abusing them. Then one fateful day young Eliza appears in the shop. Nella has a bad feeling about granting her request, even if it originated from Eliza’s employer. None of them could have foreseen the wheels it would set in motion or how drastically it would change all of their futures.
‘There existed little doubt that someday, I would preserve my mother’s shop and carry on her legacy of goodwill to women. I never intended to stain that legacy–to leave it twisted and tarnished.’
Caroline is currently in London for the first time, but instead of exploring the grand city with her husband of ten years, James, she’s reeling from a shocking truth she discovered just before they were set to travel. Needing a distraction from her somber thoughts, Caroline wanders the city before coming across an artifact from what appears to be the late 1700s. The glass vial is most certainly from an apothecary. And the more digging she does, the stranger the circumstances surrounding it become. What Caroline uncovers has the chance to change her life–and to rewrite history while shedding light on how women defended themselves in some of the darkest times they faced.
‘This glass object–delicate and yet still intact, somewhat like myself–was proof that I could be brave, adventurous, and do hard things on my own.’
The Lost Apothecary was an intriguing debut novel from Sarah Penner with a dual timeline, a plot with many surprising twists and turns, and captivating, multi-dimensional characters.
‘If there was anything that the last few days had taught me, it was the importance of shining new light on old truths hidden in dark places.’
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What an interesting–dark but not too overly heavy–novel The Lost Apothecary was. It was part Historical Fiction (Nella & Eliza’s POVs were from 1791) and part Contemporary Women’s Fiction, set in modern day from Caroline’s POV. I’m not going to lie: in some ways, this was kind of a depressing story. We read about how men have wronged women for centuries and how apothecary Nella tried to turn things around–and exacted retribution by supplying women with poison to harm or kill the men in their lives who were mistreating or abusing them. It was sad to watch what a toll it took on Nella as well as to read about what her customers had been through before making the decision to go to the apothecary.
The positive aspects of the story were the connections and the friendships that were formed. Nella and Eliza made for an odd combination, but it felt like they were destined to be there for each other. Due to the age difference (Nella was forty-one, Eliza was twelve) it was more like a mother/daughter relationship in a lot of ways. But it was something that thankfully brought a bit of camaraderie and caring into their rather bleak lives.And boy didn’t it change their future…
Caroline’s ordeal was also quite heartbreaking. Although she was able to focus on something other than her husband’s betrayal when she found the vial from Nella’s apothecary shop on the shore of the Thames. I loved her inquisitive nature, her love of British history, and the easy friendship Caroline formed with fellow history lover Gaynor at the library in London. It was thanks to the two of them that Nella and Eliza’s stories came to light. And you’ll never guess the twist at the end in regard to what happened back in 1791!
Sarah Penner’s intricate storytelling immediately captured my attention. The Lost Apothecary was a tangled tale infused with female empowerment, characters soul searching after being wronged, and fascinating details that will please history fans.
Book Info:
Publication: First published March 2, 2021 | Harper Collins |
A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to The Lost Apothecary…
Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.
Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.
With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time.
