This book was my BOTM choice for March (check out my Linktree for a referral!). The saying is don’t judge a book by its cover, but I always do. No shame. How else am I supposed to narrow down all the books out there to figure out what ones might interest me! This book has such a beautiful cover and it fits very well in my May Flowers theme. It is the first extra book in my May reads, in addition to my TBR selections. Here’s my peppers and opinions (spoiler free!).
Summary
The Lost Apothecary is a novel published in March of 2021 by Sarah Penner. Good reads has it categorized in the historical fiction and mystery genres at 3.87 stars. At 301 pages, the Lost Apothecary is a tale of two timelines coming together. The first is the timeline of Nella, a London female apothecary who sells both the typical and poisonous remedies from her hidden apothecary shop in the late 1700s, early 1800s. She uses her healing knowledge to help desperate women to be freed from the men and their current unfortunate situations in life. Nella’s newest patron turns out to be a young, 12-year-old named Eliza. Soon, an unexpected friendship becomes the beginning of the end to the secret apothecary shop. The second timeline is that of Caroline, who herself is struggling to find herself in present-day London after her marriage breaks apart from infidelity. As Caroline is exploring London alone, she stumbles across an old apothecary vial near the river Thames. With a bit more investigating, she finds herself deep into a mystery of unsolved “apothecary murders” of London. Caroline’s research quickly sets her life down a path that collides with those of Nella and Eliza as fate takes matters in its own hands. Will Caroline forgive her husband and return to her safe and predictable life? Or will the tale of Nella and Eliza catapult her into a new venture for herself? And at the end of it all, will everyone survive?
Evaluation
When choosing this book for my BOTM choice for March, I of course was drawn to the beautiful cover art as I mentioned. However, I was also enticed by the promise of a story of secret rebellion against oppressive and abusive men by women in the 18th and 19th century. I’m a sucker for a good historical fiction work, but also for mysteries. Tie that in with a story of female empowerment and liberation and I’m sold over and over again. This book was all those things and more.
With Nella and Eliza’s story, we get the historical elements of old London sprinkled into the description of scenery and everyday life. We also have a bit of suspense and mystery as we jump back and forth between historical and present-day timelines. There’s an unlikely friendship between Nella and the young Eliza that warms the heart and speaks to the insignificance of age. We also are privy to the treatment of women and their apparent invisibility within history at that time. Nella see’s her actions as her way to support and uphold women that otherwise are unknown to society and history. Eliza is a character I came to enjoy over the course of the book as she is the embodiment of loyalty, wit, and credulity that can only come from youthful optimism. Caroline’s story provides a nice parallel to that of Nella and Eliza. She is a very much relatable character to many women today who have to balance personal goals, career aspirations, and home life. As a person who enjoys academia and investigating myself, I enjoyed following Caroline in her research of the apothecary vial and the unsolved murders. Then, when history came too close to her reality, I was rooting for her every step of the way. I really appreciated her story of introspection as she contemplated what she wanted for her foreseeable future. I am a person of many interests and I often wonder what if I had chosen a different path with my life where I’d be and if I would be happier and feel more fulfilled. I think this is a relatable concern of many people.
My 5 Star Rating in the Historical Fiction Genre: ***** (5/5)
Recommendation
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone and everyone. Those who will most like it are anyone interested in historical fictions, mysteries, and feminist stories. As I mentioned, there’s also elements of the struggle to find oneself after a major life changing event as well as female empowerment and liberation. If any of those things peak your interest, this book is for you. There is the shifting timeline back and forth from chapter to chapter, so if you don’t like keeping track of that type of thing you might not like it as much. I will say that it isn’t the most complicated timeline I’ve ever read, so I don’t think anyone would have any issues there. There is also a tiny bit of the magical and fantastical within the story, so that’s always fun to ponder, but not much.
I hope you enjoyed this review of The Lost Apothecary. Let me know your thoughts! I’d also love to hear if you have read this book and have anything else to add or bring up in discussion. I started this blog to think more critically about the books I read, so I’d appreciate anything you have to say. Until next time, happy reading!
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