Sunday, August 15, 2021

THE LOST APOTHECARY, by Sarah Penner

   


Historical Fiction -- 4 stars

In 1791, at the end of a remote London alley, sits a small, secret apothecary run by a woman whose side business upends the role of a talented herbalist's usual cures.  Young Nella's attempt to assist the owner ends in a mistake that could put both their lives in jeopardy and destroy some of London's most prominent female citizens.  A 20th Century American woman named Caroline Parcewell, in London on vacation, is drawn to the story after finding a vial while on a mud larking tour, a discovery that reignites her passion for historical research. ----- Fast-paced, with strong female characters who demonstrate how women--no matter the century--are each other's greatest assets.  The coincidences and ease of Caroline's initial discovery can be overlooked in light of what she does with her secretly acquired knowledge.  But it is the eighteenth century characters that fascinate and provide the foundation for Caroline's decision to finally make her life her own.  An easy, satisfying read.

1 comment: