In The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, we meet Caroline, a woman whose marriage has just self-destructed and who has decided to take her anniversary trip to London alone. When she arrives, she feels the long-buried stirrings of her obsession with history reviving. One small found object leads her on a quest for information about an apothecary from two centuries earlier. As the reader, we have the advantage of meeting Nella, the apothecary from the 1791. Told in alternating chapters between Caroline in the present day, Nella, and also a young woman seeking Nella's help, we watch as their stories fold in upon one another.
This was an interesting read with lovely characters. There were a few that I wish we were able to get to know a little better, but over all they were well-written. The story idea was good, but I felt like it could have had more... meat. This book has been highly promoted and has received a lot of good reviews, but it didn't deliver quite what I was hoping. When it arrived, I was surprised that it seemed a bit thin and after reading it, I feel like it could have used another hundred pages or so. The story could have been much better fleshed out; it could have used more details about the apothecary and her poisons that she uses to help women. I liked this book, but I was a little disappointed.
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