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4.5 stars
Take a step into the time when life was difficult for women, where men ruled the day, where choices were limited for those who were trapped in situations that they couldn't escape. This was London in the 1790's, a place that often seem dark and dismal for its many inhabitants, a place of intrigue, a place of secrets. Find a small shop hidden away in Back Alley that tried to aid these women in finding solutions and a tinge of magic in their journey. Follow a present day woman, newly arrived in London with her own feeling of despair "mudlarking" her way to a discovery that would change her life and you will also find your way into this wonderful debut story by Sarah Penner.

The world of the present goes head to head with the world of the past in the new book The Lost Apothecary.


The book begins with a dejected Caroline Pacewell who has just had her world blown apart upon learning of her husband’s unfaithfulness. Deciding to get away on which would have been their tenth anniversary, Caroline decides to go to London, their second honeymoon destination, by herself. Looking for something to fill her time trying to forget her sorrow, she receives an invite to go mudlarking. Little does Caroline realize that through this mudlarking in discovering a vial, her life will take a most unexpected turn.

Following the vial with its bear etching, Caroline enlists the aid of a British librarian, well educated in the world of maps of the old London. They form a team and what Caroline learns is enough to make her become the person she always wanted to be.

Go back to 1792, where we find Nella, a women well versed in the art of healing, but after a devastating journey with a man named Frederick, Nella has turned her attention to a darker side, assisting women being burdened with despicable husbands and being able to rid themselves of these men. Yes, poisons are what she secretly deals in and with a book in which she inscribes the poisoner and their victim. Into her shop, one day comes a young girl, Eliza Fanning, and they strike up an eventual friendship. However, Eliza is young and foolish and she sets in motion a series of events that threaten not only Nella and herself, but also the people who are named in the book.

This clever story was definitely intriguing, a walk back into another time and place, a way towards healing for women who made a connection through time and distance. I recommend this story for its ability to skillfully connect the past and the present and make the times and situations come alive and real.

Thank you to Sarah Penner, Park Row Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this book that has just recently published. If you enjoy a story mixed with magic and discovery, this is the one for you.