The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very interesting book with a fascinating premise. It contains two timelines: 1790s and present day -- both in London. Nella is an apothecary in the 1790s who dispenses herbs and potions to women to help them with all types of diseases and conditions. She also has a darker side as an apothecary; she surreptitiously provides poisons for women to use as revenge against men. Twelve year old Eliza comes to Nella's shop to obtain some poison for her Mistress's husband, and ends up assisting Nella.
Caroline is on vacation in present day London - a vacation which was supposed to celebrate her 10th anniversary. Having just found out her husband was having an affair, she left for London alone...to think about her future and where she is headed. She finds an old apothecary jar and investigates it at the British Library.
The dual timeline and characters keep the book jumping back and forth, always ending the chapters with cliffhangers. There are several plot twists and turns along the way. I really enjoyed this book in spite of the dark premise, and am looking forward to discussing with my book club this week.
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