Author:
Sarah Penner
Title: The Lost Apothecary
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: March 2, 2021
Number of Pages: 355
Geographical Setting: London, England
Time Period: 1791 & modern day (2021)
Series (If applicable):
Plot Summary: The Lost Apothecary is a gripping tale of murder, deceit, and redemption. Three women’s stories are seamlessly intertwined by Penner to bring her story to life. After learning of her husband's infidelity Caroline takes off for London, and their meticulously planned 10th anniversary trip, alone. In an effort to distract herself, Caroline makes an impromptu decision to go mud-larking. She uncovers a small blue vial, a crude etching of a bear, the only clue as to its origins. In 1791 London, Nella runs an apothecary, but not just any apothecary. This is a hidden apothecary that specializes not in healing, but in helping women dispense of the “problematic” men in their lives. There’s just one problem. With every poison she makes and every life she helps take, instead of the elusive peace she seeks, Nella gets sicker. Eliza, a 12yr old servant girl initially meets Nella while performing an errand for her mistress, and a strange and fateful relationship soon emerges. One fateful decision by Nella will change the course of all of their lives forever. Will Caroline find the strength and bravery to step into the life that is beckoning her, the life she put on hold 10 years ago? Will Nella find the peace she so desperately seeks or will her methods be her undoing? Will little Eliza escape her ghosts and the web of death and deceit Nella has unwittingly lured her into?
Subject Headings:
British -- Fiction
Poisons – Fiction
Historical – Fiction
Strong Women -- Fiction
Appeal:
Frame/Setting: “In these books readers discover a wealth of richly layered detail relating to the frame (geography, culture, society, customs, beliefs, and more) as well as interesting, believable characters and fully rendered events.” (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019) Penner’s story is full of detailed descriptions from modern day London to 1791 London and especially the vivid descriptions of Nella’s shop and it’s general local. These detailed renderings extend to the characters of Caroline, Nella, and Eliza. Each character has their own personality and characteristics and are developed to the point that it feels like you’re reading about real people and real events.
Characterization: “Unlike some novels in which characters are meant to be observed, for the most part the characters in Historical Fiction are meant to be joined as they traipse through time, taking the reader along for the ride.” (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019) Penner’s writing is so engaging that the reader feels like they are in the British Library with Caroline doing research, or in the little hidden apothecary shop with Nella and Eliza as they work.
Style: One popular style for historical fiction is “…using a time jump, setting the frame of the story in a more recent era before taking readers back in time for the heart of the tale.” (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019) The Lost Apothecary is no exception. The story jumps between Caroline in modern day London and Nella and Eliza’s respective stories in 1791 London. It was an effective and engaging way to bring readers along on a dizzying journey.
Pace: “…readers do expect a tale well told, and that includes one that moves at a pace that fosters engagement and creates a sense of immersion.” (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019) While Penner’s story doesn’t move at a break neck speed, it maintains a pace that keeps the reader thoroughly engaged while at same time leaving space enough for the requisite detail that immerses the reader in both present day and past London. The pace builds towards a climatic ending that leaves the reader breathless, but never sacrifices the rich details of the world Penner builds around her characters.
3 terms that best describe this book:
atmospheric, compelling, hopeful
Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?):
3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors
The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum: I chose this book because it also deals with poisons. It tells the story of the birth of forensic science. How toxicology was developed and used to bring perpetrators to justice.
Poison widows: a true story of witchcraft, arsenic, and murder by George Cooper: The relevance of this book is fairly obvious. As a real life tale of women who used to poison to off their husbands, it touches on similar themes as The Lost Apothecary.
Poison farm: a murderer unmasked after 60 years by David Williams: This book is relevant because not only does it take place in England the victim, like many of the victims in The Lost Apothecary is a known womanizer who meets his demised when his breakfast is poisoned.
3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors
A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox: According to Novelist both this book and The Lost Apothecary have intricately plotted story lines and atmospheric tones. In addition to that both involve women who following historical clues to uncover a mystery lost to time. While a Lullaby deals more directly with magic, there are some magical elements to The Lost Apothecary. For these reasons, I believe this would book would be enjoyed by one who enjoyed The Lost Apothecary.
The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish: This is another read-a-like recommended by Novelist. Like The Lost Apothecary, this too, is classified as a historical fiction and has an atmospheric tone. Both books also share a similar structure. In both a woman in present day is trying to uncover a mystery lost to time and the story is being told both in the present day and in the past with interwoven story lines.
A Rip Through Time by Kelly Armstrong: Like A Lullaby for Witches, this book also shares an intricate plotted story line and atmospheric tone with The Lost Apothecary. This book also includes an historical mystery. Also like The Lost Apothecary, this book contains elements of multiple time lines. While in this book the main character time travels, The Lost Apothecary uses the telling of simultaneous stories from different eras to bridge the time gap.
References:
Wyatt, N., & Saricks, J. G. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction (Third). ALA Editions.
First, the title The Lost Apothecary is intriguing; apothecaries, as they functioned in ancient times, differ from pharmacies of the modern day. The idea of how they functioned in society is engaging because we, as a collective, cannot experience apothecaries as they were in olden times, in the present. Thus, this inability generates a mysteriousness. In my opinion, The Lost Apothecary seemingly uses the connotations of the words ‘lost’ and ‘apothecary’ in the title to draw the reader into the suspense.
ReplyDeleteReading your depiction of Nella reminds me of how women who were termed witches were described by the larger society, such as the negative portrayal of the three witches as evil and dangerous in Shakespeare’s Macbeth or the murder of women during the Salem Witch Trials. Would you say that Nella fits the stereotypical profile of a ‘witch’?
Does this book discuss the ethical or moral issues surrounding the poisoning, or any mention of potential legal repercussions for apothecaries if they, accidentally or purposefully prescribed, to use a modern-day term for this practice, medicine that caused someone’s death? Regardless, in addition to the thematic similarities to The Lost Apothecary, Poison Widows was a good choice for a read-alike because it veers into the realm of true crime, offering another perspective on the concept of poisonings.
You quote Wyatt and Saricks’ comments about the setting, and you briefly mention the London setting and the characters; however, I wanted to ask about the part of the quote that talks about “geography, culture, society, customs, [and] beliefs” (Wyatt & Saricks, 3029, p. 171). Did the book provide more detail about London in terms of the culture (broadly speaking) and the people there?
References:
Wyatt, N, & Saricks, J.G. (2019). The readers’ advisory guide to genre fiction. (3rd ed.). ALA Editions.
I read this book a few months ago! I'm not typically a fan of the 'jumping between current times and the past' trope that is popular in historical fiction, but I actually really enjoyed this book. Maybe my favorite part was how heavily librarians and research are featured as Caroline discovers more about Nella's London!
ReplyDeleteHi Lexi,
ReplyDeleteI do think Nella would definitely fit the historical definition of a witch. There is even a thread of magic that's woven through the story.
There are definitely consequences if Nella is caught. She keeps her shop hidden and people on know about by word of mouth. They leave they're request in letters that get hidden an old barrel of rotting grains that appears to be in an abandoned storehouse. The apothecary is hidden behind a false wall. Part of climax of the book involves Nella going on the run. If I remember correctly (I've read several books since this one...lol) she would be executed if caught. Legal ramifications aside, Nella talks about how she is being destroyed from the inside. With every life she takes she feels worse. It seemed to imply a "you get what you give sort" karmic kind of ethic.
As far as the details of London, while it was definitely a character driven story line, there was some history of London that gets imparted by the librarian that Caroline works with and by Caroline's own research. You also learn some about how society functioned in the 1700s from Nella and Eliza.
Excellent annotation! Your appeals are great and the readalikes also illustrate exactly what type of book this is. Full points!
ReplyDelete