The Lost Apothecary

My Review (Spoiler Free)

The Lost Apothecary eloquently sums up why I wanted to study history in college and is an excellent story to boot. The book follows Caroline Parcewell, who is taking her tenth wedding anniversary trip to London by herself, after she discovers her husband’s affair. She sets out to explore London on her own and finds a small glass vial from the eighteenth century that sets her on a far reaching and inspirational journey to discover the apothecary it belonged to. Personally, I identified with Caroline’s historical interests of finding the lost stories of history. Caroline’s quest takes her through the streets of London that gives her a brand new outlook on life. During the story, we are also introduced to Nell and Eliza when the book transports us back to the 1700s. These are the apothecaries that Caroline is tracking down in the present day. Through their eyes, we get to see and understand how, when, and why this apothecary lived the life she did, one of poison and death instead of healing and life. 

Sarah Penner does an excellent job of blending historical considerations with their modern connections throughout the story. The story includes several well executed twists that are hard to predict as a reader. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but its downsides were the present-day chapters. To me, they did not feel as well written or engaging as the chapters that were set in the past. While I enjoyed the concept of the book, I also wonder how much better a book fully focused on the past and the apothecary might have been. Part of the detraction of the present-day chapters is that there is too much going on and squeezed into too few chapters. The present-day chapters feel slightly rushed and as if they are crammed with too many events. Still, this book is a solid read and definitely provides a unique story and experience.