Book Review: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Length: 301 Pages
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Trigger Warnings in this book for Blood, Death, Miscarriage (Only Mentioned), Suicidal Ideation, and Predatory Behavior Against a Minor

"'For many of these women,' Nella whispered, 'this may be the only place their names are recorded. The only place they will be remembered. It is a promise I made to my mother, to preserve the existence of these women whose names would otherwise be erased from history. The world is not kind to us... There are few places for a woman to leave an indelible mark.' I finished tracing an entry, moving on to the next one. 'But this register preserves them - their names, their memories, their worth.'"

I've actually been meaning to read this book since I was gifted a signed copy by my sister (best sister ever) for my birthday in April. I'm so glad I finally got around to it, as it was one of the most talked about historical fiction novels of 2021!

Present day, London. Caroline Parcewell was meant to be spending her tenth anniversary with her husband, visiting the Tower of London and practicing making a baby in their swanky hotel. But just days before she discovers a series of texts between him and employee at his work -- a female employee, and realizes her marriage, and her life, are not what she thought they were. Angry and confused, she flees to England on her own, and happens upon a group of "mudlarkers", people who explore the banks of the Thames in search of something special. In a stroke of luck, or perhaps fate, she finds a blue vial with a mysterious etching of a bear on it.

1791, London. Nella is a purveyor of tobacco leaves and plasters. And poisons. She is a mysterious friend to every woman in London, whether she needs to get rid of a cheating husband or a murderous brother. Nella spends life tucked behind a hidden door in her mother's abandoned shop, wracked with guilt and disease.

Eliza Fanning is only twelve but she already knows the danger of men. Tasked by her mistress to go to the apothecary to pick up a poison to dispose of her husband, she is entranced by the mysterious Nella and her shop. Little does she know it is her choices, and her mistakes, that will dictate the fate of the shop, hidden in 3 Back Alley.

I was so excited to hear that this book was set in London in the late 1700s! It's such a fascinating time in such a fascinating city, but it is criminally underused, with most historical fiction being set in the Victorian era, or WWII. I loved Nella and Eliza's chapters, and with most dual timeline books, I was always eager to get back to them. Caroline was fine, though not as interesting or complex as the others. However, I was very pleased with the conclusion to her story, especially in regards to her cheating husband! My only true issue with the book was that I felt the end for Eliza and Nella was perhaps a bit too easy, a bit too wrapped up, and caused me to somewhat suspend my disbelief. 

Overall, I think this is a solid historical fiction novel, with fascinating glimpses into the complicated lives of women of the time period, and a mystery that will keep you reading until the wee hours of the morning.