The Lost Apothecary is one of my favorite books of 2021.
BOOM! I’ve said it.
What’s The Lost Apothecary about?
There’s a lot of story packed into The Lost Apothecary. This novel explores two timelines. There’s 1700s Nella, who runs an apothecary shop that sells poisons for women to use against the awful men in their lives, and 12-year-old Eliza, who helps in Nella’s shop. And, then there’s present-day Caroline, who’s visiting London and stumbles across the old apothecary shop and the centuries-old mystery tied to it.
The Lost Apothecary is a hearty helping of historical fiction mixed with a good deal of women’s fiction, plus a splash of mystery and a dash of magical realism. Penner figured out the perfect recipe for a brilliant and captivating story.
What I loved about The Lost Apothecary
Penner’s debut novel has been making waves across the literary world, and it’s easy to see why: one page, one paragraph into the story, and I was completely sucked in, like a muddy boot into the bottom of the Thames. Penner’s writing is as gorgeous as The Lost Apothecary’s book cover.
(Fellow writers: you know the “unicorn author” that we all hope to be? That writer who’s a diamond in the rough, just waiting to be discovered so she can dazzle the world? That’s Penner. She writes the way we all wish we could. I didn’t even have time to be jealous, though; I was too busy gobbling up her words.)
I raced through The Lost Apothecary. All I wanted to do was jump back into main characters Nella, Eliza, and Caroline’s worlds. The 1791 and present day timeline stories are equally compelling, and I loved how they paralleled each other in certain parts and eventually wound together.
The controversy about The Lost Apothecary
I’ve heard some people say they have an issue with Nella, the titular apothecary. Nella’s labeled a “serial killer” because she dispenses poisons and murder advice to women who want to kill the men who’ve wronged them.
While many may be conflicted about Nella, I have absolutely no problem with her. Life for women in 1791 was hard. Really hard. Many women, whether servants or upper-class wives, were treated little better than animals, and most had no means of escape from a difficult life since they had no rights of their own. The only recourse a woman might have had against an abusive husband or a sexually aggressive master was murder. Nella simply provided a means of otherwise unattainable escape for many women.
(Not to mention, Nella didn’t actually administer the poisons; the women who bought them did. Nella might have given a client the means, but it’s always the client who administers the death blow.)
Should you read The Lost Apothecary?
Please go read The Lost Apothecary. For a story steeped in poisonings and deaths, it made me feel incredibly alive. I closed the book and my brain was humming with inspiration; I was ready to write, to bake, to create something, anything.
Heck, if I lived near the Thames, I’d probably go out mudlarking (which is totally something I want to do next time I’m in London. Husband, beware.)
What’s the book-inspired recipe for The Lost Apothecary?
Check back in here for my book-inspired recipe: Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies.
Alright – you’ve more than convinced me. I’m grabbing my copy and moving it waaaay up the stack! Sounds go good. Great review, CJ!
Hurray! So glad I could convince you. 🙂 Happy reading!
I felt the same way about being super inspired after reading it. Guess that’s a big reason why I changed my WIP, haha. Great review!
Hi, Chelsea! Yes, Caroline’s story is so inspiring and full of life. If she can do all that, can’t we all? I hope you’re happy with the changes to your WIP. It’s always a scary move to make, but it usually pays off. 🙂 Good luck!
Based on your book review, I went out and got myself this book. It was a great read! Next is the corresponding recipe!
Hi, Marianne! So happy to hear that my review helped you find a great book to read. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the cookies as much as the book!