The Lost Apothecary: A Novel

Caroline and James are meant to spend a romantic week in London but, when events force them apart, Caroline travels alone to the city where she uncovers the story of Nella, The Lost Apothecary, in Sarah Penner’s first novel.

While the story of Caroline’s self-discovery abroad as she navigates the world without her husband is readable and straightforward, the intrigue and beauty of the novel comes in the story of Nella and, later, her would-be apprentice. It is Nella’s life, filled with tragedy and the revenge she helps other women seek through her potions, salves, teas, and tonics that drive the novel and keeps you turning pages. As Nella is tasked to complete an order for a woman she does not trust, Caroline must determine if she trusts herself, and the outcome for each character is as dire and dangerous as she can imagine.

In the same vein as work by Hester Fox and LuAnne G. Smith, with a dash of Susan Wiggs, Penner’s debut, The Lost Apothecary, is a celebration of the camaraderie of women and the power of their secrets.