An apothecary named Nella sells poisons to wronged women in 1791 London. Twelve-year-old Eliza seeks her help on behalf of her employer, a woman who wants her husband dead, and soon after, Nella’s world begins to crumble around her. In present-day London, history enthusiast Caroline Parcewell spends her 10th wedding anniversary alone, trying to figure out what she wants after learning of her husband’s infidelity. She is tired of putting her life on pause and settling for stability over fulfillment. In an attempt to do something for herself, she channels her existential crisis into searching for answers after finding an old apothecary bottle by the Thames inscribed with a tiny image of a bear.
I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t entirely what I expected, but that’s alright. From the description, I was expecting more people to die. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of people die, but as the reader, we catch these characters at the end of their crime spree. This is the story of how it all fell apart.
The Lost Apothecary is about women figuring out what to do after their lives were torn from them by men. For Nella and Eliza, that meant murder; for Caroline, it was simply moving past a marriage that didn’t define her anymore. Luckily for Caroline’s soon-to-be ex, divorce is an excellent alternative to homicide. If you take the historical elements and the murders away, this is a simple story about figuring out how to be free.
Books that change POV by chapter are either hit or miss for me. I tend to pick a favorite character and then resent the others for getting in the way of what I view as the “main story.” But Nella, Eliza, and Caroline’s perspectives flowed seamlessly into each other. They require each other. I see the potential for some readers, especially those who have picked up the book soles for the murder and intrigue, to be bored by Caroline’s comparatively everyday issues, but I didn’t mind. As a history enthusiast, I related to her, though I questioned some of her methods.
My critiques aren’t about the themes but specific choices made by the characters. It boggles my mind that Nella would create a written record of the women who had killed their husbands, brothers, or fathers using her wares. Whatever her intentions, from a practical perspective, this is ridiculous. At least write it in code! She keeps her record, hoping to preserve some remnant of these women who would otherwise be forgotten, and honestly, this bothered me. I would hate to be remembered solely for the darkest moment of my life. I would not want my name on a ledger that commemorated my crimes. I would prefer to be forgotten. I couldn’t help but wonder if there were women on that list whose memories were being held captive instead of saved.
Then there was Caroline’s over-the-top concern about trespassing. Sure, breaking into an abandoned cellar isn’t something I would advertise, but if I thought it would clear my name of attempted murder? It doesn’t even compare!
The improbability of some of these plot points stretched my patience with the characters whom I otherwise wanted to regard as intelligent. From a writing perspective, I understand why Penner would want Nella to write the ledger or for Caroline to keep the abandoned apothecary a secret. Still, it seems like better reasonings could have been devised that didn’t have both characters making an ass of themselves.
Anyway, I did enjoy this book. It does annoy me that its main issues seem like the sort of thing that could have been easily resolved with a more critical editor. Still, I recommend The Lost Apothecary as a casual read, especially if you aren’t as easily annoyed by trivial things as I am.
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