🌟 🌟 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫 “Did everything reinvent itself over time? It was beginning to seem like every person, every place, carried an untold story with long-buried truths resting just beneath the surface.” Going to Sarah Penner's "The Lost Apothecary" you tend to realize that the author's purpose, though to entertain her readers with a fantastical tale of an apothecary running a hidden poison shop, was to underline the relevant issue of women emancipation through the viewpoints of 3 exceptionally strong protagonists in 2 different centuries. Bear Alley forms the hub for Nella Clavinger's hidden shop providing a solution to women who come to her with issues from men in their lives- the only caveat- the potions are only to be administered to men and never on another woman. In return, she makes a note of each woman she helps out since she believes “History doesn’t record the intricacies of women’s relationships with one another; they’re not to be uncovered.” Enter 12-year-old Eliza Fanning, who has been entrusted to carry out the act of poisoning her master by her mistress for the pain and distrust. How the crossing of the paths leads to Nella breaking her only rule and does she and Eliza survive the aftermath. This runs parallel to present-day London, where Caroline Parcewell, heartbroken by infidelity and spending her 10-year anniversary alone, rediscovers a life she lost by discovering a vial with the same bear logo- can she uncover the mysterious end to the Apothecary forms the crux of the book. I went in expecting a historical fiction with a touch of magic but the author over delivered and how! The character building for three main protagonists is a clincher- you empathize and root for them throughout the narrative. Eliza and her growth, Nella with her wisdom and Caroline discovering herself were great. Minor negatives aside, this was a brilliant debut by Sarah Penner which makes me look forward to more from her. #bookreview #bookrecommendations #thelostapothecary #sarahpenner #legendtimes #historicalfiction #fantasybooklover #bookstagram #bookphotography #booklover #tbb #tbbmarch https://www.instagram.com/p/CY119niPF7l/?utm_medium=tumblr
