“The Lost Apothecary” by Sarah Penner

review by MEREDITH MCKINNIE

“History doesn’t record the intricacies of women’s relationships with one another; they’re not to be uncovered.”

The heartbeat of historical fiction palpitates in this novel reminiscent of a murder mystery dinner theater, yet served with a book spine. In 1791, Nella operates a secret apothecary hidden in plain sight on Bear Alley in London’s back streets. A craft learned from her mother who died when she was a young woman, Nella distributes her concoctions to women seeking escape from abusive men when the law wouldn’t protect them. Nella’s natural remedies delivered in toxic doses are undetectable for law enforcement officials, The underground network of women who know and protect the secret is only as viable as the community’s consistent need of escape. When 12-year-old Eliza leaves Nella a letter asking for poison, Nella hesitates to trust the young girl. Hiding her own secrets, Nella embraces the intuitive lady’s maid who wants to learn her craft. When a wealthy woman of esteemed status threatens to expose the apothecary, Nella and Eliza must reconsider the decision to help all women at any cost.

In 2022, Caroline is alone in London on her ten-year anniversary trip, having just found out about her husband James’ infidelity. Avoiding the planned couple’s itinerary, Caroline joins a mudlarking excursion in the Thames River and discovers a vial buried in the silt with the image of bear and part of an address. Curious and longing to get lost in history and avoid her present reality, Caroline embarks on uncovering the history behind the vial and the everyday women surviving in a much different London 200 years prior. In this story told in tandem, Sarah Penner explores betrayal, grief, and the abyss of revenge, the intricate threads that hold women together and the secrets that tear them apart. “First, there was trust. Then, there was betrayal. You cannot have one without the other.” When reality resurfaces and complicates Caroline’s escapades into the past, she must face who she has become and the choices that remain.

Penner’s page-turner possesses all the delights of uncovering a time period from the perspective of new voices. We witness the burdened reality for women and how they adapted to limited choices and dire circumstances. The author’s passion for history and storytelling are interwoven into this articulation of vibrant, layered characters and a compelling plot. Class concerns are compounded by moral dilemmas that span the spectrum of the human experience. Penner highlights the universal struggle of women on the margins, showing that progress allows for more choices that can often be more difficult to make. 

“To me, the allure of history lay in the minutiae of life long ago, the untold secrets of ordinary people.”