The Apothecary's Daughter...Review

About the book:
Lilly Haswell remembers everything—whether she wants to, or not...

As Lilly toils in her father's apothecary, preparing herbs and remedies by rote, she is haunted by memories of her mother's disappearance. Villagers whisper the tale, but her father refuses to discuss it. All the while, she dreams of the world beyond—of travel and adventure and romance.

When a relative offers to host her in London, Lilly discovers the pleasures and pitfalls of fashionable society and suitors, as well as clues about her mother. But will Lilly find what she is searching for—the truth of the past and a love for the future?

Blending romance, family drama, and fascinating historical detail, The Apothecary's Daughter is a novel to savor and share.

Lilly is the brilliant daughter of a brilliant apothecary.  She is as knowledgeable as her father but, being a woman, she isn't able to garner the respect she deserves.  After spending a season in London, she returns home to find her father in ill health and his apothecary shop in near ruin.  As Lilly begins work on restoring her father's shop and the Haswell reputation, she learns who her friends and supporters are.  Mystery abounds as Lilly searches for answers to her mother's disappearance.  Meddling villagers threaten the Haswell reputation, Lilly's brother Charlie causes some problems and secrets are uncovered.

Lilly has several suitors, but the author does a great job keeping the suspense of who will win her hand in the end.  The Christian elements are there but not preachy. 

A delightful story and one I thoroughly enjoyed.  Julie Klassen's research is terrific and this is a fascinating look at the life of an apothecary or early pharmacist.  Fans of Julie Klassen and fans of the Regency era will definitely enjoy it.

Thanks to my local library for having a copy I could borrow.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 5/11

* * * *
4/5 Stars

Comments

  1. I enjoyed this story as well. It was the first book that I read on my Kindle and I'd definitely like to read more by this author. I appreciated that the Christian elements weren't preachy.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment