Happy Tuesday! I hope you’ve had a good week and all graduations, vacations, weddings, etc. have made the start of your summer full of joy and hope. Holidays, Grands, vacation, and all manner of activities have rearranged my Book Review Monday schedule, so here’s a bonus book review for June.

I came late to The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. If you’ve already read it, please let me know what you thought of it! If you’re late to the book too, here’s incentive to add it to your summer reading list.  

The Lost Apothecary takes place in dual timelines, one set in 18^th century London, and the other in present day, and is told through the voices of three female characters: Nella, an 18^th century apothecary, Eliza Fanning a 12-year-old whom Nella reluctantly takes under her wing, and Caroline, an American visiting London. Penner masterfully weaves the three narrators throughout the novel so there’s no confusion as to whose point of view the reader is listening to, and the weaving is seamless, making the switches smooth and like listening to a conversation. So, what connects the three?

Here’s what the back blurb reveals: In 18^th Century London, women whisper of a hidden apothecary shop and its mysterious owner, Nella, who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. Nella’s dark world is no place for her newest patron, a precocious 12-year-old named Eliza Fanning, but their unexpected bond sparks a string of consequences that echoes through the centuries.

200 years later, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell is running from her own demons when she discovers a clue to London’s long-unsolved ‘apothecary murders.’ Caroline’s upended present soon collides with an explosive history, binding her fate to Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist that transcends the barrier of time.

How does Caroline find the clue? Mudlarking. Isn’t that a lovely word? Mudlarking is ‘foraging’ in the river in the hopes of finding treasures, getting to keep what is found. Caroline’s treasure is a ‘key’ opening many doors, including to a library, to old maps, and eventually to the stories of the apothecary murders. It was interesting reading about the culture of 18^th century London, and at times I felt like I was on a guided tour through the streets with Nella as the able tour guide.

Each narrator reveals bits and pieces of the mystery, almost echoing each other. One would pose a problem or a question, and another would fill in the missing blanks. Like all mysteries there are twists and cliff-hangers that keep you reading. The final twists come in the final pages so even when you think everything has been answered … it hasn’t.

At the back of the book are recipes for shortbread, cordials, and tonics–none of them to be used for nefarious purposes.

My Grand and I read this for our book club, and I’ve recommended it to three friends. All of them loved the book too. One of my friends, Susan of Rowdy Reader connection, has been to Scotland and said reading about the streets and haunts of 18^th century London took her right back to one of the tours she took of ancient streets in Scotland. The writing was very authentic.

What are you reading this summer?

Speaking of discoveries… we have a deck off the master bedroom and one day last week something in the trees out by the Garden of Weedin’ caught my eye. At first, I thought it was just dead pine branches in one of the trees, but as I looked closer, the color was pink, not brown. It was a mimosa tree. We’ve lived in this house over twenty-five years and I’ve never seen this tree. As you know, I’ve been whacking and hacking Chinese privet off our property for the past several years, and in the process other trees are thriving in their place. This one finally gained enough light and space to bloom forth in all its feathery leaves and frilly flowers. I know mimosas are also invasive, but not as much as the privet so for now it gets to stay and feed the hummingbirds.

A lesson for me-what else might be taking up space and light in my life, keeping me from discovering new things of beauty? I’ll be back on Monday and let you know the other reason I was late this week. I hope you have a great rest of your week, and that includes some wonderful discoveries.