The Lost Apothecary, by Sarah Penner

 

Characters
1791	Present Day
Nella Clavinger Frederick – husband, deceased   Mr. and Mrs. Amwell Eliza Fanning – taught to read and write Sally – cook Johana – servant, she and baby died   Father, mother and child (Beatrice) - Nella met on boat   Lady Clarence of Carter Lane Husband – poisoned Miss Berkwell – husband’s mistress, intended victim   Tom Pepper - Magic Bookshop	Caroline Parcewell James – husband   Rose Ainsley – Caroline’s friend   Alfred – Bachelor Alf – mudlarking   Gaynor – British Library Map Room

 

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from the 2022 paperback edition.

1.       How difficult is it to keep a secret?   James kept his affair a secret for months but Caroline found it difficult to keep her secret about finding the hidden room to herself for even a few hours. 

2.       Caroline thought that her and James’ problem was that they “were happy, yet unfulfilled” (page 270).  What is the difference between being happy and being fulfilled? 

3.       What did you think about James ingesting the eucalyptus oil when he knew it was poison?  Do you think he knew it was as dangerous as it was?

4.       Caroline came to the conclusion that James drinking the oil was another way to shift all of the blame on to her, “your unhappiness, your mistress, now this illness” (page 287).  Do you think he will find happiness when he returns to America on his own?

5.       On page 295, as Nella thought about preparing her final poison, she thought that the last one “would finally grant me the peace I’d sought since my baby fell from my belly at the hand of Frederick.”  Did you understand prior to that page that Frederick had caused her to lose the baby?

6.       Should Eliza have felt guilty about giving Lady Clarence the bottle with the address on it?

 

7.       The original purpose of the apothecary shop started by Nella’s mother was to “heal and nurture women” (page 112).  Nella continued this tradition but took it to another level, helping women escape from their husbands by poisoning them.  Do you think her mother would have approved?

8.       Nella thought Eliza jumped from the bridge in her place, to “implicate herself as poisoner” (page 293).   Were you surprised Eliza took this risk?

9.       The potion that Eliza drank before jumping was a Tincture to Reverse Bad Fortune.   Was it the potion or something else that saved her?   Why didn’t she contact Nella after she survived?  On page 306 Nella thought she saw her in the window of the Clarence house.

10.   Did you like the organization of the book, with the two stories flipping back and forth?

11.   Are you tempted to go mudlarking on your next vacation?