The Lost Apothecary

This debut novel is a bit of a mystery, a bit of a thriller, part contemporary and part historical, and totally engrossing.  There are two stories. Nella Clavinger, an apothecary who runs a secret shop in London catering to the needs of women who have few, if any, alternatives to her services; and that of Caroline Parcewell, a tourist from Ohio who, visiting London for the first time, finds an object related to Nella’s shop and a mystery that has persisted for a century.  The author weaves these stories together to create a compelling novel that illustrates the resourcefulness of women to survive--even the most trying of circumstances.