Historical fiction book · Curated
The Lost Apothecary
Sarah Penner · historical fiction
On a February night in 1791, in a hidden London shop, the apothecary Nella waits for a customer who wants a poison the register will record, and twelve-year-old Eliza Fanning arrives with an errand that breaks Nella’s rules. Sarah Penner’s 2021 novel is Regency time-slip historical fiction of that book of names—and of Caroline Parcewell, who centuries later finds a small vial mudlarking on the Thames and follows it back to the shop.
Why read it: A widely searched dual-timeline novel—the Penner title readers look up by name (New York Times bestseller), and a 1791 London counterpart to Labyrinth already on the shelf (not The London Séance Society).
About this historical novel
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is historical fiction set around 1791 in the Regency / Napoleonic period with key settings including London, the Thames, England. On a February night in 1791, in a hidden London shop, the apothecary Nella waits for a customer who wants a poison the register will record, and twelve-year-old Eliza Fanning arrives with an errand that breaks Nella’s rules. Sarah Penner’s 2021 novel is Regency time-slip historical fiction of that book of names—and of Caroline Parcewell, who centuries later finds a small vial mudlarking on the Thames and follows it back to the shop.
On HisFic we tag it under 8. Time-slip & dual timeline and 3. Historical mystery & crime so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include poison, secrets, women, dual timeline, and the register. A widely searched dual-timeline novel—the Penner title readers look up by name (New York Times bestseller), and a 1791 London counterpart to Labyrinth already on the shelf (not The London Séance Society).
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Plot summary
On a February night in 1791, in a hidden London shop, the apothecary Nella waits for a customer who wants a poison the register will record, and twelve-year-old Eliza Fanning arrives with an errand that breaks Nella’s rules. Sarah Penner’s 2021 novel is Regency time-slip historical fiction of that book of names—and of Caroline Parcewell, who centuries later finds a small vial mudlarking on the Thames and follows it back to the shop. A widely searched dual-timeline novel—the Penner title readers look up by name (New York Times bestseller), and a 1791 London counterpart to Labyrinth already on the shelf (not The London Séance Society).
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Eras
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- Possession · A. S. Byatt
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- Labyrinth · Kate Mosse
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Regions & places
Britain & Ireland
London · the Thames · England
Themes
- poison
- secrets
- women
- dual timeline
- the register
Tags
time-slip · bestseller · mystery