The Apothecary’s Daughter
Lilly Haswell, an apothecary’s daughter from the village of Bedsley Priors, feels her luck has turned when her previously unknown aunt and uncle arrive and decide to take her to London with them for a season. Lilly, still reeling from her mother’s sudden disappearance a few years earlier, soon finds herself delightedly caught up in the social whirl of 1813, hopeful of finding a prosperous husband. But her newfound circumstances come to an abrupt halt when she is called back home to tend her ailing father and to attempt to revive her family’s once-thriving apothecary shop. Will all her dreams come to naught, or will Dr. Graves, who has followed her home, become the answer to her prayers?
Julie Klassen’s second novel is an engaging tale of loss and redemption, and the discovery that perhaps what you thought you wanted most isn’t precisely what will bring you happiness. Lilly is a hard-working young woman who occasionally oversteps her society’s boundaries for a lady; even though she’s bright and thoughtful, she often seems to overlook the people who should be most dear to her. As the story progresses, Lilly must make decisions not only for herself but for those she loves, and she must also face the disturbing facts surrounding her mother’s departure. Klassen has written a well-crafted Christian novel that will have you cheering Lilly on as she ultimately comes to realize that there’s no place like home.
