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384 of 394 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful, Beautiful story..., January 2, 2009
In the village of Bedsley Priors, Lillian Haswell is known by all as the apothecary's daughter; intelligent and dutiful; she assists her father in nearly every aspect of his profession. From growing herbs to prescribing certain remedies, to running errands for him. Mr. Haswell is full of regret that his son Charlie cannot follow in his footsteps, but young Charlie is a bit slow. Instead he must rely on his daughter. While Lilly has a knack of remembering everything and is gifted in the field of medicine, she dreams of traveling, seeing the world- but most of all, finding her mother. Years prior Mrs. Haswell left her husband and children, promising to return, however she never did. So when Lilly's aunt and uncle invite her to stay in London with them, she believes that her dreams are becoming a reality. Nearly two years pass when she is called home. She finds her home in disarray, her father ill, her brother working elsewhere and their own little shop closed. Despite her yearning to go back to London, Lilly does her duty and works diligently to bring their apothecary's shop back to it's former glory. What follows, I never would have guess, but I'll not spoil it for you.
After reading Klassen's former novel, "Lady of Milkweed Manor" I was eagerly awaiting her next work and was not left disappointed. While I still prefer "Lady of Milkweed Manor," "The Apothecary's Daughter" claimed my attention from morning to late afternoon, until I finished it. Lilly was an engaging heroine; bright and intelligent. The only disappointment that I felt was that her father hadn't realized what a jewel he had for a daughter until almost the end. Of course one must keep in mind that this story is based in the Regency Era and that the medical profession was forbidden to women. I was completely surprised by the author's choice in who Lilly ended up with. I was certain it would be once character and it turned out to be someone completely different. Another shock was the secrets behind Mrs. Haswell's disappearance and Mr. Haswell's own past. I promise you, like Klassen's other book, you won't finish this story without tears.
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67 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Julie Klassen never disappoints!, January 9, 2009
I thoroughly enjoyed Klassen's previous title, 'The Lady of Milkweed Manor', so I was eager to read her next title. The Apothecary's Daughter is an amazing book. The author's attention to even the minutest historical detail is fantastic.
Julie Klassen's characters are so detailed and fleshed out that you feel you actually know these people. You want to be involved with their lives. Her books are so deep, not like other Christian Fiction. Some of those are just fluff with scriptures thrown in. This author goes deep into the heart of things.
I am eagerly looking forward to her next book and I've only just finished this one. Her books are so good that you can't wait to finish but hate to finish.
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87 of 95 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A serviceable Regency tale, February 19, 2010
Lilly Haswell lives with her apothecary father and brother in the small town of Bedsley Priors. Lilly's mother left the family three years ago, leaving Lilly to care for her family. Although she has an excellent memory and a talent for preparing medicines, Lilly dreams of leaving her small town and visiting the places that she and her mother used to point out on a map. Her chance to see the larger world comes when her aunt and uncle invite her to live with them in London. Lilly must ultimately make a chance--to live a life of ease in London or return to her father, brother and the apothecary shop.
Pros: the author has clearly done a lot of research, and her descriptions of Regency-era medical preparations are fascinating (if nauseating). All of the characters, especially Lilly, her brother and her best friend, are well drawn and interesting. Ms. Klassen never preaches, but works Christian themes subtly and appropriately into the story.
Cons: the plot is long, there are many characters, and there are long stretches where nothing much happens. The book would have been benefited from more ruthless editing, pruning the book to the only the most important themes and characters. Several readers have compared author Klassen to Jane Austen, and this book can be compared to Austen's lesser works (such as "Mansfield Park"). But Klassen lacks the sense of humor that permeates Jane Austen's writing, to the author's detriment.
The bottom line: this is a serviceable, but not wonderful, Regency romance. Considering that I obtained the free Kindle version, I certainly got my money's worth.
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