This was a very well woven story about a woman's place in society, both in 18th century London and the present day. I really like why Nella insisted on logging all of the information on the poisons she sold, because her records were some of the only recordings these women would ever be in, otherwise their names and who they were would go to the grave with them. Her book gave them their indelible mark on history. Women in the 18th century were invisible, they were only known by the men they were associated with (husband, father, brother, son) or by their position (maid, nun, governess, etc.). Nella had inherited this quirk from her mother, although her mother did not dispense poisons. The chapters were short, which made it easy to stay interested in the story as I was reading. As well, the storyline weaving between past and present was expertly done and left me hanging on to the tale until the very end. The twists and turns, as well as the historical information on apothecaries, poisons, and the treatment of women by male doctors, had me hooked. The apothecary was a space for women, specifically created to aid them, and Nella was such a vivid character, full of her own pain and torment. Nella and Eliza had such a lovely connection. A young girl and an older women who come to rely on one another. Eliza is in awe of Nella and what she can do, desperately wishing she too had the means to make concoctions to help women. Nella, however, begins to care deeply for this young girl, not wanting her to become involved in her poison business. It is a hard line, she continuously must crisscross between needing Eliza's help and wishing her to be gone and free of the life Nella continuously dreads. The women in this book are so mistreated and overlooked, or simply in danger, that the reader is often empathetic to their plight, and can even understand their need to take deadly action. Even in the present, Caroline is suffering at the hands of her husband, who cannot seem to understand her hurt and anger. Her story very much resembles those of the past, of the very women that would visit Nella for something other than medicine. The similarities between Caroline and one of the women makes the story more powerful, pulling anger from the reader that this could be happening even now. This book was tragic in that it highlighted the need for women to protect each other from the horrors of a society that treats them as an afterthought, to be used and disposed of. I think the ending could have been a little more fleshed out and some storylines should have been more tightly wrapped up (one instance in particular I would have enjoyed a more permanent closure), but the open ending does leave room for another book if the author wishes. Overall, a really intriguing book with fast chapters that keep the reader focused on the book until the final page.
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