This is one of many ways the novel’s modern publication date belies its historical resonance, as the book calls back to the deeply gendered social structures of 18th-century London, contrasting them with present-day experiences of gender and society. Readers have found that the character Nella parallels 17th-century Italian poisoner Giulia Tofana, who sold poisons in Naples and Rome to women who desired freedom from their abusive husbands. She draws on both these affiliations to chronicle feminine agency at its most relentless and unconventional, offering a cross-century tale that undermines the patriarchal structures that actively and passively harm women of all eras. Penner, though a corporate associate until the release of this book, belongs to both the Historical Novel Society and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Published in 2021, The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is a contemporary novel with limbs in both the historical and mystery fiction genres.
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