The Apothecary's Daughter by: Julie Klassen

Lilly remembers everything - whether she wants to or not...

Lilly Haswell is the pretty, eighteen-year-old daughter of the local apothecary. Lilly is intelligent and has an amazing mind for remembering things - making her a great help to her father, Charles Haswell.

The Haswell name is a respected one in the community, but that doesn't stop idle tongues from wagging about the disappearance of Lilly's mother. It is not a subject Lilly's father likes to discuss. Thus, she knows nothing of it and often catches herself thinking about it as well.

Then a visit from her aunt and uncle change everything. They invite her to stay with them in London for a time. Of course, Lilly's sweet aunt has only one thing in mind: suitors.

In London, Lilly learns the ups and downs of wealthy society and being courted. She must attend parties and is forced to dance with all the wealthy gentlemen in the room. The handsome Dr. Graves is not the ideal suitor, according to Lilly's aunt, but power and possessions do not affect Lilly's feelings.

Two years of her new London life fly by. But they come to an end when Lilly receives word that her father is not himself, and she decides to return home to him - just for two weeks.When she discovers her father's condition is far worse than she ever could have expected, those two weeks stretch longer... turning into months... then years. Her father needs her, and who else does he have to care for him?

A serious suitor from London follows her home. She is all ready to accept his marriage proposal whenever he makes it because she knows with him she has finally found true love ... hasn't she?

Lilly searches for not only the truth of her past, but for love for the future also.

My thoughts:

This book is amazing! I love all of Julie Klassen's books.

How can you help but love sweet, beautiful Lilly who adores her younger brother more than her own life? And the cover art is gorgeous. The dress and the hair especially.

I liked this book because one: it's historical, two: while the plot idea is not exactly new, it's still interesting, three: I enjoy the writing style, and four: it's a romance. :)

Oh, and it's written in a 'Jane style,' as I like to call it - 'Jane' meaning Jane Austen and Jane Eyre. Basically, it is all about a girl finding a rich man to marry. Society in that day was all about status.

Objectional Content:

Language: None that I remember.

Romance/Sexual Content: Of course, while there is mention of boys falling in love with Lilly, it is only serious in two places. One, where she is aims to kiss someone on the cheek to thank him and he moves so she gets his mouth instead, and two, on the very last page, where she kisses her true love. When she is alone with a man, there is mention of him maybe "doing more than he did," had Lilly's brother not been there. (as for "what he did," I believe he was just holding her)

Violence: None that I remember, except perhaps someone getting hit or something along those lines.

Drugs/Alcohol: Mention of someone being drunk.

Thirteen and up.