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A Novel
by Lynda Cohen Loigman
Book Reviewed by:It's never too late for new beginnings.
On the cusp of turning eighty, newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern is adrift. When she relocates to Rallentando Springs―an active senior community in southern Florida―she unexpectedly crosses paths with Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy from her father's old pharmacy―and the man who broke her heart sixty years earlier.
As a teenager growing up in 1920s Brooklyn, Augusta's role model was her father, Solomon Stern, the trusted owner of the local pharmacy and the neighborhood expert on every ailment. But when Augusta's mother dies and Great Aunt Esther moves in, Augusta can't help but be drawn to Esther's curious methods. As a healer herself, Esther offers Solomon's customers her own advice―unconventional remedies ranging from homemade chicken soup to a mysterious array of powders and potions.
As Augusta prepares for pharmacy college, she is torn between loyalty to her father and fascination with her great aunt, all while navigating a budding but complicated relationship with Irving. Desperate for clarity, she impulsively uses Esther's most potent elixir with disastrous consequences. Disillusioned and alone, Augusta vows to reject Esther's enchantments forever.
Sixty years later, confronted with Irving, Augusta is still haunted by the mistakes of her past. What happened all those years ago and how did her plan go so spectacularly wrong? Did Irving ever truly love her or was he simply playing a part? And can Augusta reclaim the magic of her youth before it's too late?
Loigman's three main characters are exquisitely drawn, but her skill here doesn't extend to the others and most lack depth. The plot, too, is completely predictable; the author offers so many hints about what exactly happened between Augusta and Irving that by the time we hit that point in the story the revelation has lost all impact. When all's said and done, though, The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is a lovely little confection of a novel. There's not a lot to think about, no heavy themes to contemplate, but sometimes that's a good thing. It's cozy; it offers a simple, good-natured, feel-good escape, and for some it will be the perfect respite for a complicated time...continued
Full Review
(676 words)
(Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).
In Lynda Cohen Loigman's novel The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern, the title character works in her father's pharmacy and aspires to become a pharmacist herself.
Both the pharmacy and the role of the pharmacist have changed dramatically in the United States over the centuries. Pharmacies were referred to as apothecaries back in the day, while those who ran them were known as apothecaries, druggists, or chemists. There was no standard for medical care, and most remedies were based on herbs and other compounds found in nature. Chemists were responsible for creating, prescribing, and administering all sorts of liquids, powders, creams, and lotions, often with no more proof of their concoctions' efficacy than hearsay and a gut feeling...
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Utterly charming and delightfully heartwarming, The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern will cast a spell on you from the very first page.
