The Apothecary
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4.3 • 10 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Set in London in 1952, a time when the world feared another atom bomb, Maile Meloy’s The Apothecary is an exciting adventure that sparkles with life and extraordinary possibilities.
Janie and Benjamin have promised to protect an ancient magical book, the Pharmacopeia. It belongs to a mysterious apothecary.
Now they’re on the run—the apothecary has disappeared, and Russian spies will stop at nothing to get the book.
Can Janie and Benjamin unlock the secrets of the Pharmacopeia? What strange powers do the apothecary’s elixirs hold? And can Janie and Benjamin save him in time to fulfil his impossible plan?
‘Inventive, smart and fun, an absolute delight.’ Rebecca Stead
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When the House Committee on Un-American Activities targets Janie's television writer parents, the 14-year-old and her family flee from Los Angeles to London. There, Janie meets Benjamin, a "defiant" classmate, and his father, the neighborhood apothecary, who is involved in much more than hot water bottles and aspirin. In fact, he is part of a long line of apothecaries who have discovered miraculous secrets truth serums, invisibility, amazing physical transformations and he is now working with scientists on an incredible plan that has global ramifications with regard to the escalating tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States. Some readers may need to brush up on cold war history to fully appreciate the stakes, but even those with a vague understanding of the times will be quickly swept up in this thoroughly enjoyable adventure, filled with magic, humor, memorable characters, and just a bit of sweet romance. With evocative, confident prose and equally atmospheric spot art from Schoenherr, adult author Meloy's first book for young readers is an auspicious one. Readers will hope they haven't heard the last from Janie and Benjamin. Ages 10 up.
