The Apothecary

Meloy, Maile. The Apothecary. G.P. Putnam’s Sons New York, 12012. 353 pages.  Tr. $16.99 ISBN 9780399256271

Plot Description:

The Apothecary is a historical fantasy that takes place at the height of McCarthyism in America.  Janie and her parents, who are both screen writers, are forced to move from Hollywood to rainy London, in order to avoid being blacklisted.  Janie finds it difficult to adjust to life in England until she meets Benjamin, the local apothecary’s son and Janie’s schoolmate.  Benjamin teaches Janie the intricacies of chess and tells her about his aspirations to work for MI-5 as a spy.  Soon, Janie is drawn into Benjamin’s amateur spying, but things become serious when they spy Benjamin’s father with a suspected Russian spy.  Soon after Benjamin’s father disappears and the apothecary is ransacked by Communist soldiers.  Before he disappeared, Benjamin’s father entrusted him with a strange book full of recipes for spells and charms.  It does not take long for Janie and Benjamin to realize the Russians are after a lot more than government secrets and that Benjamin’s father is intimately involved. 

Review:

Meloy’s first children’s novel is a wonderfully imaginative adventure and take on history.  Meloy recreated the terror of the Cold War, but in Meloy’s world there is not only the threat of nuclear weapons to worry about, but magic as well.  Meloy develops her characters carefully and builds the tension of the Cold War gradually before picking up the pace of the adventure.  The Apothecary is a novel like no other and readers will be left in anticipation of a sequel. 

Genre:

Fantasy

Historical Fiction

Reading Level/Interest Level:

Grades 5-8

Similar Books:

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

Awards/Honors:

YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2012

Author’s Website:

http://www.mailemeloy.com/mailemeloy/Home.html