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  • The Apothecary's Daughter

  • By: Charlotte Betts
  • Narrated by: Anne Dover
  • Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (223 ratings)
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The Apothecary's Daughter cover art

The Apothecary's Daughter

By: Charlotte Betts
Narrated by: Anne Dover
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Summary

1665: Susannah Leyton has grown up behind the counter of her father's apothecary shop in bustling Fleet Street. A skilled student - the resinous scents of lavender, rosemary, liquorice, and turpentine run in her blood - her father has granted her the freedom to pursue her considerable talents. But Susannah is dealt a shocking blow when her widowed father marries again, and her new stepmother seems determined to remove her from the apothecary shop for good.

A proposal of marriage from the charming Henry Savage seems to offer Susannah an escape. But as the plague sweeps through London, tragedy strikes, and dark secrets from her husband's past begin to unfold. It will take all of Susannah's courage and passion to save herself from tragedy.

©2011 Charlotte Betts (P)2012 Soundings

Critic reviews

"Romantic, engaging, and hugely satisfying. This is one of those novels that makes you feel like you've travelled back in time" (Katie Fforde)
"A vivid tale of love in a time of fire, plague and prejudice" (Katherine Webb, best-selling author of The Legacy)

What listeners say about The Apothecary's Daughter

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I will admit that the ending was obvious but its just a nice listen. You get lost in the story and really feel for the main character. I really enjoy Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory and this is a bit on the same lines. The author uses fictional characters within real historical events. I would recommend this book.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Feel Good Factor

I enjoyed this book thoroughly although some of the descriptions of the plague victims and the death carts carrying the deceased to the pits were a little graphic. The overall story was really enjoyable and relatively light hearted and kept me engrossed until the end and there were just enough villain's in the piece to make it interesting. This is the second of Charlotte Betts books that I've listened to and I shall happily download another.

The narrator, Ann Dover, also played a brilliant part in bringing the book to life and managed to play both male and female voices convincingly.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Step back into Plague-ridden London ...

I loved this story, and the narrator does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life. It is a love story, but not 'too soppy', though the ending is a little predictable. You get a good sense of what it must have been like living in London at this terrible time - the horrors and fears, grief and desperation, the ideas that people had about where the plague was coming from, how to avoid it and treat it, and what it was like to be confined in a plague-house, etc. I really enjoyed it and I'll be looking out for this author again.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • J
  • 13-04-13

Great easy listen

Having listened or read quite a few Tudor novels it was good to change period of history. A great easy listen and I enjoyed the links with use of herbs for medicinal purposes.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A female perspective in a male dominated society

If you could sum up The Apothecary's Daughter in three words, what would they be?

enjoyable, entertaining, descriptive

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the narrative of this story, the author cleverly painted the scenes you could almost smell the apothecary.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Anne Dover read the story exceptionally well, it flowed and was a delight to listen too.

Any additional comments?

This was quite a different genre for me but thoroughly enjoyable. Written about a woman's life and experience in a period of history where most main roles tend to be male was very refreshing. I would highly recommend this as an entertaining and easy listen.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

Lovely atmospheric tale
Didnt want it to end cant wait for her next one really fell in love with the charachters

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the story

However came close to sending the title back on a number of occasions, as I couldn’t stand the sound of the shrinking & whaling narrator! Fast forward and you’ll be fine

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Highly recommended

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. Very well read. Very engaging story. Amazing characters, it was as if I was there.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Surprisingly Good

I would never normally read/listen to a historical novel but it was really good. It appealed to both me and my mum (ages 24 and 55), a lovely story. Charlotte Betts takes you back in time and sets the scenes in this easy listen but heart felt book. A good story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great evocation of life in London during the plague and Great Fire.

The characters are well described and developed throughout the novel. The details of social history including the living conditions of the time is wonderfully evocative. Mentions of food, clothing and doctor’s practices are woven into the fabric of the story. Suzannah’s story is full of the twists and turns of fate that she is met with after her father decides to remarry.

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