The Pharmacist’s Wife is set in Victorian Edinburgh and centres on Rebecca Palmer who is newly married to Alexander, an ambitious pharmacist. Rebecca is full of hope of a wealthy, well to do life when Alexander opens a pharmacy but things take a downward spiral rather quickly. Suspecting infidelity, Rebecca becomes disheartened that her marriage may not be as she’d dreamed and Alexander tries to cure her ‘hysteria’ with a brand new medicine, he believes can cure everything – heroin. As Rebecca becomes ever more dependent on the drug, Alexander observes, taking notes, hoping to patent and sell the drug as a way to ‘help’ women be good, dutiful wives!
On the whole I enjoyed this novel. It was an easy read and I flew through it rather quickly. The first two thirds were a little slow moving but the pace did pick up and become more interesting towards the end. I didn’t, however, find myself gripped by the story – I could easily put the book down and carry on with other chores without finding myself longing to find out what was going to happen next.
On the whole I enjoyed this novel. It was an easy read and I flew through it rather quickly. The first two thirds were a little slow moving but the pace did pick up and become more interesting towards the end. I didn’t, however, find myself gripped by the story – I could easily put the book down and carry on with other chores without finding myself longing to find out what was going to happen next.