The theme of an older person romance is one that I love. And right now, it seems like that theme is all over the place. Of course there’s the Golden Bachelor/Bachelorette, but also I would say one of my other favorite books of this year is another older couple romance called MRS. QUINN’S RISE TO FAME. That book is about an 80 year old woman who decides to go out for a Great British Baking Show type reality program. Her involvement on the show brings up a secret that she’s kept from her husband for the last 50 years. The couple in that book are so sweet and so supportive of one another–they’re the best. And then there’s Ina and Jeffrey–swoon. But let’s add Augusta Stern and Irving Rivkin to that golden couples list, a couple 60 years in the making.
THE LOVE ELIXER OF AUGUSTA STERN tells the story of Augusta and Irving in the present day 1980s as they discover they’re living in the same retirement community in Boca Raton after not having seen each other since the 20s when they were teens. The story jumps back and forth between these two time periods simultaneously telling the story of Augusta as a teenager working in her father’s pharmacy, and now as an older woman revisiting her lost love at a retirement community. As a teenager, Augusta’s mother died of diabetes and her strange aunt, Esther, came to live with them. Esther was a bit of a homeopath, and the book enlists some magical realism as Esther treats patients that the modern medicine of the time could not help by making her mysteriously healing soup (try my version of the soup here!). Irving is hired as an errand boy at the pharmacy, and Augusta falls in love with him only to have her heart broken when he disappears to Chicago and marries a mobster’s daughter. Now, 60 years later, it’s finally time to get to the bottom of what happened all those years ago that took Irving from Augusta.
There is so much to like about this book–Augusta is a great, strong female character, and I was very engaged in her struggle to become a pharmacist in a world that wasn’t quite ready to allow women into the profession. The worlds of both the 1920s pharmacy and the 1980s retirement community are enjoyable and well drawn–you get a really great sense of both. And there’s romance throughout the book not just with Irving and Augusta but also with side characters in both storylines.
I also love the magical realism of Esther’s story and felt the author in some ways could even have gone further with it. The conflict Esther’s ‘treatments’ cause with Augusta’s dad is interesting and feels grounded. I liked the idea that Esther’s presence in some ways calls into question Augusta’s belief in science. This felt like a really fresh way into a historical romance story.
The two timelines here can definitely be frustrating as you go back and forth every chapter. There were times I just wanted to stay in one timeline or another and it didn’t feel justified to go to another timeline. And as much as I enjoyed Irving and Augusta, I felt stronger for them in the past than in the present. I found myself wishing that the author could have found just more emotion between the two of them in the present, particularly given the enormity of their past. Irving certainly has his romantic gestures, but Augusta is so closed off to everything until the very end. I found myself wishing for a bit more swoon between the two of them.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed the story and feel it would be right for anyone who likes an older couple romance or just a touch of magical realism. The writing here is really beautiful. The book feels in some ways like a breath of fresh air, too, which is always welcome. Plus, there’s absolutely no way to read this one and not demand a bowl of chicken soup!
4 stars (out of 5)
Synopsis (from Amazon):
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 1920’s 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?
