Sixty years. That is how long it has been since recently retired Augusta Stern has seen Irving Rivkin, the man she once deeply loved--the man who one night walked out on her and married someone else never offering her an explanation. Now relocated from New York to a senior community in Florida, she is shocked to learn that Irving is living there, too. Who knew?
In THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN, by Lynda Cohen Loigman, we meet Augusta in 1987 just before she turns eighty. The story is told in two timelines which provides insight into what shaped her fascinating life and her rather unique skills. She is both a woman of science and also a healer. Her great aunt, also a healer, mentored her. However, Augusta's one attempt to make and administer an elixir herself was disastrous. She adored her father who was a pharmacist and followed in his footsteps and became a pharmacist herself. Unconventional healing became part of her past. Now an opportunity has arisen to try to finally get an explanation of what really happened all those years ago with Irving. Will Augusta take a chance?
Augusta Stern is one of the most fascinating characters I have ever encountered. Independent, not afraid to speak her mind and smart, she is also a tiny bit vulnerable and this makes her endearing. Well-plotted and with no stereotypes, THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN is a memorable story about never being too old for second chances. After all, who knows what might happen?
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?
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