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The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern
The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern: A Novel | Lynda Cohen Loigman
15 posts | 14 read | 10 to read
When it comes to heartbreak, is time the best cure? On the cusp of turning eighty, newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern is adrift. When she relocates to Rallentando Springsan active senior community in southern Floridashe unexpectedly crosses paths with Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy from her fathers old pharmacyand the man who broke her heart sixty years earlier. As a teenager growing up in 1920s Brooklyn, Augustas role model was her father, Solomon Stern, the trusted owner of the local pharmacy and the neighborhood expert on every ailment. But when Augustas mother dies and Great Aunt Esther moves in, Augusta cant help but be drawn to Esthers curious methods. As a healer herself, Esther offers Solomons customers her own adviceunconventional 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 Esthers most potent elixir with disastrous consequences. Disillusioned and alone, Augusta vows to reject Esthers 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 its too late?
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Injeanious
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I love when a book has a different storyline. So many stories are similar. This is a good case of font judge a book by its cover. It‘s a great book!

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nitalibrarian
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I keep seeing mentions of how charming this book is and I need something like that in my life right now. Starting this one tonight.

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Zbayardo
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If you know me you know my all-time favorite book is COMO AGUA PARA CHOCOLATE - LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE by Laura Esquivel. Reading about the magic that is the Mexican cuisine won me over as a reader.

This book reminded me of it. This is the amazing and heartbreaking and sweet story of both young and now 80yr old Agusta. It‘s a later-in-life love story filled with my favorite, magical realism.

MemoirsForMe I loved this one too! Especially Aunt Esther!
3w
10 likes1 comment
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MemoirsForMe
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How cool that author Lynda Cohen Loigman based her wonderful octogenarian protagonist on her husband‘s great-grandmother. All you need are some colorful relatives to help create such a feel-good read with plenty of laughs and twists! I also loved Aunt Esther, the homeopathic apothecary who shakes up the conservative 1920‘s town with her mystical remedies. What fun!
Thanks @PurpleyPumpkin for gifting me this #BOTM gem. 🤗❤️

PurpleyPumpkin This sounds like lots of fun! Glad you enjoyed! And, of course, you‘ve added to #MyNeverendingTBR! 🤣 4w
MemoirsForMe @PurpleyPumpkin Hey Kimberly! Great to see you here! And here we go again. Adding more books to our TBRs! 😆Happy Fall and Happy Reading to you! 🤗❤️🍁 4w
PurpleyPumpkin Good to see you here too! It‘s been a slow Litsy month for me but I‘m still reading! Hope to start posting regularly again soon. Life, eh?😅 4w
See All 7 Comments
TheBookHippie Ooo this looks good! 3w
MemoirsForMe @TheBookHippie You‘d love it. Apothecary Aunt Esther was a true hippie at heart! ✌🏻 3w
TheBookHippie @MemoirsForMe Well then!!! It‘s a must! 😂 3w
MemoirsForMe 😂🙌🏻 3w
49 likes5 stack adds7 comments
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Reecaspieces
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robinb
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I‘ve had some longer reviews lately so rather than post ad nauseam here 🤣 I‘m just going to leave my GR link if you‘re interested.

4.5/5⭐️

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6908581263

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Laughterhp
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Idk why I thought this was going to be witchy. But this book was great anyway. Augusta is turning 80 and is forced to retire. Her niece helps her find a retirement home where she meets people from her past and makes new friends. You go back in time from when Augusta was 16 in Brooklyn and flash back and forth between the 2 time periods.

#hauntedshelf #flerken #spookoween #31by31 #castthedie

PuddleJumper 🧡🖤🧡 1mo
Catsandbooks 👏🏼🍁🧡 1mo
45 likes2 comments
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Aims42
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I initially passed on this when BOTM offered it as a September pick. I read the description but I couldn‘t get past the title, and honestly I did judge this book by its cover (I did the same thing with “Lessons in Chemistry” and I ended up loving that book). When I started reading the reviews I went back and ordered this and I‘m so glad I did 🥰 It‘s a beautiful book that I‘ll be passing along to my Mom to read next 👍

Aims42 Themes: Second Chances, Dual timelines (Brooklyn, NY 1920‘s and Florida 1980‘s), A great read-along with Moms and Grandmas 1mo
35 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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SilversReviews
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A “do your heart good” read with lovely characters and a pull-you-in storyline.

Another gem by Ms. Loigman.

Do NOT miss it!!

I know you will LOVE it too.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/2wb64tvk

@lloigman
@stmartinspress

30 likes1 stack add
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Lsmoore43
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This book is so good. So touching and informative.
It's a love story and so so much more. It's about a woman's struggle to be accepted as a pharmacist. In a time when women were expected to stay home and have babies. To keep house. Men just weren't ready to accept that their wives would want a job.

Full review: https://lsmoore49.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-love-elixir-of-augusta-stern-by.html

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Cathyloves2read
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What a cute story! I smiled almost throughout. Parts of it seemed a little “golden girlish” to me, but I think that was probably the author‘s plan. I read about beautiful Goldie celebrating her 80th birthday while I celebrate my 60th. It makes me realize that I have plenty of life left. It was a very quick read that I‘d recommend to anyone who needs a lift.

LiteraryinPA Aww, that sounds delightful! 2mo
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Suzze
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A good month in August. Anyone read any of these?

Suzze @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I wanted to like it more than I did. 🥺 3mo
29 likes2 comments
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OriginalCyn620
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Honestly, this month‘s #BOTM selections didn‘t really blow my skirt up, but the tagged book does sound good. However, I am very excited about my two add-ons!

marleed I picked those books, as well! 3mo
30 likes1 comment
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Sace
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I‘m in a reading slump so why not order a box full of books from #BOTM 🙄

dabbe I hope one grabs your attention! 🩶🧡🩶 3mo
51 likes1 comment
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SilversReviews
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FULL REVIEW WILL BE ON OCTOBER 8.

A “do your heart good” read with lovely characters and a pull-you-in storyline.

Another gem by Ms. Loigman.

Do NOT miss it!!

I know you will LOVE it too.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

@lloigman
@stmartinspress

31 likes1 stack add