The Elixir by Lindsay Galvin illustrated by Kristina Kister

Ann has inherited the gift of healing from her late grandmother. She works with her parents, brother and sister in the family apothecary.

"The rest of my family followed recipes exactly when they made our normal tinctures, infusions and syrups. It was an open secret that I didn't follow a recipe. My parents only let me get away with it because my tinctures worked so well. My family also knew I scratched a spiral mark into the base of the glass bottles containing my special tinctures. They didn't know it was the sign my grandmother had taught me and that it helped my medicines work."

You have probably noticed some arcane words in this quote - tinctures, infusions and syrups. The year is 1665 and so, yes, this a story set in the past but wait a minute do you know what was happening at that time - the witch trials. Now the stage is set - Ann has gifts but others will be suspicious. There are witch hunters roaming the countryside. Ann and her siblings have been left in charge of the shop because her parents have been called away. To help make ends meet a border has moved into the attic room - and very strangely this young man is Isaac Newton. These are also the times of the plague. If Ann is able to heal the townsfolk will she be accused of witchcraft and can she survive the drowning trial?

Ann forms an alliance with Isaac- and together they strive to make a very special elixir - the elixir of life. Then her brother is in a terrible accident and Ann, without permission, administers a few drops of the mixture. Yes, her brother is healed. Isaac is furious and so in a moment of recklessness Ann grabs the elixir and drinks it. What will be the consequences?

Here are a few text quotes:

"Grandmother taught me that grinding herbs on a full moon, then letting them soak in the moonlight would make powerful extracts. ... I started with Vervain. Its colour was a rich chestnut brown, excellent for restoring strength and vitality. Next, I bruised some Horsetail and Yarrow, used in cases of bleeding. These were fluffy shades of blue and grey."

"I described how when I touched people, I saw their colours in my mind. When I knew the colours of my customers, I could recognise when a hue was missing and find the mixture to restore them. I explained how ingredients that were matched to a person's colour nearly always strengthened them."

This book has 110 pages so it is a quick one to read but it is also an absolute page turner. 

This is a truly gripping story where the tension is palpable as danger builds and impossible choices are made. There are plenty of unexpected twists and turns with an ending that took me completely by surprise. A masterful blending of history, science and fantasy that left me utterly captivated – and astounded! The illustrations are absolutely stunning and capture the time period and the emotion of the story perfectly. An enthralling page-turner that captures the indomitable spirit of a young girl who uses her innate abilities to help others and stand against hatred and prejudice. Book Craic

Lindsay Galvin packs lots of action into this short, ultra-readable novel, as Ann finds herself in danger after danger, while working to do as much good as possible. The final twist in the tale is particularly satisfying and this atmospheric, immersive story will keep readers gripped from beginning to end while the presence of Isaac Newton is an added treat. Love Reading 4Kids

Bookseller blurb: With a witchfinder skulking about town, gifted healer Ann and a young Isaac Newton must be careful not to draw too much attention in this high-stakes story from Lindsay Galvin. Will the discovery of the Elixir of Life lead to a death sentence for a talented young healer? Ann Storer has inherited her grandmother's mysterious gift of healing, which she shares through the special tinctures she dispenses in her family's apothecary shop. When she combines her talents with the genius of a young Isaac Newton, recently arrived to board above the shop, the two create an incredible elixir with seemingly unlimited powers. But seventeenth-century England is a dangerous place to display any special abilities, and Ann must hide all evidence when witchfinder Abel Geach arrives in town. So when the plague starts to run rife and those she loves are in danger, will Ann risk everything to help them?

When I see a Barrington Stoke title in a bookshop I always pick it up and read the blurb. I wonder why our stores here in Australia don't make a bigger deal of this series - they only seem to stock one or two at any one time. I found this one in a Newsagent in Deniliquin - they added it to their children's book section (which is terrific by the way) in November last year. If you don't have any books from this series click the label on this post to see other titles. I also recognised the art on the cover of this book by Kristina Kister (The Book of Wondrous Possibilities by Deb Abela).

I have also read these historical fiction books by Lindsay Galvin:

The Great Phoenix of London

My friend the Octopus

And The Elixir reminded me of these two books:

I love all the different cover of Tuck Everlasting

I have recently discovered this series and this title would be a terrific follow on from The Elixir