The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern - by Lynda Cohen Loigman

About the Book

"It's never too late for new beginnings. 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?"--

Book Synopsis

"Full of sweetness and charm." --People

"The happiest I have felt in years inside the world of a book." --Natalie Jenner, #1 nationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society

"A sparkling ode to second chances." --Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures

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?

Review Quotes

"Whimsical...engaging." --AARP

"Augusta and Irving's love story is charming without being saccharine, and Augusta's tongue-in-cheek wit combined with her renewed hopefulness makes her the perfect unexpected heroine for new beginnings. . . . For anyone who believes in second chances." --Kirkus

"Loigman presents two fully realized time lines, each full of Jewish cultural touchstones, in this charming love story that proves it's never too late for a second chance." --Booklist

"In this poignant tale of late-in-life love, Loigman showcases her talent for transporting readers into recent history through lovingly researched details and a touch of magical whimsy...This is a charmer." --Publishers Weekly

"Touching and perceptive...The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern works perfectly. The details, the history and the alternating chapters flow seamlessly together...Delightful." --Bookreporter

"Full of sweetness and charm." --People

"The happiest I have felt in years inside the world of a book." --Natalie Jenner, #1 nationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society

"Mix equal parts humor, heart, and hope and you'll get The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern, a sparkling ode to second chances. I adored Augusta on both of the book's timelines, delighting in both her razor-sharp wit as a present-day Floridian retiree and her unrelenting curiosity as a grieving motherless child, in Brooklyn, whose life is upended by an aunt who appears to have spiritual healing powers. Lynda Cohen Loigman's latest is a must-read that will leave you believing in the power of believing." --Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures

"Lynda Cohen Loigman has done it again with The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern a feel-good story brimming with twists, tinctures, and a few love spells gone wrong. Readers will resonate with Augusta's struggle to balance work and love, and they'll commiserate with her lifelong disappointment over "the one that got away." Or did he? Life doesn't always work out how we planned, but sometimes, the truth--and redemption--are merely waiting to be uncovered. One of the most satisfying endings I've read in a long time." --Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary

"Two parts indelible characters, a heaping of gorgeous prose, a pinch of humor and a dash of old-world charm--this romantic elixir may just be Lynda Cohen Loigman's best work yet. But the magic here is no sleight of hand. It's enthralling to read an author at the top of her game." --Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Celebrants

"In the charming The Love Elixir of August Stern, Loigman introduces us to the plucky eighty year old heroine Augusta Stern, who just might find a second chance at everything that matters. Loigman's crisp, hilarious, and deeply moving prose brings us to the heart of the matter: the fathomless mystery of love. As the timelines draw closer in both Florida and New York, we turn the pages at top speed to discover the truth about lost love and family secrets. With the language of elixirs and potions at its center, Loigman brings us the sort of novel we need today, one full of hope, delight, and magic." --Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea

"The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is full of keen historical details and just a whisper of magic. What a smart, quirky, utterly satisfying read. I found myself transported into Aunt Esther's mysterious night kitchen, and was charmed from beginning to end. Lynda Cohen Loigman has written another big-hearted winner." --Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author of Other Birds

"Always brilliant, Lynda Cohen Loigman blends historical fiction and second chance romance to create magic in this completely engrossing, elegant story. I fell in love with every character, held my breath through every twist and had to keep myself from racing to the end. I absolutely loved it." --Annabel Monaghan, bestselling author of Same Time Next Summer

"A beautiful tale of family, friendship, lost love, growing old and the magic of second chances. I defy you not to take Augusta Stern and this wonderful cast of characters to your heart. Uplifting, charming and completely life-affirming." --Annie Lyons, bestselling author of The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett

"Utterly charming and delightfully heartwarming, The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern will cast a spell on you from the very first page." --Allison Winn Scotch, bestselling author of The Rewind

"Loigman's latest is a perfect gem! The unforgettable characters in this delightful, beautifully written novel discover that it's never too late to right wrongs, to make a fresh start, and to fall in love all over again. A truly charming, meaningful, and, above all, uplifting story." --Amy Poeppel, author of The Sweet Spot

"A luminous novel...I was mesmerized from the first page [and] a believer in inevitable love by the end of this marvelous adventure." --Jimin Han, author of The Apology

About the Author

Lynda Cohen Loigman is the author of The Matchmaker's Gift, The Wartime Sisters, The Two-Family House, and The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern. She received a B.A. in English and American Literature from Harvard College and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. She grew up in Longmeadow, MA, and now lives in New York.