About the Book, Author and Illustrator
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. When the plague starts to run rife and those she loves are in danger, will Ann risk everything to help them?
Lindsay Galvin is the author of Darwin’s Dragons, The Call of the Titanic, and many other children’s books. After working for over 20 years as a teacher, Lindsay is now a full-time writer.
Kristina Kister is an illustrator and character designer from Essen, Germany. She is a freelance illustrator with a focus on middle grade novels and all kinds of whimsical stories. She has a soft spot for fiction and nonfiction books involving mythical creatures, the mysteries of the universe and everything magical and mysterious.
Book Review
This book was amazing because of the story line and the characters especially Ann
This book was amazing because of the story line and the characters especially Ann. I really like how she believed in herself and how she wants to save other people. She’s always looking out for someone in need, and this is a good deed.
I also really like the sparrow because he’s so cute!
The book was a bit scary too because Ann is a witch and a witchfinder finds out about her and puts her on trial. I didn’t want her to get caught!
I love the illustrations because they are detailed and show her face expressions. The words describe the pictures and when there is no picture then the words put the picture in my mind.
I would recommend this book to whoever like witchy stories but also anyone who like to believe in themselves, and maybe older children because it’s a bit scary.
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Reviewer Profile
- Name: Unaysa
- Age: 6 years
- Likes: Art, reading, skipping
- Dislikes: monsters, ghost and cavities
- Superpower: Healing people with my art
- Favourite Book: Goodbye Bear by Jane Chapman
- Favourite Film: Moana
