The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The History of the American Pharmacy and our BookBrowse Review of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. How did it feel to read about active, witty, fun-loving eighty-plus-year-old characters a second chance at romance? What do you think this novel suggests about the correlation between age and a person's spirit, and about hope and time?
2. What role do memories play in this novel? How do Augusta's memories of her mother and Aunt Esther, and even her past with Irving, affect her present day?
3. On page 96, Esther tells Augusta, "My mother and grandmother had kept their skills private, but I chose to share mine with others. Many in my village were grateful to me, especially when my powders cured them of illness." What does this quote suggest about the importance of owning and sharing our gifts with others, even if they set us apart?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of St. Martin's Griffin. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.