The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern (2024) is a historical novel by Lynda Cohen Loigman. The novel begins when the protagonist, Augusta Stern, retires from her job as a pharmacist and moves to a Florida retirement community in the 1980s. Here, she crosses paths with Irving Rivkin, the man who broke her heart when she was 18. The novel explores Augusta’s reconnection with Irving as well as her life in 1920s Brooklyn, when Irving was a delivery boy for her father’s pharmacy. Loigman weaves themes of love, ambition, and reconciliation with a meditation on age, medicine, and the enduring effects of grief. 

This guide refers to the 2024 St. Martin’s hardcover edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of graphic violence, illness, and death.

Plot Summary

In 1987, Augusta Stern retires from her job as a hospital pharmacist. She is almost 80, but she is sad to leave behind the profession that has been the center and solace of her life. Augusta moves to a retirement community in Rallentando Springs, Florida. There, she unexpectedly runs into Irving Rivkin, the man who broke her heart 62 years ago. The novel alternates between dual plotlines that follow Augusta’s life in 1920s Brooklyn, exploring the formative years and events of her life, and the present-day timeline of the retirement community.

In the past, young Augusta lives in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood of Brownsville, Brooklyn, where her father, Solomon Stern, runs a pharmacy. After her mother’s death from diabetes, Augusta finds solace in helping her father with his work. She also develops a close relationship with her great-aunt Esther, who moves in with the Sterns; Esther is a healer who uses herbal remedies, and Solomon is dismissive of her practices, preferring the scientific approach of Western medicine. Augusta is drawn to both practices.

Irving, who is slightly older than Augusta and comes from a poor family, works as Solomon’s delivery boy. He and Augusta develop a friendship and grow close, but misunderstandings pull them apart. Irving inadvertently becomes involved with the family of Zip Diamond, a bootlegger and notorious racketeer in the Prohibition era. To celebrate Augusta’s graduation, Irving makes reservations at a fancy restaurant, Acadia Gardens, and he intends to propose to her that night, but events spiral out of control. 

Augusta prepares a love elixir, using one of Esther’s recipes, and intends to secretly slip it to Irving at Acadia Gardens to gauge his feelings for her. However, their friend Nathaniel Birnbaum drinks it by mistake and ends up proposing to his girlfriend, Evie, over dinner. Distraught at being upstaged by Nathaniel, Irving leaves the restaurant to try and calm himself. He ends up witnessing Zip Diamond’s wife committing a murder and is coerced into marrying their daughter, Lois, in exchange for his life. Afterward, Irving moves to Chicago with the Diamonds. Augusta is heartbroken since she doesn’t understand the reasons for Irving’s actions. Soon after, Esther falls ill and dies. Augusta is frustrated that she couldn’t save Esther despite using her herbal remedies. She loses her faith in Esther’s medicinal practices and is determined to lose herself in pharmacy school and her work.

In the present day, at the retirement community, Augusta tries to keep Irving at a distance since she still hasn’t forgiven him for his betrayal. Irving reveals that he and Lois divorced, and he is surprised to discover that Augusta never married. He calls Augusta by an old nickname, “Goldie,” which she finds both endearing and frustrating. She also cannot understand why he bears a mysterious grudge against Nathaniel, who is also at the retirement community.

Despite Augusta’s reluctance, she finds herself attracted to Irving. He checks in on her after she contracts food poisoning, and she helps him when Irving suffers heatstroke during a tennis match. Irving, wary of upsetting her, keeps a respectful distance, but they begin spending more time together. Augusta is surprised to learn that though he struggled with school, he now enjoys literature and is taking college classes; he tells her that her love of literature inspired him. He also swims every day, which is Augusta’s favorite form of exercise.

Augusta’s niece, Jackie, visits for Augusta’s 80th birthday. Jackie brings the old mortar and pestle that Esther used to prepare her herbal remedies. While talking with Jackie about the past, Augusta begins to wonder if she can rediscover the optimistic, tenderhearted girl she once was. Jackie prompts Augusta to try making the love elixir once more to discover Irving’s true feelings. They decide to celebrate Augusta’s birthday at a dinner party with all of Augusta’s friends, including Irving and Nathaniel, where Jackie plans to secretly slip the elixir to Irving. However, another mishap with the elixir occurs, and Nathaniel ends up drinking it once again. As Nathaniel prepares to declare his feelings to one of Augusta’s friends, Irving intervenes to stop him, and the truth of what happened 62 years ago comes out. Irving confesses that he meant to propose to Augusta that night at Acadia Gardens, and he explains about the Diamonds’ coercion. Realizing the depth of their love, Irving and Augusta reconcile.

The Epilogue shows Augusta, now 81, happily in love with Irving and using Esther’s herbal remedies to help the women of her community. She has found peace, fulfillment, and a renewed sense of wonder in life, embracing both her scientific knowledge and the magic she once believed in.