The Signature of All Things The Signature of All Things

The Signature of All Things

A Novel

    • 4.1 • 1.4K Ratings
    • $13.99
    • $13.99

Publisher Description

A glorious, sweeping novel of desire, ambition, and the thirst for knowledge, from the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Committed



In The Signature of All Things, Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction, inserting her inimitable voice into an enthralling story of love, adventure and discovery. Spanning much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the novel follows the fortunes of the extraordinary Whittaker family as led by the enterprising Henry Whittaker—a poor-born Englishman who makes a great fortune in the South American quinine trade, eventually becoming the richest man in Philadelphia. Born in 1800, Henry’s brilliant daughter, Alma (who inherits both her father’s money and his mind), ultimately becomes a botanist of considerable gifts herself. As Alma’s research takes her deeper into the mysteries of evolution, she falls in love with a man named Ambrose Pike who makes incomparable paintings of orchids and who draws her in the exact opposite direction—into the realm of the spiritual, the divine, and the magical. Alma is a clear-minded scientist; Ambrose a utopian artist—but what unites this unlikely couple is a desperate need to understand the workings of this world and the mechanisms behind all life.



Exquisitely researched and told at a galloping pace, The Signature of All Things soars across the globe—from London to Peru to Philadelphia to Tahiti to Amsterdam, and beyond. Along the way, the story is peopled with unforgettable characters: missionaries, abolitionists, adventurers, astronomers, sea captains, geniuses, and the quite mad. But most memorable of all, it is the story of Alma Whittaker, who—born in the Age of Enlightenment, but living well into the Industrial Revolution—bears witness to that extraordinary moment in human history when all the old assumptions about science, religion, commerce, and class were exploding into dangerous new ideas. Written in the bold, questing spirit of that singular time, Gilbert’s wise, deep, and spellbinding tale is certain to capture the hearts and minds of readers.

GENRE
Fiction & Literature
RELEASED
2013
October 1
LANGUAGE
EN
English
LENGTH
512
Pages
PUBLISHER
Penguin Publishing Group
SELLER
PENGUIN GROUP USA, INC.
SIZE
4
MB

Customer Reviews

GabrielRSRocha ,

Touching

A touching book that shows all the beautiful ways in which love can be felt and expressed. The relationships here feel very real as does the passion for botany. Incredibly well written and another great work by Mrs. Gilbert.

Janiewalker ,

A Jewel of a Book

Certainly one of the best books of this, or any, year. Not being a fan of Eat, Pray, Love, I was hesitant to order this, but am so glad I did. Beautifully written with such timely plotting and wonderful characterizations; just a delight.

Amcgugan ,

The Signature of All Things

Incredible! This books brings to life a world long gone and adds layers of a historical tapestry that completely engrosses the reader. I loved this book and wished it could continue on and on. All the characters were rich and dynamically developed - people one would wish to know. Plot twists made for an exciting story and it informed me about how science developed in the Victorian era. Awesome read!

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