The Signature of All Things - Elizabeth Gilbert

"The Signature of All Things," celebrated by its inclusion on the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction longlist and the Wellcome Book Prize shortlist, intricately weaves the intriguing tale of Alma Whittaker. From her early days, Alma is imbued with an insatiable curiosity about the natural world, a quality nurtured by her father, a prosperous adventurer in the field of botany. Surrounded by both opulence and intellectual challenges, Alma matures into a talented botanist in her own right. Her expedition through the fascinating processes of evolution is intriguing, yet she encounters a man whose journey beckons her towards the mystical and spiritual dimensions, thus questioning her scientific beliefs. This narrative, unfolding in the nineteenth century, spans various locales from London and Peru to Philadelphia and Tahiti, featuring a diverse array of memorable characters and focusing on the indelible Alma Whittaker at its heart.