The Signature of All Things

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A glorious, sweeping novel of desire, ambition, and the thirst for knowledge, this work from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Committed returns to fiction with an enthralling story of love, adventure, and discovery. Spanning the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it follows the extraordinary Whittaker family, led by the enterprising Henry Whittaker, a poor-born Englishman who amasses a fortune in the South American quinine trade, ultimately becoming Philadelphia's richest man. His brilliant daughter, Alma, born in 1800, inherits both his wealth and intellect, becoming a gifted botanist. As Alma delves into the mysteries of evolution, she falls in love with Ambrose Pike, an artist whose orchid paintings draw her into the spiritual and magical realms. While Alma embodies clear-minded science, Ambrose represents utopian artistry, uniting them in a quest to understand life's workings. The narrative gallops across the globe—from London to Peru, Philadelphia to Tahiti—featuring unforgettable characters: missionaries, abolitionists, adventurers, and more. Most notably, it is Alma's journey through the Age of Enlightenment into the Industrial Revolution that captures the explosive ideas reshaping science, religion, and society. Gilbert's wise and spellbinding tale is destined to resonate with readers.