A Moss by Any Other Name…
I’ve just
finished The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, and as one of the
few people in the world who has not read Eat, Pray, Love, or seen the Julia
Roberts’ film adaptation. I wasn’t quite
sure what to expect.
Synopsis:
The story
focuses on a series of relationships against the backdrop of botany in the
1800s. Our heroine, Alma Whitaker, is the only biological daughter of Henry and
Beatrix. They live with an adopted
sister Prudence, on an immense estate in Philadelphia called White Acre. It is
in this environment that Alma is encouraged to question and study any and
everything that fascinates her, but as the family fortune is based on Henry’s
affinity with flora and commerce. She
soon becomes as adept as her father in all things plant related.
This story,
which spans nearly the entire 19th century, takes us along as a
young, decidedly rough around the edges Henry Whitaker embarks on the series of
journeys that lead us to White Acre. You can feel the rough seas on his travels
to Tahiti with Captain Cook. You feel the mountainous terrain under your bare
feet in Peru. How important are the mosses?
What can we learn? How does it
impact Alma and her family as the years pass?
My
Thoughts:
At first
glance, just from a purely physical standpoint—yes, I did attempt to read an
actual hardcover book—it was a fairly thick book and it didn’t look like light
summer reading. However, once I found the eBook and focused solely on the
amazing story, Ms. Gilbert has a new fan.
I was
pleasantly surprised by how invested I became in this book because it isn’t my
usual summer light reading. But the characters, including the plants, were so
invitingly written that I couldn’t wait to get to back to them as soon as my
schedule and four children would allow. I enthusiastically recommend “The
Signature of All Things” by Elizabeth Gilbert. by Tina Guyden
Rating:
4.5/5
Please visit
Elizabeth on her Facebook Page and her Website.
Comments
Post a Comment