The Signature of All Things

A Novel

By: Elizabeth Gilbert

Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson

Length: 21 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

A glorious, sweeping novel of desire, ambition, and the thirst for knowledge, from the number-one New York Times best-selling 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 18th and 19th 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 listeners.

©2013 Elizabeth Gilbert (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Gilbert's triumphant return to fiction is matched by Juliet Stevenson's lyrical reading. Both author and narrator capture the listener from the novel's opening words.” (AudioFile)

"A rip-roaring tale...unlike anything Gilbert has ever written.... Its prose has the elegant sheen of a nineteenth-century epic, but its concerns...are essentially modern." (The New York Times Magazine)

"With this novel about a young, nineteenth-century Philadelphia woman who becomes a world-renowned botanist, Gilbert shows herself to be a writer at the height of her powers." (O, The Oprah Magazine, "Our Favorite Reads of the Year")

"The most ambitious and purely imaginative work in Gilbert’s 20-year career: a deeply researched and vividly rendered historical novel about a 19th century female botanist.” (The Wall Street Journal)

What A Marvelous Story!

And Juliet Stevenson was the perfect narrator.

Anyone who likes historical fiction should immediately listen to this book if they haven’t already. In addition to history it mixes in science and philosophy.

Beautifully written unusual story

The writing in this book is uniquely detailed and paints a lush picture of all that happens. A long span of time is covered in the book and integrates historical places and events into the story. The narrator was excellent and increased my enjoyment of the book. I almost didn't listen to this book because Eat Pray Love was not one of my favorites. Glad I listened anyway. This is one of my favorites!

Had Potential, Wrong Narrator

I should have loved this book -- the subject, time period, narrator, locales. And, overall I didn't hate it, but was pretty disappointing given the rave reviews. The story had so much potential, but kept falling short. Just when you think something interesting or exciting is taking shape, the door slams shut and the story moves on. The mystical parts felt uninspiring. And yet, while the timeline seems to move along swiftly, there were many moments of tiresome over contemplation. It was also one of the most frustrating novels I've ever read. Maybe that was the point -- so the reader could live the frustration that was Alma Whittaker's life. Also not helping was the narration of Juliet Stevenson, who is awesome, but completely miscast here. The story mostly takes place in America and is about a New England American heiress (raised by English and Dutch parents and a Dutch housekeeper). Stevenson's American accent was odd and made Alma sound more reminiscent of a Western prairie girl (think Mattie Ross in True Grit).

Juliet Stevenson is amazing....

I loved this book- it captivated and transformed me. It wasn’t just the story, but the incredible narration. Juliet Stevenson is s marvel.

great story of a century

great read, with understanding of emotion, descriptive of plants and other phenomenon. Different than what I expected from E. Gilbert.

Loved it!

beautifully and entertaining . I fell in love with all the characters. Thank you Elizabeth.

Exceptional

Just loved this book. It had so much to tell about the human condition as well as a strong message for women. The story of her life is most exceptional.

She is an amazing writer!

The plot is not something I would typically be drawn too. But Elizabeth Gilbert is such an amazing author that I got pulled into this quite quickly and thoroughly. Julie Stevenson is a perfect narrator for this story.

Such a great writer

This book seems like it should have taken decades to write. The prose are so beautiful and area appropriate. This covers science, religion, history, and many more topics all in the story of one amazing lady. We learn of the generations before her and her trips around the globe. Liz knocks this one out of the park !

Perfect for a book nerd!

This book is like no other. It's beautifully written with an amazing storyline. If you're looking for a book to really take you on an incredible journey of heartache, inspiration and intellect, this book is for you. Plus the narrator Juliet Stevenson makes this book magical.