The Signature of All Things

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First edition (publ. Viking Press)

The Signature of All Things is a novel by Elizabeth Gilbert. It was originally published in 2013 and longlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction.[1]

Overview[]

The story follows Alma Whittaker, daughter of a botanical explorer, as she comes into her own within the world of plants and science. As Alma’s careful studies of moss take her deeper into the mysteries of evolution, she starts a spiritual journey which spans the 19th Century.

Critical reception[]

The reception to the book has been positive. Elizabeth Day of The Guardian praised the complex characters, calling "Alma's journey a universal one, despite anchoring her protagonist's life in a different time and sending her to the furthest corners of the unexplored earth."[2] Barbara Kingsolver of The New York Times labelled it "a bracing homage to the many natures of genius and the inevitable progress of ideas, in a world that reveals its best truths to uncommonly patient minds."[3]

References[]

  1. ^ "The Signature of All Things". Women's Prize for Fiction.
  2. ^ Day, Elizabeth (2013-10-06). "The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert – review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  3. ^ Kingsolver, Barbara (2013-09-26). "Elizabeth Gilbert's 'Signature of All Things'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-08-05.

External links[]

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