The Signature of All Things in Retro Chapter Chicks

Jun 19, 2015 Book Concierge rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, literary-fiction, 19th-century, travel, audio, concierge, strong-women, women-writers, library, nature

Book on CD performed by Juliet Stevenson.

The novel spans decades, from the birth of Henry Whittaker in 1760 to his daughter Alma’s old age in 1883. Henry is the son of a poor gardener, but he is clever and ambitious. Eventually he is one of the richest men in the new world, managing a botanical pharmaceutical empire from his large estate on the outskirts of Philadelphia. Alma is much like her father, not just in appearance, but in her love of botany and her keen business sense. But despite her i Book on CD performed by Juliet Stevenson.

The novel spans decades, from the birth of Henry Whittaker in 1760 to his daughter Alma’s old age in 1883. Henry is the son of a poor gardener, but he is clever and ambitious. Eventually he is one of the richest men in the new world, managing a botanical pharmaceutical empire from his large estate on the outskirts of Philadelphia. Alma is much like her father, not just in appearance, but in her love of botany and her keen business sense. But despite her intelligence and wealth, she leads a rather solitary life on the family’s White Acre estate. Yes, she has all the tools and time needed to perform detailed study of mosses, but she is without love. Until an extraordinary young man comes to her attention through his spectacularly rendered drawings of orchids.

I struggle with expressing how this novel moved me – and frustrated and annoyed me. Alma’s life is both tediously boring and exceptionally adventurous. I think this passage towards the end of the book describes Gilbert’s intention with the novel:
Alma: I do truly believe I am fortunate. I am fortunate because I have been able to spend my life in study of the world. As such, I have never felt insignificant. This life is a mystery, yes, and it is often a trial, but if one can find some facts within it, one should always do so – for knowledge is the most precious of all commodities.

Alma definitely is fortunate. She does not have to worry about money, she has been given an extraordinarily fine classical education, and she has all the time and equipment she needs to devote herself to the study of mosses. And if that sounds boring … well, it isn’t. Gilbert does a fine job giving the reader the sense of excitement and discovery that Alma feels as she delves ever deeper into this small area of botany that has not been fully studied previously. Here is her first real look through a magnifying glass at a moss-covered boulder:
She felt her breath catch. This was a stupefying kingdom. This was the Amazon jungle as seen from the back of a harpy eagle. She rode her eye above the surprising landscape, following its paths in every direction. Here were rich, abundant valleys filled with tiny trees of braided mermaid hair and minuscule, tangled vines. Here were barely visible tributaries running through that jungle, and here was a miniature ocean in a depression in the center of the boulder, where all the water pooled.
It’s no wonder that this becomes her life’s work. On this one boulder alone, she finds deserts, mountain ranges, icy fjords, "warm estuaries, miniature cathedrals, and limestone caves the size of her thumb."

But for all her scientific vision, Alma seems completely blind to human relationships. She and her adopted sister Prudence never develop any sort of closeness, despite being raised together without any other children for company. She completely misreads those around her and fails to understand, until much too late, the men she loves.

I found her fascinating and was entirely engrossed in her story.

I did have a few quibbles with the work, though I still give it five stars. I thought her initial discovery of sex, through reading and self-exploration was wonderful, but I didn’t need to continually hear about her trips “to the binding closet.” And I thought the time on Tahiti was unnecessarily long, and the episode in the moss cave was just bizarre.

The audio book was wonderfully performed by Juliet Stevenson. Her pacing, her skill with voices, and her passion for the subject really came through. She brought Alma to life for me.
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