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The Signature of All Things

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The Signature of All Things

By: Elizabeth Gilbert
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
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Bloomsbury presents The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, read by Juliet Stevenson.

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SHORTLISTED FOR THE WELLCOME BOOK PRIZE
LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILEYS WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION
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'Quite simply one of the best novels I have read in years' – Elizabeth Day, Observer

'Charming . . . extensively researched, compellingly readable' – Jane Shilling, Daily Telegraph

'Sumptuous . . . Gilbert's prose is by turns flinty, funny, and incandescent' – New Yorker
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A captivating story of botany, exploration and desire, by the multimillion copy bestselling author of Eat Pray Love

Everything about life intrigues Alma Whittaker. Her passion for botany leads her far from home, from London to Peru to Tahiti, in pursuit of that rare specimen: knowledge. But as her careful studies draw her deeper into the mysteries of evolution, she meets the man who she will come to love – whose perspective, radically different from her own, will transform the way she understands the world.

Radiating with all the heart, soul and earthiness as its unforgettable heroine, The Signature of All Things is a captivating celebration of the workings of this world, and the mechanisms behind all life.
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'My own 500-pager of choice? Elizabeth Gilbert’s The Signature of All Things . . . just read it . . . Hugely enjoyable' – Viv Groskop, Observer Books of the Year
'The story of Alma Whittaker’s journey of discovery has irresistible momentum' – Helen Dunmore, The Times
'Gilbert has written the novel of a lifetime' – O, The Oprah Magazine
'Filled with dazzling storytelling' – Susie Boyt, Financial Times
_______________©2013 Elizabeth Gilbert (P)2013 Penguin Random House LLC Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt Thought-Provoking
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Critic reviews

Unlike anything else she has ever written ... Its prose has the elegant sheen of a 19th-century epic, but its concerns – the intersection of science and faith, the feminine struggle for fulfilment – are especially modern (Steve Almond)
The story of Alma Whittaker’s journey of discovery has irresistible momentum (Helen Dunmore)
Ms Gilbert has established herself as a straight-up storyteller who dares us into adventures of worldly discovery, and this novel stands as a winning next act ... A bracing homage to the many natures of genius and the inevitable progress of ideas, in a world that reveals its best truths to the uncommonly patient minds (Barbara Kingsolver)
Charming and compelling ... A big novel in all senses – extensively researched, compellingly readable and with a powerful charm that will surely propel it towards the bestseller lists (Jane Shilling)
Gilbert has written the novel of a lifetime
Sumptuous ... Gilbert's prose is by turns flinty, funny, and incandescent
Quite simply one of the best novels I have read in years ... a bejewelled, dazzling novel (Elizabeth Day)
Readers prepared to enter Gilbert Time will be rewarded: she is an unflaggingly curious writer, prone to delightful touches ... Gilbert's period interests seem boundless - she explores everything from self-sacrifice, to homosexuality, Darwinism and Victorian pornography ... This is a novel to be chewed over, slowly (Lucy Atkins)
A botanical odyssey through the nineteenth century, global in ambition, revelling in the period's insatiable curiosity about the world ... a tall tale, told with verve and wit
Filled with dazzling storytelling (Susie Boyt)
Gilbert writes superbly well (Wendy Holden)
An intricate, beautifully written historical novel ... A passionate paean to the 19th-century women of science who strove for achievement against the odds (Anita Sethi)
Gilbert’s observations, of both characters and locations, make this an unexpected joy and in Alma she has created a truly unforgettable heroine (Anita Chaudhuri)
Astute and funny ... comes with generous helpings of optimism and romance. Cynics need not apply
Ambitious, boldly imagined and packed with authenticating detail, it engages very boldly with the interaction of art and science
Gilbert reminds readers she can do, and undo, narratives through impeccably observed and original stories
Gilbert shows herself to be a writer at the height of her powers
Magnificent ... I was just a few pages into the book when I felt myself relax, aware that I was in the safe hands of a master story-teller (Anna Carey)
My own 500-pager of choice? Elizabeth Gilbert’s The Signature of All Things ... just read it ... Hugely enjoyable (Viv Groskop)
All stars
Most relevant
I loved it and In the end wished there were more chapters. It was slightly melancholy and went along with a smooth momentum that I love in a book. If I had one tiny criticism it would be how detailed it was. Not sure erotic is the right word, raunchy. Not sure. I’m no prude but even I was having an ‘oh myyyy’ moment.
My only experience of Elizabeth Gilbert is the movie eat prey love to which I will probably buy the book to see if it was given justice. The story telling was brilliant and the narration by Juliet was perfect. A clear articulate voice that managed each character and accent perfectly. Highly, strongly, fervently recommend you listen to this book. 👍

Lovely intricate tale

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If you love wide ranging, adventurous and yet measured stories about a woman who has a most extraordinary life in a past era, you’ll enjoy this immensely. Juliet Stephenson does a magnificent job reading it! Author Elizabeth Gilbert brings history and science to a tale of a woman who was an oddity in her time and yet would have thrived in our modern times - able to pursue a life of discovery and intellect and yet always longing for love from people who could not give it to her in the way she hoped.

A fascinating and beautiful story

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I did not want this book to end. I enjoyed it from start to finish and the narrator is fabulous.

One of my favourite books

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“Marianne North and Kew Gardens. The Signature of All Things opens with Alma’s grandfather working as an orchardman at the ‘botanical Noah’s Ark’: Kew Gardens in Richmond, London. Elizabeth Gilbert spent time researching her novel at Kew, and has said that Alma’s character is based in part on the life of the pioneering artist and naturalist Marianne North (1830–1890). North’s botanical illustrations are displayed in a gallery dedicated to her at Kew, which showcases more than 900 species of plants.”

You most visit Kew and visit Mariannes astonishingly beautiful gallery xxx

Read about the real Alma …

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This marvellous tale is beautifully spoken by Juliet Stevenson. An absolute pleasure throughout. Five stars and more!

Magical —

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