The signature of all things

About “The signature of all things”

The novel follows the fortunes of the Whittaker family, centered on Henry Whittaker, a poor-born Englishman who becomes the richest man in Philadelphia through the South American quinine trade. The story focuses on his daughter Alma, born in 1800, who becomes a botanist and engages in scientific inquiry while navigating a relationship with Ambrose Pike, an artist who draws her toward spiritual and magical perspectives.