The Signature of All Things
Initial cover photo by Olaf Hajek
Book cover design by Alison Forner
Music pairing: Craig Armstrong - The Balcony Scene (Romeo and Juliet)
Let me tell you about my friend Alma.
Or rather, let me tell you about The Signature of All Things, whose heroine felt as real as a lifelong friend of mine.
Some days, the wavelength of a book feels as tangible as a human being, fraught with real emotions, raw and pink from repeated examination. There are days when no connection can be made, but in The Signature of All Things, I tuned in completely, as though reading from the intimate bosoms of a friend. At times, I felt embarrassed for Alma, squirming at dinner table remarks; other times, I felt embarrassed to be privy to her thoughts. Such personal desires I’ve been let on!
I almost didn’t want to finish the book. It had been a steady and passionate stream of beautiful storytelling that fed my imagination-deprived brain after a long, tiresome day of operational tasks and reading non-fiction. The book fed a hunger in my soul with its flavours—spirited, smooth, but at times strong like deeply steeped English tea spiked with rum; while occasionally you’ll find at the table some delightful American/English hybrid scones.
I ate well with Alma. The book left me craving, looking forward to the next fusion of an innovative mixture of botany, love, lust, curiosity, adventure, all seasoned expertly with the wisdom of timely observations.
And so, I found a luminous friend in Alma Whitaker, her journey painstakingly detailed by Gilbert's dynamic prose to illustrate a profound take on human desire for both knowledge and love. I grew old with her, feeling time wrinkle my skin, and her life story gnaw at my heart.