From the author of Richard and Judy Book Club choice, THE ROSE OF SEBASTOPOL 'A first-rate historical romance: it's hard to think it will be bettered this year' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY When two strangers enters the manor of a brilliant alchemist and his talented young daughter, nothing will remain the same... Dark secrets haunt the manor house at Selden in Buckinghamshire, where Emilie Selden, motherless, fiercely intelligent and beautiful, has been raised in near isolation by her father. John Selden, student of Isaac Newton ...
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From the author of Richard and Judy Book Club choice, THE ROSE OF SEBASTOPOL 'A first-rate historical romance: it's hard to think it will be bettered this year' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY When two strangers enters the manor of a brilliant alchemist and his talented young daughter, nothing will remain the same... Dark secrets haunt the manor house at Selden in Buckinghamshire, where Emilie Selden, motherless, fiercely intelligent and beautiful, has been raised in near isolation by her father. John Selden, student of Isaac Newton, is conducting a secret experiment. He aims to turn Emilie into a brilliant natural philosopher and alchemist and fills her with knowledge while recording every step she takes. In the spring of 1725, when Emilie is eighteen, father and daughter begin their most daring adventure - an attempt to breathe life into dead matter. But they are interrupted by the arrival of two strangers. During the course of a sultry August, Emilie is caught up in the passion of first love and, listening for the first time to her heart rather than her head, she makes her choice - with consequences that are far-reaching and tumultuous.
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
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It's possible that I did not know what to expect from this book, but I found it to be a bit of a slow start. The more I read of it, however, the more compelled I was by the situation in which the alchemist's daughter found herself. It was well written, and created vivid characters. A worthy book, well worth your while to read.
bookgeek
Apr 3, 2007
Enjoyable.
This is a novel, at it's heart, about disillusionment. Part cautionary tale to virgins, part love letter to Newton, and part romance, this is a unique novel. Young Emilie Selden works as a apprentice to her wealthy father, an alchemist. She spends every day with him, and becomes one of the most talented young scientists of her time. However, she is tragically naive about the rest of the world outside of her own home. She sleeps with the first man she falls in love with, marries him, and finds out that she won't be living happily ever after. The narrative of love, loss, and betrayal is universal. As Emilie learns more about life, and the secrets of her own past, she grows as a woman. Her mistakes are terrible, but she learns from all of them, and emerges as a strong, brilliant woman. The style and content of some of the scenes in the book reminded me of a Jane Austen novel. I really enjoyed all the scenes between Shales and Emilie, because McMahon doesn't feel the need to outline every single nuance in their behavior. This is a book for readers who love to read between the lines, and search for the sub-text during a dialogue. I felt like a few characters were very under developed. Emilie's lover, for instance, was transparent from the very first. The plot was a little predictable, but overall, it was a good read. If you enjoyed THE SCARLET LETTER, or anything by Jane Austen, you'll probably like this book, too.