There are long-held secrets at the manor house in Buckinghamshire, England, where Emilie Selden has been raised in near isolation by her father. A student of Isaac Newton, John Selden believes he can turn his daughter into a brilliant natural philosopher and alchemist. Secluded in their ancient house, with only two servants for company, he fills Emilie with knowledge and records her progress obsessively. In the spring of 1725, father and daughter begin their most daring alchemical experiment to date--they will attempt to ...
Read More
There are long-held secrets at the manor house in Buckinghamshire, England, where Emilie Selden has been raised in near isolation by her father. A student of Isaac Newton, John Selden believes he can turn his daughter into a brilliant natural philosopher and alchemist. Secluded in their ancient house, with only two servants for company, he fills Emilie with knowledge and records her progress obsessively. In the spring of 1725, father and daughter begin their most daring alchemical experiment to date--they will attempt to breathe life into dead matter. But their work is interrupted by the arrival of two strangers: one a researcher, the other a dazzling young merchant. During the course of a sultry August, while her father is away, Emilie experiences the passion of first love. Listening to her heart rather than her head, she makes a choice. Banished to London and plunged headlong into a society that is both glamorous and ruthless, Emilie discovers that for all her extraordinary education she has no insight into the workings of the human heart. When she tries to return to the world of books and study, she instead unravels a shocking secret that sets her on her true journey to enlightenment. "The Alchemist's Daughter" is a gripping, evocative tale. Set against the backdrop of eighteenth-century London society, it is an unforgettable story of one woman's journey through a world of mystery, passion, and obsession. Selden Manor was the crucible in which my father, the Gills, and I lived together. I peer into it now with the respectful caution with which I was taught to approach any volatile experiment. I am searching for a day to illustrate our life before 1725, the year when everything changed. And unlike the blacksmith's daughter, I am an expert in observation. I know what I am looking for--bubbles of gas, a rise in temperature, an alteration in texture--small indications of chemical change that mean something significant is happening. --from "The Alchemist's Daughter " "From the Hardcover edition."
Read Less
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.
