The Alchemist's Daughter

Given away ( )

I had high hopes for The Alchemist’s Daughter. Diana Gabaldon, one of my favorite authors, praised the book as “beautifully crafted… lavishly furnished with period details and intriguing characters.” While I will concede to Gabaldon’s opinion in some aspects — the book is well-written and carefully-researched — I cannot agree to the later part of her statement. I found the characters to be insipid and the plot, predictable and dull. Ultimately, the bad outweighs the good and I felt more disappointed than anything else. ( )

I picked this one up because I'd heard good reviews of another of the author's works, but this was not a great book for me. The heroine was insipid and weak, and spoiled what seemed like a very interesting premise. ( )

Emilie is the daughter in question, brought up in the country by her father, an follower of Newton. She is taught from an early age to think analytically, to aid her father in his experiments. Every year, Emilie finds a perfect rose in the garden which they dry out under glass, trying to find a way to reanimate it. Unfortunately, while Emilie's education has been well-fostered, she has been shielded from the real world by those around her, with her intelligence matched only by her naivety.

On the cusp of womanhood, Emilie's world is turned upside down by two men visiting her father, the former is a scientific clergymen , the latter is Aislabie, a handsome, up and coming merchant from London. Seduced by the more exotic man, Emilie trades her comfortable surroundings for a new life in London, which brings with it both opportunity and disappointment.

Emilie would have been unusually educated for a woman of her time, which makes her an interesting heroine. As I said before, though, the juxtaposition of her naivity and intelligence does make for several moments where you wish she weren't so blind, especially as some of the plot twists are easy to predict.

There is nothing that surprising in this historical romance, but the science of the time seemed well-researched. Many scientific norms we take for granted now where the subject of experimenting at that time, for example the science of fire.

Enjoyable historical romance, I look forward to reading more of her work. ( )

In 18th century England, 19-year-old Emilie Selder is trained by her father in the alchemist's art.
This moving story draws you right in. It's a "bodice ripper with a brain" that documents the personal growth of the heroine while it involves us with details of her rebellion against her rigid, scientist father, and subsequent marriage to the wrong man. I found it atmospheric and gripping; a real page turner. ( )