34% in and I'm throwing in the towel.

I want to like this book but I just seems to drone on and on with no purpose. I feel as if I am reading a book of lists interrupted randomly with bursts of Alma (main character) confessions to reading dirty books or masturbating. Weird.

I was a fan of Gilbert's first novel but a really disliked Eat, Pray, Love. I think now I'm done with her for good. ( )

I enjoyed listening to this book. Alma was a very interesting character and I loved all the science woven through the book. The narration was glorious....she sounded a lot like Emma Thompson and I could have listened to her all day long. Overall, I liked the book but did not love it. But it was a good read/listen! ( )

Once again, Elizabeth Gilbert takes your breath away. Who knew a book that focused on botany could be so vibrant? Actually, the world of botany serves to define and illuminate the life of the main character, Alma Whittaker. Does Gilbert have a degree in botany? I don't know, but, if not, the amount of time she must have spent to learn all she imparts in this book is mind-boggling!

In a way, Gilbert also seems to "channel" Barbara Kingsolver, another author I love, but, for the most part, she makes this story her own.

The best part of this story is just when you think the end is near, Alma's life takes another path (all leading in the same direction and conclusion, we learn) exploring a new environment, personality of people, and discussion of means people live their lives. ( )

Alma Whitaker kept me company a few chapters at a time each night for about a week. I'm happy I gave Elizabeth Gilbert another go. After the disappoint that was Eat, Pray, Love (which, after the Eat section became too tedious to complete), it took viewing Gilbert's TED talk and a bit of time for me to trust her with my reading time once more.

Admittedly, I'm a sucker for historic fiction, BUT only if it reads with ease and a bit of surprise. Gilbert's writing flows so effortlessly that, between readings, I found myself missing Alma and her odd family as if they were long-lost relations now reintroduced into my life. I appreciate Gilbert's careful research that makes Alma's fascination with botany vividly credible.

Spoiler Alert! What I did not like was Gilbert's carefully constructed "inevitable situation" between Alma and the Tahitian Tomorrow Morning. Naked with a much younger (almost) stranger and the fulfillment of a lifelong fantasy. Really? Oh well.

Favorite bits: the early life of Alma's father, the shift in Alma's perception of her sister, Alma's unpublished paper and the scientists to whom she feels connected because of it. ( )

Gilbert has an amazing talent for creating characters who feel very real, that you really care about as a reader. This book is a fictional biography of Alma Whitaker, a woman born to a man who made his fortune in the global plant trade. She is incredibly intelligent, and has a natural passion for botany. The book traces her scientific discoveries, her relationship with her complicated family, her unfulfilled desire for romance, and her international travels. I am often frustrated by books where it isn't clear what the plot is, or where the book is going, but in this case, I found Alma to be such a delightful character, and Gilbert's writing to be so engaging, that the sometimes meandering nature of the book didn't bother me at all. ( )