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Super Soul Short: The Signature of All Things, by Elizabeth Gilbert

Season 5 Episode 527
Aired on 10/05/2014 | CC tv-14
In 2006, Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir Eat, Pray, Love inspired women around the world to take their own journeys of self-discovery. Now, Elizabeth returns to fiction with her latest novel, The Signature of All Things. Spanning the 18th and 19th centuries, it is the story of Alma Whittaker, the brilliant daughter of an extraordinary botanical explorer, who acts as his secretary.

"She has access to one of the greatest libraries in the New World. The world is at her fingertips, except for, literally, she cannot leave the estate," Elizabeth says. "Her intellectual restlessness has been causing depression and fear. What is she going to do with this great mind?"

Learn more about Alma's story and the inspiration behind Elizabeth's novel in this Super Soul Short.

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