The Signature of All Things

Young Alma is a curious, inquisitive child, attributes encouraged by both of her parents, who are “intolerant of dullness” and instead value “a spirit of investigation in their daughter” (52). Beatrix teaches her daughter languages, common sense, and industry. Alma is awed and daunted by her mother, but she adores her father. Beatrix forbids Alma to be silly or rude, and Henry forbids her to fear, though Alma is terrified of her father’s man of business, the tall, bald, silent Dick Yancy. Alma and her family attend the Swedish Lutheran Church, a denomination with a grim and sober outlook on life. Henry calls her Plum and teaches Alma to be canny in her life, advising her, “You must always have one final bribe” (56). He tells her that he has an emerald sewn beneath his skin for precisely this reason.

As a child, Alma has the full run of White Acre to explore. The house is enormous, but more marvelous to Alma are the woods. In all weather, she spends her days collecting specimens for her private herbarium. Other children alarm her, but when she has nightmares, she runs downstairs and climbs into bed with Hanneke, who always soothes her.