Lacking a son, he taught his daughter everything about botany and nature and she in turn became famous in her own right, publishing many articles in botany journals.
Alma in later years, inherited her father's business - with all of its holding in various countries abroad. She ran his company well and eventually went to Tahiti to live for a few years where they had a vanilla plantation. Tahiti was also where her husband had died and she wanted to be closer to him.
This story was very interesting - you learn a lot about botany and the way people lived in the 1800s. My one problem with the book was that Alma spent quite a bit of time masturbating and I didn't think it was germane to the story and that it could have stood by itself without that inclusion. If talk of masturbating bothers you - then don't read this book. If you think you can read past this part of the book - then I'd say do it - because it is a great story.
Rating: 7 / 10
ISBN: 9780670015856
Publisher: Viking
Edition: 1st Edition