Haven't read it, but I wonder if you could glean the answer from the study guides of each chapter here? The Weight of Ink - Chapter Summary and Analysis

I read it for book group, it was a slog, our book group was not a fan of the book. But to answer your question? I have so little memory of the book or vested interest in the characters that I can't even answer your question.

Well, apparently it has a lot of thematic and intellectual heft to keep you turning the pages. I can't find a theme of a book in a paper bag so, while it gets good reviews I think I'll give it a miss.

Thanks for the suggestions My3dogs. Unfortunately, the answer to my question wasn't in the free content on that site.

Oh my, I loved this book and think back to it often. But I don’t remember the answer to your question.

I read it a year or so ago and have pretty much zero recall of any details. It was a slog, but I kept going. It held such promise but was in need of some thinning out.

I read it and loved it for the historical details of life in 17th century Europe, the plot dealing with a woman struggling for intellectual autonomy and the philosophical underpinnings of the enlightenment coming after the medieval darkness.

After banishing Alvaro to serve as a seaman following the discovery of his sexuality, his father had started searching for him when the older brother Manuel died of the plague since an heir was now needed. So dad actually discovered he was alive then Ester came up with the idea that she would marry him so the father would always be taken care of by family.

That also meant she could continue to pursue her passion for philosophy while avoiding being trapped in a domestic partnership that would have subsumed her intellect to a life of childbearing and domestic duties. It gave Alvaro the necessary appearance of being a devoted husband while not requiring him to perform the physical duties of that role. Win-win for everyone!

Thanks, runninginplace. I most have skimmed over the part where the father was searching for him and discovered that he was still alive. When did Ester find out?

I believe she found out when she went to the family’s country house seeking shelter after she and her maid fled London.