Sidonie Quince lives in Elizabethan England. Her father is an alchemist who conducts unsuccessful experiments in an effort to transmute base metals into gold. He promises the Queen results and Sidonie fears for his life if he fails. Sidonie has a gift for scrying - foretelling the future by gazing into a crystal. Sidonie and her friend, Kit, set off to Glastonbury Abbey in search of the missing ingredient that will make her father's experiments successful. Many historical characters and events provide the backdrop for Sidonie's adventures, including Queen Elizabeth I, William Shakespeare, Sir Philip Sidney and the Spanish Armada. Conversations are conducted using words, expressions and linguistic structures typical of the Elizabethan period. The Alchemist's Daughter was nominated for a 2005 Saskatchewan Book Award.--Ministry of Education website.

English language arts grade 9 (2009). Note: The novel is set within a context of alchemy and scrying. Educators are advised to consult their school division's material selection policy before using this resource.--Ministry of Education website.