State of Wonder Indeed!
Award winning, Ann Patchett's latest book entitled State of Wonder left me in exactly that state.
After her colleague is reported dead, pharmaceutical company researcher, Marina Singh is sent into the Amazon. Her boss, who is also her lover, wants her to check on the status of a fertility drug that a team has been developing for years, unregulated. Marina also agrees to go at the request of the dead man's wife, who begs her to locate his body and bring it home. So begins an adventure into the Amazon. Or so we think.
First, Marina is delayed in the city of Manaus, because the research team and the person-in-charge, Dr. Swenson, are in the jungle. The strange young couple, living at the doctor's house, refuse to contact Dr. Swenson, because Marina will be a "distraction" from the work that is taking place in the jungle. It is revealed that Marina has a dark past with Dr. Swenson and the doctor actually played a vital role in Marina's decision to give up medicine for research.
When Marina finally enters the Amazon, the story picks up and the reader suddenly feels that the story is actually going somewhere. There are fights with anacondas, run-ins with cannibals and the reveal of the fertility drug, which may have additional benefits for human health. However, the two twists at the conclusion of the novel feel like scenes from a soap opera and I was left feeling very unsatisfied.
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One thought on “State of Wonder Indeed!”
I really enjoyed the audiobook and didn’t really want it to end. I too found the ending wanting. Not sure though just HOW it could’ve ended better….??? 🙂