One of the books getting a lot of acclaim this summer - and there are many - is State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. I was a huge fan of Bel Canto - it is one of my top 5 favorite books - but I was disappointed with Patchett's later novel Run, which I reviewed here. Given the amazing reviews of State of Wonder, though, I jumped at the chance to read it.
When State of Wonder opens, Marina Singh, a 42 year-old pharmacologist for a pharmaceutical company in Minnesota, learns from her boss, the head of the company, that Anders, her co-worker and officemate, has died in the Amazon. Anders had been sent by the company months earlier to check on the progress of a fertility drug under development in the Amazon by Marina's former mentor, Dr. Swensen, an ob/gyn who has left her practice to research a tribe in the Amazon in which the native women give birth into their 70s.
Anders' widow begs Marina to follow Anders' path in the Amazon and find her former mentor, in order to learn more about how Anders died. Meanwhile, her boss begins to pressure her to go as well, so that she can finish the investigation that Anders started on the trip.
Some have compared State of Wonder to Heart of Darkness. Marina's trip to the Amazon is one in which she must confront many of her fears, from the physical (snakes, natives, malaria) to the emotional, as Swenson still deeply affects Marina and her self-confidence. Patchett's writing is beautiful, as always, and she expertly creates narrative tension that is almost unbearable at times. Her teasing of information at key junctures through the story is masterful, especially in retrospect. There are a few times that the story seemed to lag a bit, but looking back now that I have finished, I realize that those sections were necessary to the overall framework of the book.
I've been a bit vague in my description of the plot of State of Wonder because I don't want to give anything away. What I enjoyed most about the book were the moral questions Patchett raised in the book, about fertility, parenthood, and responsibility for actions that affect individuals and society.
I read and listened to State of Wonder, whose audio version is narrated by actress Hope Davis. She is an excellent narrator. She conveys a range of voices perfectly - from Marina's terror brought on by drug-induced nightmares to the infallible tone of Dr. Swenson.
Overall, a very good read. Not as good as Bel Canto, but that's a nearly impossible standard to meet. Thank you to Harper for the review copy.
I would like to read State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. I luved TAFT. The woman in this book seems like a heroine. To face our fears is very, very hard. I would like to read about this woman who went into the jungle to finish the research.
Posted by: Hattie Norman | July 24, 2011 at 04:02 AM
I think you liked this one more than I did. It lagged in the middle for me, and I thought what Marina and Anders did at the end didn't fit.
Posted by: bermudaonion (Kathy) | July 24, 2011 at 08:20 AM
I'm always glad to read a review of this one written by someone who seems to have loved Bel Canto as much as I did. You're right--it would be almost impossible to live up to that standard but it sounds like this one does a good job of rising above the rest.
Posted by: Lisa | July 24, 2011 at 11:59 AM
I have this book on my shelf. Hope to get to it soon. I love books that have a bit of research, and science mixed in. Sounds like a good one.
Posted by: Susan | July 31, 2011 at 11:45 PM
I'm with Kathy -- I don't think the ending worked. While there were definitely parts of the book I enjoyed, I thought the author seemed to take the book one way, then went another, and then dropped the ball completely. The parts that I loved were where science and nature were the focus -- then I thought the writing was sharp and insightful.
Posted by: Jen | November 07, 2011 at 07:59 AM