STATE OF WONDER

By Ann Patchett

 I recently discovered Ann Patchett and became an ardent fan in short order.  She has the gift of transporting the reader into a universe of her making and bringing the characters who inhabit her novels to life in three dimensions. I listened to this as an audio book during my daily walks around the Esplanade.  The prospect of returning to the book where I had left off was sufficient motivation to move me outside day after day after day. Maureen Corrigan conveyed my sentiments perfectly in an interview with Terry Gross on NPR: “It’s not often that a novel leaves me (temporarily) speechless.  But Ann Patchett’s new novel isn’t called State of Wonder for nothing.”  

The setting moves back and forth between Minnesota and the depths of the Brazilian jungle where a reclusive researcher has been trying to unlock the secrets of fertility in an isolated Amazonian tribe. A young researcher based in a pharmaceutical company in Minnesota is sent to the Brazilian site to investigate the mysterious death of her esteemed colleague.We are introduced to a variety of characters who furnish the scaffolding for this tale of mystery, intrigue, moral dilemma and empathy. I recommend that you too embark on this journey.

Susan Barron