State of Wonder: A Novel

Ann Patchett

Jun 2011 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

“A nail-biting narrative, setting stark human dilemmas against a lush, exotic backdrop.”— People

“Extraordinary. . . . Nothing is as it seems, and the ending is as shocking as it’s satisfying.” — Boston Globe

From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ann Patchett, a provocative and assured novel of morality and miracles, science and sacrifice set in the Amazon rainforest

In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, scientific miracles, and spiritual transformations, State of Wonder presents a world of stunning surprise and danger, rich in emotional resonance and moral complexity.

As Dr. Marina Singh embarks upon an uncertain odyssey into the insect-infested Amazon, she's forced to surrender herself to the lush but forbidding world that awaits within the jungle. Charged with finding her former mentor Dr. Annick Swenson, a researcher who has disappeared while working on a valuable new drug, she will have to confront her own memories of tragedy and sacrifice as she journeys into the unforgiving heart of darkness.

Stirring and luminous, State of Wonder is a world unto itself, where unlikely beauty stands beside unimaginable loss beneath the rain forest's jeweled canopy. Patchett delivers a gripping adventure story and a profound look at the difficult choices we make in the name of discovery and love.

Ratings and reviews

At first, I wasn't falling in love with the story, I just wasn't sure if this would be my kind of book, but once she set sail for the Amazon, the book really started to pick up for me. Patchett takes her time to describe the surroundings, so the reader is easily able to find themselves swept into the Amazon - I could see what the characters were seeing.

Very good and often exciting story of a researcher who goes to the Amazon to find her boss and to discover other things going on in the jungle. Kindle July 10, 2011

This was a good read with a disappointing ending. Some plot lines left dangling. Others tied up in weird ways. Good descriptions, interesting ideas, great writing.

About the author

Ann Patchett is the author of novels, most recently the #1 New York Times bestselling Tom Lake, works of nonfiction, and children's books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Women's Prize in the UK, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books.