State of Wonder by Anne Patchett
Dr. Marina Singh is a pharmaceutical scientist for a large company in Minnesota. Marina's boss, Mr. Fox, who is also her much older lover, receives a letter from Dr. Swenson who is working in the Amazon, stating that a colleague the company sent to check on Dr. Swenson is dead. Marina is tasked with breaking the news to the man's family before getting on a plane to Brazil.
Marina dreads being the one to finish the job that Anders, the dead man, was unable to. What she hates even more is taking the pills necessary to ward off malaria in the insect rich jungle. Once in Manaus, Dr. Swenson proves to be an elusive character guarded by a unique mix of paid protectors. Marina is ready to go home but when her ride into the Amazon finally arrives, she can't resist the challenge.
As you would expect, things in the jungle are not what they should be. And because of those developments, I'm not sure what I should feel about this book. Anne Patchett is a fabulous writer, her description of the thin, blue airmail letter that folds itself into its own envelope on which the news of Andres death was reported, is amazing. But the only characters who are likeable are Anders and sometimes Marina. The rest of the cast have big flaws that even in the depths of despair are never resolved.
State of Wonder drops the reader straight into the jungle of the Amazon without any protection from the snakes, mosquitoes and rare creatures living there. The setting alone is a science lesson in itself. Ms. Patchett takes us on a journey that is sometimes believable and sometimes not but at the end your heart will be both happy and sad all at the same time. The level of emotion felt is what makes State of Wonder a good book.
Dr. Marina Singh is a pharmaceutical scientist for a large company in Minnesota. Marina's boss, Mr. Fox, who is also her much older lover, receives a letter from Dr. Swenson who is working in the Amazon, stating that a colleague the company sent to check on Dr. Swenson is dead. Marina is tasked with breaking the news to the man's family before getting on a plane to Brazil.
Marina dreads being the one to finish the job that Anders, the dead man, was unable to. What she hates even more is taking the pills necessary to ward off malaria in the insect rich jungle. Once in Manaus, Dr. Swenson proves to be an elusive character guarded by a unique mix of paid protectors. Marina is ready to go home but when her ride into the Amazon finally arrives, she can't resist the challenge.
As you would expect, things in the jungle are not what they should be. And because of those developments, I'm not sure what I should feel about this book. Anne Patchett is a fabulous writer, her description of the thin, blue airmail letter that folds itself into its own envelope on which the news of Andres death was reported, is amazing. But the only characters who are likeable are Anders and sometimes Marina. The rest of the cast have big flaws that even in the depths of despair are never resolved.
State of Wonder drops the reader straight into the jungle of the Amazon without any protection from the snakes, mosquitoes and rare creatures living there. The setting alone is a science lesson in itself. Ms. Patchett takes us on a journey that is sometimes believable and sometimes not but at the end your heart will be both happy and sad all at the same time. The level of emotion felt is what makes State of Wonder a good book.
