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State of Wonder is a 2011 novel by American author Ann Patchett. It is the story of pharmacologist Marina Singh, who journeys to Brazil to bring back information about seemingly miraculous drug research being conducted there by her former teacher, Dr. Annick Swenson. The book was published by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom and by Harper in the United States. It was well received by critics, and was nominated for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize and the Orange Prize for Fiction, among other nominations.

Key Information

Characters

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  • Dr. Marina Singh: Protagonist - a drug company employee who reluctantly goes to the Brazilian jungle to learn more about her colleague who went missing on exactly the same mission, and to verify her mentor's drug research
  • Dr. Annick Swenson: a fierce doctor and researcher, and Dr. Singh's former teacher
  • Mr. Fox: CEO of Dr. Singh's company, and also her lover
  • Dr. Anders Eckman: Dr. Singh's office mate, who reportedly died when sent on the same mission as Dr. Singh
  • Easter: young native boy who accompanies Dr. Swenson

Plot summary

[edit]

The novel opens with Dr. Marina Singh reading a letter from Dr. Annick Swenson to Dr. Singh's boss and secret lover, Mr. Fox, CEO of the pharmaceutical company Vogel. The letter reports the death of Dr. Anders Eckman, Swenson's colleague at a drug research site in the Amazon rainforest. When Eckman's widow begs Dr. Singh to find out what happened, Mr. Fox agrees to send Dr. Singh to the Amazon. Mr. Fox's other motive is that Dr. Swenson was given a blank check to conduct research into a new miracle drug, and refuses to inform him of her progress.

Finding Dr. Swenson proves to be difficult. Dr. Singh flies to Manaus, Brazil, and finds that the only people who know Dr. Swenson's whereabouts are an Australian couple named Jackie and Barbara Bovender, who are tasked with hiding her whereabouts from the outside world. Eventually Dr. Swenson surprises Dr. Singh in Manaus, and they travel in a boat piloted by a young deaf boy named Easter to the rainforest research site, near the encampment of an indigenous people called the Lakashi tribe. The women of this tribe bear children until the end of their lives, an ability they gain from eating the bark of an endemic tree called the martin. The drug whose research Vogel is funding is one that will prevent or undo menopause and allow women to give birth throughout their lives. Over time, Dr. Singh discovers that, unknown to Vogel, the bark of the martin also serves as a vaccination against malaria; it is this drug that Dr. Swenson is primarily concerned with. She fears that no pharmaceutical company would fund such an unprofitable venture, so she uses secrecy to acquire the funds for her humanitarian project; also, she worries that the Lakashi people would be destroyed if the outside world discovered the potential of the martins. Dr. Singh learns that Dr. Swenson has become pregnant, at the age of 73, making herself the first human test subject for the fertility drug.

Mr. Fox eventually visits the research site with Mrs. Bovender and a local taxi driver named Milton. En route, their boat was attacked by a possibly cannibalistic tribe. During the fracas, Mrs. Bovender sees a white man among them who she thinks is her father. Dr. Singh allows Mr. Fox to leave without finding out the dual purpose of the drug he has been funding. Meanwhile, Dr. Swenson's fetus has died and she has Dr. Singh perform a Caesarian section on her; the baby is born still and with sirenomelia. Afterwards Dr. Swenson tells Dr. Singh of her suspicion that the man Mrs. Bovender saw was possibly Dr. Eckman, whose death she had never confirmed. Along with Easter, Dr. Singh sets out to rescue Dr. Eckman. When they find the tribe, Dr. Eckman is indeed living among them, but Dr. Singh discovers that the only way they will give him up is to exchange Easter for Dr. Eckman. Dr. Singh and Dr. Eckman return to camp without Easter; Dr. Swenson is outraged that the boy she cared for was left behind. Dr. Singh and Dr. Eckman return to Minnesota; Dr. Eckman rejoins his wife and sons, and Dr. Singh continues on home.

Critical reception

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The book received mostly favorable reviews. Writing in the New York Times,[1] Fernanda Eberstadt calls the novel “an engaging, consummately told tale.” In the same newspaper, Janet Maslin’s review praises the novel, writing that “this book’s central issue, its unresolved rivalry…[is] the dragon of a teacher who lurks somewhere in every student’s academic history.” [2]

Laura Ciolkowski calls it “a suspenseful jungle adventure with an unexpected ending and other assorted surprises,” but complains about the novel's “tendency to…offer up a curiously clichéd view of life beyond the knowable edges of home.” [3] Susan Storer Clark writes that "Patchett’s gift for combining the mythic with the practical, her ability to create memorable characters and truly ingenious plot twists make State of Wonder a rich and rewarding read."[4]

The novel was nominated for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize (2011),[5] and shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction (2012).[6] It was listed for a Salon Book Award (2011), Christian Science Monitor Best Book (2011), Time Magazine's Best Books of the Year (2011), The Morning News Tournament of Books (2012), Publishers Weekly's Top 10 Best Books (2011), and New York Times bestseller (2011).

In a second edition of State of Wonder, Bloomsbury Publishing incorrectly printed on the cover the novel had won the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction, which actually went to Madeline Miller's debut The Song of Achilles, also published by Bloomsbury. The publisher blamed it on a printing error and claimed to pulp all remaining erroneous copies of State of Wonder.[7]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

State of Wonder

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from Grokipedia
State of Wonder is a by American author , published by Harper in the United States and in the . The story follows Dr. Marina Singh, a reserved pharmacologist working for a Minnesota-based pharmaceutical company, who is reluctantly sent to the remote Brazilian Amazon after the sudden death of her colleague, Anders Eckman. Tasked with retrieving Eckman's body and assessing the progress of a long-overdue project, Marina must locate her former mentor and former ob-gyn professor, the brilliant but reclusive Dr. Annick Swenson, who has been living among an indigenous tribe while studying a revolutionary fertility treatment derived from a local tree bark that enables women to conceive well into old age. Set against the lush yet treacherous backdrop of the , the novel delves into themes of scientific ambition, ethical dilemmas, and personal transformation as navigates isolation, danger, and moral ambiguity. Patchett weaves a rich with elements of , including encounters with , tribal customs, and the exploitative dynamics between Western researchers and , while exploring Marina's internal struggles with grief, regret over a past , and her complicated relationship with her boss and lover, Jack McClaire. The book highlights the "state of wonder" through its portrayal of scientific miracles juxtaposed against human frailty and the untamed natural world. Upon publication on June 7, 2011, State of Wonder received widespread critical acclaim for its immersive storytelling, complex characters, and thoughtful examination of and . It became a New York Times bestseller and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2012, as well as nominated for the Book Prize, affirming Patchett's status as a leading contemporary novelist following successes like . The novel's enduring appeal lies in its blend of suspenseful plot and profound reflections on loss, discovery, and the boundaries of human potential.

Background

Development and inspiration

Ann Patchett drew significant inspiration for State of Wonder from Joseph Conrad's , recognizing the parallel between the novel's Amazonian journey and a descent into personal and ethical ambiguity only midway through the writing process. This literary influence shaped the narrative's exploration of isolation and moral complexity in a remote, untamed environment, echoing Conrad's themes of and self-confrontation while adapting them to contemporary issues of scientific discovery. Additional influences included Werner Herzog's films and , which informed the portrayal of obsessive quests in the jungle, as well as the real-life ethnobotanist , whose Amazon explorations were detailed in Wade Davis's One River. Patchett's research process was rigorous and multifaceted, grounding the novel's speculative elements in factual detail about Amazonian and . She undertook a 10-day trip to the Peruvian Amazon in spring 2009, arranged through a Gourmet magazine assignment, where she stayed at the Ceiba Tops lodge and observed the rainforest's dense, claustrophobic atmosphere, including encounters with wildlife such as a 15-foot anaconda during a guided excursion. To deepen her understanding of indigenous tribes and medicinal plants, she read extensively, including One River by Wade Davis, by , by , and In Trouble Again by , while also visiting Harvard's lab to study relevant to her characters' work. Her investigations into research and extended —prompted by real-world articles on late-in-life pregnancies shared by friends during writing—ensured the novel's portrayal of ethical dilemmas in pharmaceutical development felt authentic and pressing. The novel's development followed Patchett's earlier works Bel Canto (2001) and Run (2007), marking a return to fiction after a period focused on non-fiction, including her 2004 memoir Truth & Beauty. She began conceptualizing the story around 2009, initially inspired by a canceled trip to , , with , which redirected her earlier research on the region from Bel Canto. Described by Patchett as her easiest novel to write, the process was swift and enjoyable due to strong character connections, though she revised extensively, trimming 75 pages from the first half on the advice of . This efficiency reflected her growing interest in scientific ethics, influenced by her non-fiction explorations of personal and relational truths, allowing her to weave themes of mentorship and moral ambiguity into the Amazonian setting.

Author context

Ann Patchett was born on December 2, 1963, in Los Angeles, California, to a police captain father and a nurse mother; her parents divorced when she was young, after which she moved with her mother and sister to Nashville, Tennessee, where she spent much of her childhood and later settled permanently. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1985 and earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1989, establishing the foundation for her literary career focused on fiction that explores human relationships. Patchett's early novels, such as The Patron Saint of Liars (1992), delved into domestic realism, portraying characters navigating personal secrets and familial bonds within confined Southern settings, while Bel Canto (2001) marked a pivotal success, blending opera, hostage drama, and themes of isolation amid unexpected human connections in an international context. Patchett's writing evolved notably after Bel Canto, which she describes as dividing her career into pre- and post-bestseller phases, shifting from introspective, regionally rooted narratives to more expansive, adventure-infused stories incorporating global settings and broader explorations of connection and confinement. This progression reflected her growing interest in diverse cultural intersections and moral complexities, moving beyond straightforward domestic tales to examine resilience in unfamiliar environments, as seen in her later works leading up to State of Wonder (2011). Her recurring motifs of isolation and human connection—often emerging in scenarios of separation or crisis—stem from this stylistic maturation, emphasizing optimism and transformative relationships across her oeuvre. In addition to fiction, Patchett's non-fiction, particularly This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage (2013), a collection of essays, reveals her personal reflections on family dynamics, commitment, and the intersections of private life with broader societal roles, subtly informing the relational undertones in her novels. These essays highlight her views on enduring bonds and ethical choices, echoing the themes of loyalty and discovery in her fiction without direct scientific focus, though they underscore her appreciation for structured inquiry akin to narrative exploration. Complementing her authorship, Patchett co-founded Parnassus Books, an independent bookstore in Nashville, in 2011, amid a decline in such establishments; this venture shaped her advocacy for literary communities, promoting commercial viability while preserving artistic integrity in publishing. Through Parnassus and public platforms, she has championed independent bookselling as vital to cultural discourse, influencing her balanced approach to literary success.

Publication

Release details

State of Wonder was initially published in June 2011 by Harper in the United States and by in the . The US hardcover edition carries the ISBN 9780062049803. The novel appeared in multiple formats, including in 2011, followed by a edition in 2012 from with 9780062049810. An audiobook version, narrated by actress , was released simultaneously with the hardcover by HarperAudio on June 7, 2011. Commercially, State of Wonder debuted at No. 3 on the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover fiction in June 2011. It became a New York Times . The book's efforts were bolstered by Ann Patchett's involvement in opening Parnassus Books, an independent bookstore in , in November 2011; Patchett promoted State of Wonder through events and bulk purchases at the store, aligning with its themes of exploration and community.

Awards and nominations

State of Wonder was shortlisted for the 2011 Wellcome Trust Book Prize, which recognizes outstanding fiction or non-fiction engaging with medical or health-related themes. The novel was one of six books on the shortlist, alongside works such as by and Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante. In 2012, State of Wonder was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction (now known as the ), marking the third such nomination for author . It competed against five other titles on the shortlist: The Forgotten Waltz by , Painter of Silence by Georgina Harding, Foreign Bodies by , The Song of Achilles by , and Half Blood Blues by . The winner was The Song of Achilles by . The shortlisting highlighted the novel's innovative narrative blending of adventure, science, and ethical dilemmas. The book was also nominated for the 2012 Dublin Literary Award by libraries worldwide, recognizing its powerful exploration of science, ethics, and human relationships. Among other honors, State of Wonder was selected as one of the top ten best books of 2011 by Publishers Weekly, ranking third in fiction. It appeared on Time magazine's list of the top ten fiction books of the year, praised as a "strange, complex and triumphantly confident reimagining" of classic adventure tales. Additionally, NPR included it among its ten best novels of 2011. Despite these accolades, the novel did not win any major literary prizes. These nominations and recognitions significantly boosted the book's visibility, contributing to its status as a New York Times bestseller. They also sparked academic interest in its portrayal of , with analyses appearing in journals like Literature and Medicine examining themes of shame, guilt, and error in scientific research.

Narrative elements

Setting

The novel State of Wonder unfolds across contrasting environments that underscore the divide between modern scientific precision and primal natural forces. The story begins in suburban , where the protagonist works at the sterile, corporate laboratories of Vogel Pharmaceuticals, a sprawling facility emblematic of controlled, data-driven research amid the quiet, snowy landscapes of the American Midwest. This setting evokes a sense of orderly rationality, with everyday domestic details like light reflecting off snow illuminating breakfast tables, highlighting the insulated world of Western pharmacology. From , the narrative shifts to , , the humid, chaotic urban hub serving as the gateway to the . This bustling South American city pulses with intense heat and a mix of colonial grandeur and encroaching wilderness, exemplified by its iconic —a symbol of fragile European civilization amid the tropical disorder. Manaus represents a transitional space, where the protagonist arrives by plane and prepares for deeper incursions into the jungle via , confronting the immediate sensory assault of scorching temperatures and urban disorientation. The heart of the novel's setting lies in the remote , particularly the isolated village of the fictional Lakashi tribe along the Rio Negro, a lush, riverine expanse teeming with dense foliage, long-toed birds, and hidden dangers like anacondas and poison-tipped arrows. This verdant, impenetrable wilderness fosters a profound sense of isolation and wonder, amplified by atmospheric elements such as sweltering humidity, incessant insect swarms, slithering leaves underfoot, and the constant threat of , which prompts the use of prophylactic drugs like Lariam that induce feverish hallucinations. Boat travel along murky rivers heightens the immersion, navigating thick water vegetation and starlit nights that blend awe with menace. Culturally, the Lakashi embody Amazonian , their self-sustaining community rooted in indigenous customs and a unique phenomenon where women remain capable of bearing children into their 70s, attributed to the consumption of bark from an endemic . This practice ties their intimately to the local flora, contrasting sharply with the rational, profit-oriented ethos of the lab and evoking a matrilineal focus on enduring reproductive vitality amid the jungle's shamanic healing traditions, such as remedies derived from river substances. The overall juxtaposition of these locales— from Minnesota's bland efficiency to the Amazon's transformative peril—immerses readers in a sensory of heat, darkness, and ethereal beauty, suspending conventional notions of time and progress.

Plot summary

Dr. Marina Singh, a 42-year-old pharmacologist working for the pharmaceutical company Vogel in , receives devastating news about the presumed death of her colleague, Dr. Anders Eckman, while he was investigating research progress in . Eckman, a family man and lab partner, had been dispatched to locate the reclusive Dr. Annick Swenson, Marina's former mentor and professor, who is conducting secretive studies deep in the . Reluctantly, Marina is sent by her boss and lover, Mr. Fox, to retrieve Eckman's body and assess Swenson's work on a groundbreaking fertility drug, embarking on a perilous journey from the city of up the into uncharted territory. As navigates the dense , she uncovers details of Swenson's long-term project among the isolated Lakashi , where women continue to bear children well into their 70s due to a substance derived from the bark of a rare tree. The research involves ethical complexities in a makeshift lab environment, including the involvement of , a boy who plays a pivotal role in the daily operations and personal dynamics of the expedition. Interwoven throughout are non-linear flashbacks that reveal Marina's past professional failures as a doctor, including a traumatic incident during her residency, and her complex mentor-student relationship with the formidable Swenson, which adds layers of tension to her quest. The narrative builds to revelations about Eckman's true fate and the broader implications of Swenson's experiments, forcing Marina to confront profound personal and moral dilemmas amid the isolation of the rainforest. Upon her eventual return to , Marina undergoes a transformative shift in her outlook on life and career, marked by an unexpected that underscores the novel's exploration of wonder and renewal.

Characters

Protagonist and mentor

Dr. Singh serves as the protagonist of State of Wonder, portrayed as a 42-year-old Indian-American pharmacologist working at a pharmaceutical company in , where she conducts research on cholesterol-lowering statins. Of half-Indian descent, with a white American mother and an Indian father who abandoned the family early in her life, is depicted as a cautious and repressed individual, often emotionally inhibited and prone to reflecting inwardly rather than engaging with her surroundings. Her character carries a deep-seated guilt stemming from a traumatic incident during her medical residency, where she fainted while attending a difficult delivery, an event that effectively derailed her clinical career and redirected her toward laboratory research. This past error amplifies her timidity and aversion to high-stakes environments, including her unspoken fears surrounding motherhood and personal adventure, as she navigates a childless life marked by professional stability over bold exploration. Dr. Annick Swenson functions as Marina's formidable mentor, an elderly and brilliant scientist whose influence looms large over the narrative as a reclusive figure embedded among the fictional in the Amazon. Originally Marina's during and residency, Swenson is characterized by her tyrannical demeanor, described as a "dragon of a teacher" with a fierce, exacting that borders on in her pursuit of scientific discovery. Her background spans multiple disciplines—, gynecology, and —fueling an uncompromising zeal that leads her to prioritize groundbreaking research on over corporate obligations or personal comforts, resulting in her isolated existence deep in the Brazilian rainforest. Swenson's recalcitrant nature makes her elusive and difficult, embodying a generational that challenges conventional ethical boundaries in scientific endeavor. The dynamic between Marina and Swenson is rooted in a tense mentor-protégé relationship forged in medical training, where Swenson's harsh oversight once halted Marina's aspiring clinical path, leaving a legacy of rivalry and unresolved influence. This bond evolves through mutual confrontation, highlighting clashes in —Marina's caution against Swenson's zeal—and in perspectives on scientific responsibility, as the younger grapples with her mentor's shadow while asserting her own agency. Their interactions underscore generational tensions in , with Swenson's domineering presence forcing Marina to challenge long-held fears and professional deference.

Supporting figures

Mr. Fox serves as the CEO of the pharmaceutical company Vogel, where he acts as Singh's older lover and superior, being approximately 18 years older than her at around 60 years old. Described as a widowed "silver fox," he exhibits a pragmatic and risk-averse demeanor, often marked by emotional distance and silences in his relationship with , which leverages personal ties to propel her involvement in the company's Amazon expedition. His bland yet authoritative presence underscores the corporate constraints contrasting the novel's wilder settings. Dr. Anders Eckman is depicted as Marina Singh's amiable and idealistic research colleague at Vogel, who shared her lab and was sent to Brazil to locate Dr. Annick Swenson and evaluate her fertility drug progress. Initially presumed dead from a fever in the Amazon, his character embodies lost innocence amid scientific pursuits, with his later survival in the company of Dr. Swenson and her young charge, the deaf boy , introducing elements of family adaptation in the remote environment. Eckman's brief reference to his contributions highlights the ethical tensions in pharmaceutical development, though details are deferred to broader scientific discussions. Easter appears as a young, deaf boy raised among the Lakashi people in the Amazon, serving as a poignant figure of connection whose background ties into themes of without overt interpretation here. His innocence and reliance on non-verbal communication provide contrast to the Western scientists' approaches, fostering unexpected bonds during the expedition. Minor characters such as the boatmen facilitate through the Amazon's challenging waterways, embodying local expertise that highlights the intruders' dependence on indigenous . Tribal members of the Lakashi, including women noted for their unique fertility extending into later decades due to a tree-bark substance, act as enigmatic foils to the Western protagonists, guarding their customs and secrets amid the outsiders' investigations. These roles emphasize cultural barriers and the novel's exploration of intrusion in isolated communities.

Themes and analysis

Ethical and scientific issues

In State of Wonder, the central ethical conflict revolves around the potential patenting and commercialization of a derived from the bark of a tree used by the fictional in the Amazon, which enables women to bear children indefinitely after , alongside a related anti-malarial treatment. This pits the profit-driven imperatives of the pharmaceutical company Vogel against the need to preserve indigenous cultural practices. The novel critiques in vulnerable ecosystems, highlighting how such developments could disrupt self-sustaining communities by introducing endless , which Swenson views as a "mixed " that might undermine the Lakashi's balanced way of life. The fictional pharmacology is grounded in the real biodiversity of the , where numerous pharmaceuticals, such as for derived from the tree, have originated, lending plausibility to the tree-bark discovery. However, Patchett underscores scientific critiques of clinical trials conducted on indigenous groups without proper or oversight, as Swenson's remote operations evade institutional boards (IRBs), blurring the lines between researcher and subject in ways that violate ethical standards for human experimentation. This portrayal draws attention to historical abuses in research, where isolated settings facilitate unchecked testing that prioritizes breakthroughs over participant . The narrative contrasts corporate science, exemplified by Vogel's relentless pursuit of marketable innovations to address global health inequities like malaria, with Swenson's humanitarian yet secretive approach, which safeguards the tribe but delays potential benefits for broader populations. Vogel's funding underscores profit motives that could exacerbate inequities by commodifying indigenous resources without equitable benefit-sharing, while Swenson's isolation reflects a protective ethic that questions whether scientific advancement justifies cultural erosion. This tension illuminates real-world debates in pharmaceutical development, where corporate incentives often clash with equitable access in low-resource regions. On a personal level, Marina Singh grapples with her past —blinding an infant during a complicated delivery—which haunts her shift to and amplifies her ethical qualms about the fertility drug's potential for abuse, such as coercive or exploitation of women's bodies. Her internal struggle embodies the "second victim" phenomenon in , where guilt and shame from errors lead to professional withdrawal and moral paralysis, resolved only through confrontation with Swenson's unforgiving standards. This personal dimension critiques how individual ethics intersect with larger scientific dilemmas, emphasizing the psychological toll of pursuing boundary-pushing .

Cultural and personal explorations

In State of Wonder, explores colonial undertones through the Western characters' intrusion into the isolated Lakashi tribe's world in the Amazon, portraying it as a form of modern imperialism where scientific ambition overrides indigenous autonomy. The draws parallels to Joseph Conrad's , with Dr. Annick Swenson positioned as a Kurtz-like figure who embeds herself in Lakashi society to extract knowledge for pharmaceutical gain, concealing exploitative motives under a veneer of for an "Edenic" untouched landscape. This dynamic challenges patriarchal norms, as the Lakashi operate within a matriarchal structure where women maintain and into advanced age, subverting Western assumptions about and aging. The protagonist, Dr. Marina Singh, grapples with personal identity shaped by her biracial heritage—born to an Indian father and a white American mother—which amplifies her sense of displacement in both Minnesota's sterile labs and the Amazon's primal environment. Her fears, stemming from her past and her age in her early forties, intersect profoundly with the Lakashi's Amazonian perspectives on motherhood, where women continue childbearing into their seventies without , redefining as a communal and enduring life force rather than a personal burden. This contrast forces Marina to confront her internalized cultural and reproductive anxieties, blending her scientific with the tribe's holistic views on womanhood and legacy. Cross-cultural bonds in the novel highlight adaptation and loss, particularly through the relationship between Anders Eckman and the Lakashi boy , a deaf whom Eckman raises before his death, symbolizing the poignant costs of immersion in an alien world. Patchett critiques "" tropes by presenting the Lakashi not as romanticized primitives but as complex individuals with agency, such as Easter's role as a cultural bridge that exposes Western projections of saviorhood while revealing the tribe's vulnerabilities to outside influence. Marina's evolving bond with further underscores these themes, evolving from paternalistic rescue fantasies to mutual dependence that acknowledges irreversible losses on both sides. The titular "state of wonder" represents a psychological transformation from and alienation to acceptance amid foreign surroundings, as Marina sheds her emotional repression to embrace the Amazon's chaotic vitality and human interconnections. This shift, triggered by encounters with the rainforest's perils and the Lakashi's resilient , allows characters to transcend cultural barriers, fostering a tentative that prioritizes wonder over conquest.

Reception

Critical reviews

Upon its release in 2011, State of Wonder by received widespread critical acclaim for its lush prose and suspenseful pacing, often compared to a literary thriller. of praised the novel's "crystalline and exquisite" prose and its gripping narrative of a perilous Amazon trek, describing it as "a tale that leads into the " that explores moral ambiguities in scientific exploration. Similarly, critic lauded the book's masterful weaving of suspense, calling it a "wow" of a story that deftly twists like an anaconda while delving into the ethical complexities of prolonged fertility and personal loss. Critics also highlighted the depth of its characters and thematic richness. In another New York Times review, Liesl Schillinger commended Patchett's deadpan style for blending magical realism with prosaic elements, creating an engaging tale that confronts Hippocratic dilemmas and indigenous impacts through the psychological complexity of Marina Singh. emphasized the vivid portrayals of figures like the imperious Dr. Annick Swenson and the emotionally resonant deaf boy , underscoring the novel's exploration of love's "awful price" and scientific ambition. However, some reviewers noted shortcomings in the narrative's execution. In The Guardian, Alex Clark critiqued the reliance on familiar Amazon adventure tropes, such as swarms of and anaconda encounters, which lent a clichéd feel to setting, while the indigenous Lakashi remained underdeveloped as mere backdrop rather than fully realized perspectives. Kakutani echoed this by observing the novel's occasionally meandering plot and generic tropical scenery, though she ultimately found its core confrontation compelling. The book garnered strong reader reception, averaging 3.90 out of 5 stars on Goodreads based on over 199,000 ratings. Initial buzz was amplified by its inclusion in Oprah's pre-40 book recommendations, enhancing its accessibility and discussion in book clubs.

Legacy and interpretations

State of Wonder has contributed to broader literary discussions on biotechnology ethics and the intersections of science, colonialism, and gender, particularly through its portrayal of bioprospecting in the Amazon. Scholar Veronica Davidov analyzes the novel as a lens for examining "pharmocopias" of indigenous knowledge, highlighting tensions between Western pharmaceutical interests and local communities' rights to their resources. This perspective aligns with eco-feminist critiques, as seen in academic conferences where the book is read for its exploration of reproductive justice and biocolonialism in rainforest settings. The novel is frequently incorporated into university curricula, including courses on at , where it is studied alongside discussions of and . It also appears in global health ethics classes at , emphasizing moral dilemmas in medical fieldwork, and in comparative literature syllabi at , paired with postcolonial texts like . Additionally, it features in gender, race, and botany courses at the University of Wisconsin, focusing on rights and pharmaceutical development. Adaptation efforts for State of Wonder have remained unrealized as of 2025, with no film or stage productions completed. In 2018, Entertainment One acquired television rights to develop it as an event series. The following year, director William Oldroyd and screenwriter Philippa Goslett joined the project for eOne and King Bee Productions. The audiobook, narrated by Hope Davis, achieved commercial success as a New York Times bestseller and Audie Award winner, though it did not directly prompt Ann Patchett to narrate her subsequent works. Scholarly interpretations often situate the novel within Patchett's broader oeuvre, emphasizing feminist themes of motherhood and professional ambition. Audie K. Imhoff and Danielle Ofri's analysis in Literature and Medicine examines motifs of and guilt tied to medical errors, portraying the protagonist's journey as a prolonged reckoning with personal and ethical failures. Comparisons to Patchett's other novels highlight recurring explorations of female agency in scientific and familial contexts, as discussed in academic reviews of her ethical narratives. The book's relevance persists into the 2020s, echoing debates on and pharmaceutical patents amid crises like , where inequities in access mirrored the novel's critiques of exploitative in vulnerable regions. Davidov's work underscores how State of Wonder anticipates contemporary concerns over biopiracy and equitable benefit-sharing from indigenous .

References

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  31. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7614404/
  32. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jun/24/ann-patchett-state-of-wonder-review
  33. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/books/state-of-wonder-by-ann-patchett-book-review.html
  34. https://fictionwritersreview.com/review/state-of-wonder-by-ann-patchett/
  35. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/46726-finding-the-amazon-in-tennessee-pw-talks-with-ann-patchett.html
  36. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ann-patchett/state-wonder/
  37. https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-204980-3
  38. https://www.npr.org/2011/06/21/137327046/book-review-state-of-wonder
  39. https://www.latimes.com/books/la-ca-ann-patchett-20110605-story.html
  40. https://kenyonreview.org/2014/10/online-book-discussion-ann-patchetts-state-wonder-week-two-3/
  41. https://blog.primr.org/book-review-patchett-offers-insig/
  42. https://globalhealth.duke.edu/news/basic-truth-insight-state-wonder
  43. https://kenyonreview.org/2014/10/online-book-discussion-ann-patchetts-state-wonder-week-three-2/
  44. https://www.fosters.com/story/lifestyle/2011/06/07/patchett-sets-latest-novel-deep/50011859007/
  45. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/books/review/book-review-state-of-wonder-by-ann-patchett.html
  46. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9118135-state-of-wonder
  47. https://www.oprah.com/book/before-40-state-of-wonder
  48. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0308275X13490309
  49. https://thepolyphony.org/2019/06/18/biocolonialism-perspectives-from-the-humanities-review/
  50. https://english.wvu.edu/files/d/dbd4ac67-0320-456a-b967-5edff178e2cf/english-273-claycomb.pdf
  51. https://complit.brown.edu/sites/default/files/2021-02/Spring%25202022%2520Course%2520Offerings%2520with%2520Descriptions.pdf
  52. https://gws.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/249/2024/05/GWS-533_Gender-Race-and-Botany_Syllabus_2024.docx
  53. https://deadline.com/2019/06/state-of-wonder-william-oldroyd-philippa-goslett-1202638723/
  54. https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/state-of-wonder-by-ann-patchett
  55. https://www.academia.edu/4968509/Amazonia_as_Pharmacopia
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