Blogging every day has taken away the time to read, but when the library told me a book I have had on hold for a couple of months was available, I had to take the time to read it. As I read State of Wonder, I could hardly put it down to feed the kids.
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dr. Marina Singh lives a life of secrets. She cannot divulge that she is having an affair with the CEO of her pharmaceutical company, Mr. Fox, to anyone. The reason she became a lab doctor instead of a practicing medical doctor is also a huge secret; a secret she would rather forget.
One day, a letter arrives at the lab. It is from a secret research facility in the Amazon, and the doctor leading the research tersely reports that a colleague of Marina’s has perished in the rainforest. Mr. Fox and the colleague’s wife recruit Marina to go down to South America to investigate.
As Marina prepares for the trip that she would rather not take, it is important for her to take Lariam, an anti-malaria medication. As she does so, she remembers taking her malaria pills as a child when she goes to visit her father who lives in India. The medicine’s side effects affect her greatly, and the nightmares she had as a child return. Before she goes on the airplane, she throws the Lariam into a waste basket.
Once she arrives in Brazil, Marina’s search for the truth begins, and she discovers more secrets that she must keep. These secrets go beyond the research lab in the rain forest and the secrets the doctors who work there keep. She also discovers the secrets she has been keeping from herself.
While the ending seemed a bit rushed and I yearned for the story to continue, I highly recommend adding this book to your “to-read” list.
