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State of Wonder
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Hope Davis
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
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Publisher's summary
A New York Times best seller
Orange Prize nominee
A Time Magazine’s Best Books of the Year
A Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Top Ten Best Books
A Wellcome Trust Book Prize nominee.
“Expect miracles when you read Ann Patchett’s fiction.” (New York Times Book Review)
Award-winning, New York Times best-selling author Ann Patchett returns with a provocative and assured novel of morality and miracles, science and sacrifice set in the Amazon rainforest.
Marina Singh is a research scientist at Vogel, a pharmaceutical institute in Minnesota, and inconveniently in love with her boss, Mr. Fox. When one of her colleagues is reported to have died while following up on the progress of a field team based in Brazil, Marina is dispatched by Mr. Fox to the Amazon to uncover the truth of his death. And his widow wants his effects.
She travels to Manaus, then down into the Amazonian delta, deep into the dense, dark, insect-infested jungle. The research team is looking into the development of a new miracle drug that could revolutionize Western society. A local tribe has the bark of a certain tree, it yields a substance which allows them to conceive late into middle age: many of the women are getting pregnant into their 60s and 70s.
The problem is that the team is taking too long: they have been silent for two years, and Marina has been tasked to find out what is holding back their progress. The second problem is more serious: the team is being headed up by the daunting figure of Annick Swenson, an eminent and fiercely uncompromising scientist who was once Marina’s colleague, and towards whom Marina has very complicated feelings. What Marina learns will change her life. In a novel that is packed with amazing twists and surprises, Ann Patchett returns with immense confidence to a broad canvas, teeming with atmosphere and characters and rich with narrative.
Remarkable events - fights with anacondas; encounters with cannibals; deaths; re-births - and profound moral decisions come together in a novel that will enthrall her many listeners and fans and is guaranteed to be a major best seller.
Infusing the narrative with the same ingenuity and emotional urgency that pervaded her acclaimed previous novels Bel Canto, Taft, Run, The Magician’s Assistant, and The Patron Saint of Liars, Patchett delivers an enthralling, innovative tale of aspiration, exploration, and attachment in State of Wonder - a gripping adventure story and a profound look at the difficult choices we make in the name of discovery and love.
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Editorial reviews
Best-selling author Ann Patchett and accomplished actor Hope Davis make a stellar combination for Patchett's latest novel, State of Wonder, an homage to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Davis deftly voices an international cast of medical researchers in the Amazon jungle. Her talents enhance Patchett's artistically descriptive prose, in many cases coiling the jungle imagery closer than you may want.
Hope Davis voices Dr. Marina Singh's stoic professionalism as she, a pharmacologist, is sent to the Amazon jungle by her employer to seek information about the death of a colleague.
Patchett's gift is to give characters multiple, very human layers, and Davis' gift is to bring those creations to life. Dr. Singh's reserve falls apart as she is plagued by unsettling nightmares and vivid memories of past medical mistakes. Dr. Annick Swenson's imperious personality has, through Hope Davis, the ability to intimidate through your earbuds. Dr. Swenson's arrogance keeps everyone quaking until, as the story unfolds, Davis' tone allows hints of humanity to ease through the doctor's sharp-edged exterior. Davis easily moves from dialects as the individual personalities - among them, a West African doctor, an Indonesian researcher, and a self-absorbed Australian couple - flow one from the other. Davis gives a brilliant performance of a prickly, uncomfortable argument between the married couple Alan and Nancy Saturn, making all who are listening want to distract themselves with the scenery.
Terrain itself becomes if not a character, a force, in State of Wonder. Contrasting Dr. Singh's beloved Minnesota plains with the claustrophobic, crawling, itching, frighteningly enveloping jungle, Patchett's words offer Hope Davis another opportunity to shine artistically. Davis infuses Patchett's prose with palpable energy, allowing listeners to exult in the wide, open prairies of the Midwest and then sense the creeping terror of forbidding, dangerously alive Amazonian jungle. While Davis' depiction of a confrontation with an anaconda is not to be missed, be forewarned that Patchett's imagery and Davis' performance will put anyone listening right beside the panic-stricken fictional characters as a life-and-death battle ensues.
For fans of Ann Patchett, State of Wonder is all that one has been waiting for and more. The story has as many twists and turns as, well, the Amazon jungle itself. And Hope Davis takes the joy of a new Ann Patchett book to an even higher level of pleasure through her masterful performance. It is a fantastically compelling adventure trip without the hazards of incessant bug bites, poisonous critters, or sweltering heat. (Carole Chouinard)
Critic reviews
“An expansive page-turner . . . Patchett’s fluid prose dissolves in the suspense of this out-there adventure . . . that readers will hate to see end.” (Publishers Weekly)
“An engaging, consummately told tale.” (New York Times)
“A superbly rendered novel. . . . Patchett’s portrayal is as wonderful as it is frightening and foreign. Patchett exhibits an extraordinary ability to bring the horrors and the wonders of the Amazon jungle to life, and her singular characters are wonderfully drawn. . . . Powerful and captivating.” (Library Journal, starred review)
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Ella Ginsberg's brother, Simon, has disappeared. His clothing, shoes, and watch were found abandoned near a freight line track in Central California. His jockey shorts and wallet were never found. The police have no clue, and Simon's wife had no warning that anything was wrong. Ella takes off on foot across much of California and Arizona, thinking she can find Simon using nothing but her knowledge of the way he might think. Her search leads her to the Navajo Nation in Arizona.
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Funerals for Horses
- By Carolyn Ferrell on 03-26-18
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White Dog Fell from the Sky
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- Narrated by: Carla Mercer-Meyer
- Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins
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Botswana, 1976: Isaac Muthethe thinks he is dead. Smuggled across the border from South Africa in a hearse, he awakens covered in dust, staring at blue sky and the face of White Dog. Far from dead, he is, for the first time, in a country without apartheid. A medical student in South Africa, he was forced to flee after witnessing a friend murdered by white members of the South African Defense Force.
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Unexpectedly Stunning Work!
- By Kathi on 03-15-13
By: Eleanor Morse
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A Doubter's Almanac
- A Novel
- By: Ethan Canin
- Narrated by: David Aaron Baker
- Length: 19 hrs and 8 mins
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Milo Andret is born with an unusual mind. A lonely child growing up in the woods of Northern Michigan in the 1950s, he gives little thought to his own talent. But with his acceptance at UC Berkeley, he realizes the extent - and the risks - of his singular gifts. California in the '70s is a seduction, opening Milo's eyes to the allure of both ambition and indulgence. The research he begins there will make him a legend; the woman he meets there - and the rival he meets alongside her - will haunt him for the rest of his life.
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The curse of genius?
- By Bonny on 03-03-16
By: Ethan Canin
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Mr. Fox
- A Novel
- By: Helen Oyeyemi
- Narrated by: Carol Boyd
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Fairy-tale romances end with a wedding and the fairy tales don't get complicated. In this book, celebrated writer Mr. Fox can't stop himself from killing off the heroines of his novels, and neither can his wife, Daphne. It's not until Mary, his muse, comes to life and transforms him from author into subject that his story begins to unfold differently....
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A Great Novel, just Poor for Audio
- By James A. Dittes on 08-13-16
By: Helen Oyeyemi
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The Sound of Glass
- By: Karen White
- Narrated by: Therese Plummer, Susan Bennett
- Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
It has been two years since the death of Merritt Heyward's husband, Cal, when she receives unexpected news - Cal's family home in Beaufort, South Carolina, bequeathed by Cal's reclusive grandmother, now belongs to Merritt. Charting the course of an uncertain life - and feeling guilt from her husband's tragic death - Merritt travels from her home in Maine to Beaufort, where the secrets of Cal's unspoken-of past reside among the pluff mud and jasmine of the ancestral Heyward home on the Bluff.
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You'll LAUGH, LOVE, and maybe CRY a little
- By Jennifer on 08-08-15
By: Karen White
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Tar Baby
- By: Toni Morrison
- Narrated by: Desiree Coleman
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Jadine Childs is a Black fashion model with a white patron, a white boyfriend, and a coat made out of ninety perfect sealskins. Son is a Black fugitive who embodies everything she loathes and desires. As Morrison follows their affair, which plays out from the Caribbean to Manhattan and the deep South, she charts all the nuances of obligation and betrayal between Blacks and whites, masters and servants, and men and women.
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So good that I'm writing my first Audible review!
- By BL on 12-10-11
By: Toni Morrison
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Keeper of the Light
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- By: Diane Chamberlain
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Dr. Olivia Simon is on duty in the emergency room of North Carolina's Outer Banks Hospital when a gunshot victim is brought in. Midway through the desperate effort to save the young woman's life, Olivia realizes who she is - Annie O'Neill, the woman Olivia's husband, Paul, is in love with.
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I can't finish this...
- By Calmeridian Tink on 03-31-16
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Raven Stole the Moon
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- By: Garth Stein
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Performance
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Jenna Rosen returns to the place in Alaska where her young son, Bobby, disappeared without a trace two years before. Jenna is determined to lay to rest the aching mystery of his death. But ancient legends may have had a hand in Bobby’s fate, forcing Jenna to sift through her own Native American ancestry to uncover the truth.
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I love this book
- By Em mom of 3 on 08-27-18
By: Garth Stein
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In the Country
- Stories
- By: Mia Alvar
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu, Don Castro
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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These nine globe-trotting, unforgettable stories from Mia Alvar, a remarkable new literary talent, vividly give voice to the women and men of the Filipino diaspora. Here are exiles, emigrants, and wanderers uprooting their families from the Philippines to begin new lives in the Middle East, the United States, and elsewhere - and sometimes turning back again.
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My introduction to Filipino literature and culture
- By Amazon Customer on 03-28-16
By: Mia Alvar
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The Portable Veblen
- By: Elizabeth Mckenzie
- Narrated by: Julia Gibson
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An exuberant, one-of-a-kind novel about love and family, war and nature, new money and old values by a brilliant New Yorker contributor. The Portable Veblen is a dazzlingly original novel that's as big-hearted as it is laugh-out-loud funny. Set in and around Palo Alto amid the culture clash of new money and old (antiestablishment) values, and with the specter of our current wars looming across its words, The Portable Veblen is an unforgettable look at the way we live now.
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Not what it was cracked up to be
- By Linda on 02-03-16
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Lighthouse Bay
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Overall
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Performance
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This breathtaking novel travels more than a century between two love stories set in the Australian seaside town of Lighthouse Bay. In 1901, a ship sinks off the coast of Lighthouse Bay in Australia. The only survivor is Isabella Winterbourne - escaping her loveless marriage and the devastating loss of her son - who clutches a priceless gift meant for the Australian Parliament. Suddenly, this gift could be her ticket to a new life, free from the bonds of her husband and his overbearing family.
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Excellent story!
- By Kate B. on 11-30-17
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The Other Mother
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Jenry Castillo is a musical prodigy, raised by a single mother in Miami, who arrives at Brown University on a scholarship—but also to learn more about his late father, Jasper Patterson, a famous ballet dancer who died tragically when Jenry was two. On his search, he meets his estranged grandfather, Winston Patterson, a legendary professor of African American history and a fixture at the Ivy League school, who explodes his world with one question: Why is Jenry so focused on Jasper, when it was Winston’s daughter, Juliet, who was Jenry’s mother’s lover?
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Very good.
- By Roland Harper on 05-22-22
By: Rachel Harper
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Don't listen to the interview at the end.
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What listeners say about State of Wonder
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Rebecca
- 09-23-16
Loved every word
The writing is beautiful, the story is compelling , thoughtful and fun. Nice to hear a good story that doesn't involve murder or violence to be compelling. I can't wait to read more from Ann Patchett. Hope Davis brought it to life beautifully.
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Performance
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- Susan
- 03-24-12
wow
What did you love best about State of Wonder?
the story capured you from the first sentance to the last word
Have you listened to any of Hope Davis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
the narrator take you on the journey of a lifetime
Who was the most memorable character of State of Wonder and why?
easter will haunt me and never be forgotten
Any additional comments?
absolutly fantastic story
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Performance
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- Debora
- 11-24-12
Great Listen!
Would you listen to State of Wonder again? Why?
I don't listen to books more than once.
What did you like best about this story?
The setting and feelings of the main character were well described and felt very real.
Which scene was your favorite?
The snake scene.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The ending made me cry.
Any additional comments?
Very entertaining and very well read.
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Performance
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- Danielle
- 09-19-11
Original Story
This book was good from the very start. The story is very orignal. The narator does a fantastic job. The end of the book leaves a few questions unanswered.
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Performance
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- Terri
- 01-08-13
Interesting story and an Enjoyable listen
Anne Panchett's story, word choice, and exploration of the human character was both relaxing listen to and an exhilarating adventure. I found myself looking forward to our time time together each day and was sorry when it ended. Neither the story or the characters felt cliche, indeed I found both original, refreshing, and somehow true to the reality of life.
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- alison
- 09-12-11
Wonder-full
Ann Patchett is a remarkable storyteller -- this book is fabulous! She paints a vivid picture of the location and the people . . . she story is thought-provoking and inspiriing.
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- Meryl
- 03-08-12
Loved this book
What did you love best about State of Wonder?
The adventure opened up as did the jungle exploration by the protagonist.
What did you like best about this story?
Beautiful development of character and a primeval setting. What could be better.
Which character – as performed by Hope Davis – was your favorite?
Excellent reader. Sounded like Ann Patchett herself.
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- Theresa
- 10-01-12
I was in AW at the STATE OF WONDER!
Where does State of Wonder rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is one of the best books so far!
What did you like best about this story?
The story kept me interested with great characters from page 1 on.
Which character – as performed by Hope Davis – was your favorite?
My favorite character is the 70+ year old pregnant Doctor!
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
In a remote part of Brazil scientists study female fertility with surprising results.
Any additional comments?
Enjoyable, especially for female readers
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Overall
- Heather
- 07-23-11
Not My Normal Genre
I normally gravitate towards more murder mystery/legal thriller type novels for my "mind candy" but decided to venture out a bit with State of Wonder. I was not disappointed. I found this listen engaging and entertaining. I looked forward to my run so I could listen to this beautifully written story.
The reason for the 3 stars, vs. 4 or 5 was due to the ending. I found the ending a bit forced (rushed, maybe?) and didn't think it really fit with the voice of the remainder of the book. I was left feeling a little off. All in all, though, I really enjoyed Patchett's writing style and Davis's narration.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Liatris
- 01-15-12
Half and half
I almost stopped listening to this halfway though because I didn't like a single character except the driver. He showed up just in time. Another problem was that Dr. Swenson reminds me of someone I'd rather not be reminded of. My conclusion is that perhaps the first half of the book drags on a bit. The exposition continues for a couple hours. I understand that the protagonist is also frustrated with how long her task is taking to develop, but I don't think the reader has to suffer the same in order to sympathize. The important information could have been shown in fewer pages without losing integrity. I'm not sure the dynamic between Mr. Fox and Marina serves enough purpose to deserve so many pages. I thought the visit to the opera was little contrived and had me close to actually hating Dr. Swenson. When Marina finally gets to meet the fabulous Dr. Swenson things start to pick up, though mostly because of the delightful Easter - an adolescent boy who lives in the village. Yes, the science is a little out there, but that didn't bother me. There is so much about the rainforest we don't know that I still found it entertaining. I thought the continual re-visit to the "visit to Hell" theme was overdone, more told than shown. In the end, I would say the descriptions of the rainforest and Marina's experience there make the book worth listening to. It did not leave me with the sense of hope that Bel Canto gave me years ago, which was what I was hoping for. It is quite possible I would have liked this better if I had not had that expectation.
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