Saturday, October 1, 2016

The Wonder

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue


Historical fiction blends beautifully with a puzzling mystery in the newest release from the Irish author of Room.

Florence Nightingale protege, nurse Lib Wright, is sent to an impoverished village in Ireland to observe and substantiate claims that despite going without food for four months, 11-year-old Anna O'Donnell continues to live. Lib has survived The Crimean War in her homeland of England and the humiliation of a failed marriage, but this assignment may be the hardest of all. Her training under the esteemed Nightingale doesn't prepare her for watching a young girl waste away, while listening to the rants of religious zealots who claim the child is on her way to sainthood. Along with the keen eyes of  devoted Sister Michael, the two women document the girl's every move. Lib's skepticism grows about this medical miracle, yet the facts seem to prove otherwise. Is Anna truly a religious phenomenon or will Lib uncover truths that expose a shameful hoax that will make her question the profession she so dearly loves?

Donoghue's insight and research into the religious mores and beliefs of Ireland in the 1800's is impeccable. Her story examines how evil can lurk in the shadow of love, how holiness becomes more important than saving the living, and how the horror of hidden family secrets seep into the very being of a young child, bent on entering the heavenly kingdom.

A  moving tale with rich characters and surprising turns, this tale about "The Fasting Girl of Ireland" will make you wonder, indeed, about the compelling power of persuasion.








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