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The Wonder

Emma Donoghue

Start date: April 12, 2017

Finish date: April 30, 2017

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What Members Thought

Feb 20, 2017 Lisa rated it liked it

wanted to love this. couldn't connect with the characters, and wanted someone to force feed that child! also, I guessed the reason why early on, so it was kind of anti climatic to me. ...more

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Apr 08, 2017 Chris rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook, historical-fiction, fiction, ireland

There are many, many things that I liked about this book, but I found the ending so completely ridiculous that I have lowered my rating from four stars to three.

Elizabeth "Lib" Wright is an English nurse trained by Florence Nightingale. She is a veteran of the Crimea who has come home to a position as a hospital nurse. When she is asked to serve as an observer to an 11-year-old Irish girl whose family claims she has not eaten in four months, Lib assumes a hoax that will be easily uncovered. But There are many, many things that I liked about this book, but I found the ending so completely ridiculous that I have lowered my rating from four stars to three.

Elizabeth "Lib" Wright is an English nurse trained by Florence Nightingale. She is a veteran of the Crimea who has come home to a position as a hospital nurse. When she is asked to serve as an observer to an 11-year-old Irish girl whose family claims she has not eaten in four months, Lib assumes a hoax that will be easily uncovered. But once she arrives in the isolated community she realizes that nothing about the child's story or her family will be easy.

Donoghue does a brilliant job of slowly revealing details, leaving the reader hungry for more—just as we're sure that little Anna must be really hungry, too. Over everything hangs the family's Roman Catholicism, which circumscribes every aspect of their lives. It is immediately clear that Anna believes she has a special relationship with God and that her fast has some special purpose, but what? And why will none of the adults around Anna, her parents, the local priest, or the doctor, make any move try to talk some sense into the girl? What ulterior motives do each of them have? Lib becomes in turn enraged and beaten down as the girl's condition worsens to the point that death seems inevitable, and maybe even to be wished for.

Lib is an interesting character in that there is much to like about her and more than a few things to question. She arrives in Ireland with all the prejudices that the English had for the Irish. Even though she was raised an Anglican, her war experiences have left her opposed to religion and strongly antagonistic toward the superstitions of the Irish and many of the aspects of their faith. This ignorance frequently catches Lib "wrong footed" as she fails to understand or misunderstands something. Donoghue offers the character of William Byrne, an Irish journalist, as a counterpoint. He makes Lib question many of her suppositions and prejudices while also explaining some of the essential nature of his countrymen. But the character of Byrne was problematic for me. I just didn't believe that someone like Lib would have really had anything to do with someone like him.

(The following contains information which may be a slight spoiler, although I'm trying very hard not to say too much.)

Which takes us to the book's ending. The solution to the mystery is rather astounding and yet makes complete sense in light of all that we've learned before. Then the story takes several ludicrous turn that makes no sense at all. While Donoghue tried to lay a basis for Lib's actions by revealing more of her past, I still find Anna's actions hard to believe. It seems unlikely that such strong convictions can be swept away so easily - not to mention the fact that I have a few medical questions about all of this. That left me with a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the story. ...more

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Jul 05, 2017 Kim Benouski rated it liked it

I was intrigued with the main character and the fasting idea, although there was so much frustrating religious superstition that it annoyed me. The mystery was clever enough that I hadn't fully guessed, but the ending seemed unrealistic and rushed. 2.5 stars ...more

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Aug 29, 2016 Tfalcone rated it really liked it

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC.

I thought this was a very intriguing book. Lib, a Nightingale nurse, is asked to come to Ireland to watch over a girl proclaimed to be a "wonder" because she has not eaten in four months. Is she a fraud or a miracle? Lib is charged with watching the girl day and night to find out. Heartbreaking and wonderful book with an elegant solution. ...more

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