THE WONDER
by Emma Donoghue
Set in Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century, The Wonder fascinates with the story of Lib Wright, a nurse who trained with Florence Nightingale. She has been hired for two weeks to observe 11-year-old Anna O’Donnell, who claims not to have eaten for four months. Her parents and the local priest and politicians believe that she is a living miracle. Her fame has spread so widely that believers make pilgrimages to meet her. Lib believes she will uncover with ease and efficiency the deceit in the little girl’s and her family’s claim. Instead, she finds herself pulled into Anna’s saint-like aura.
Not only will The Wonder draw you into this small village in Ireland in the 1860s, but you will also find yourself rooting for Lib – and for Anna. We come to sympathize with Lib as we learn of a lost husband and dead child and her subsequent decision to nurse in the Crimean war. When she becomes familiar with Anna’s unusual circumstances, Lib is brought to the point where she lets down her defenses and is able to feel love for the child as if she were her own.
The Wonder has one of the most satisfying and affirming endings in a novel that I can remember reading. From beginning to end, you will love this book! (Liz)
