'State of Wonder' by Ann Patchett

State of Wonder, Ann Patchett (4)

This story reminded me of a slightly lighter and more suspenseful version of Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ and it’s other homage: ‘Apocalypse Now’.  It has the younger protagonist going into the jungle to find the missing mentor who may have gone crazy, gone ‘native’, or just gone dark to avoid society.  In this more modern tale, the mentor is a doctor who has spent years in the jungle researching a possible drug to extend a woman’s fertility, possibly into her 70’s (yes, yikes, how unpleasant does that sound??).  When the drug company sends a researcher to the jungle to determine her progress and she sends a cryptic note back that he has died of a fever, they send a second researcher, a doctor who was her student years ago. I liked that this story had interesting characters, several mysteries and enough drama to keep the pages turning.  It’s always a great pleasure when a writer with talent for words (as Ms. Patchett showed with ‘Bel Canto’) can also write a really interesting story.