Elizabeth Gilbert wrote about State of Wonder in her book Big Magic. As I remember it, Liz had an idea to write a story about a woman from Minnesota who finds love in the Amazon jungle. Liz started researching the story and started writing. She got busy with other things in her life and her motivation went away.
When Liz met Ann Patchett for the first time, which was another story in itself, she told Ann about this idea she'd once had for a story that got away from her. Ann told her she'd just written a story about a woman from Minnesota who finds love in the Amazon jungle.
That cool story made me want to read State of Wonder. I found the book within a week at one of my favorite thrift stores. I started reading, but couldn't follow the thread. I've gotten out of the habit of reading an actual book. I love audio books so much.
My friend, Lea, makes a valid point: a narrator can make or break an audio book. The way a story is read changes the story itself. The pronunciation, the cadence, the sound of the characters voices is all lost when someone is reading to you. Plus, I feel lazy. But, I love them.
These days I have to listen to my audio books over and over to pick up the thread. I push play on my book and thirty minutes later realize I have no idea what is happening. I cannot concentrate (thank you Long Covid brain fog) even when it's something I thoroughly enjoy. I back the book up and listen again. Some things seem familiar, but finer details have vanished. I probably listened to the first thirty minutes of this book for three days before I could move on. Then it went quickly.
It's not your typical love story. Although, as a friend once told me, there are all different types of love. It is a story about love forged through extreme circumstances, like living in the Amazon. It reminded me of my mission trips to India and Guatemala. I love every single person I met on those mission trips. No one else can understand an experience like that.
It's a story about loss and redemption and mentors and science. There is a thread of medical ethics. The characters are rich and vivid. It has a messy ending. If you're a fan of tidy endings, this is not the book for yo
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