Ann Patchett
State of Wonder
book | Fiction | May 2011
US & Canada → HarperCollins (Ed. Jonathan Burnham )
UK & Comm → Bloomsbury Publishing (Ed. Alexandra Pringle)
State of Wonder debuted on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list at number three and the combined print and e-book list at number four. It is also a New York Times Editor's Choice.
There were people on the banks of the river. Among the tangled waterways and giant anacondas of the Brazilian Rio Negro, an enigmatic scientist is developing a drug that could alter the lives of women for ever.
Dr Annick Swenson's work is shrouded in mystery; she refuses to report on her progress, especially to her investors, whose patience is fast running out. Anders Eckman, a mild-mannered lab researcher, is sent to investigate. A curt letter reporting his untimely death is all that returns. Now Marina Singh, Anders' colleague and once a student of the mighty Dr Swenson, is their last hope.
Compelled by the pleas of Anders's wife, who refuses to accept that her husband is not coming home, Marina leaves the snowy plains of Minnesota and retraces her friend's perilous steps into the heart of the South American darkness, determined to track down Dr. Swenson and uncover the jealously guarded secrets among the remotest tribes of the rainforest.
What Marina does not yet know is that, in this ancient corner of the jungle, where the muddy waters and susurrating grasses hide countless unknown perils and temptations, she will face challenges beyond her wildest imagination, and will be forced to make impossible decisions with consequences more wide-ranging than she could ever foresee.
"Ms. Patchett['s prose is] crystalline and exquisite." The New York Times
There were people on the banks of the river. Among the tangled waterways and giant anacondas of the Brazilian Rio Negro, an enigmatic scientist is developing a drug that could alter the lives of women for ever.
Dr Annick Swenson's work is shrouded in mystery; she refuses to report on her progress, especially to her investors, whose patience is fast running out. Anders Eckman, a mild-mannered lab researcher, is sent to investigate. A curt letter reporting his untimely death is all that returns. Now Marina Singh, Anders' colleague and once a student of the mighty Dr Swenson, is their last hope.
Compelled by the pleas of Anders's wife, who refuses to accept that her husband is not coming home, Marina leaves the snowy plains of Minnesota and retraces her friend's perilous steps into the heart of the South American darkness, determined to track down Dr. Swenson and uncover the jealously guarded secrets among the remotest tribes of the rainforest.
What Marina does not yet know is that, in this ancient corner of the jungle, where the muddy waters and susurrating grasses hide countless unknown perils and temptations, she will face challenges beyond her wildest imagination, and will be forced to make impossible decisions with consequences more wide-ranging than she could ever foresee.
"Ms. Patchett['s prose is] crystalline and exquisite." The New York Times
Rights
Audio Rights
AvailableThe audio rights are handled by Alice Lutyens.
Sophie Baker manages the translation rights for State of Wonder
Co-agents
Translation Rights Sold
Chinese Complex
Taiwan
Yuan-Liou Publishing Co.
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Czech
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Dutch
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Hebrew
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Hungarian
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Italian
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Japanese
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Polish
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Portuguese
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Russian
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Spanish
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Ático de los Libros
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Media
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Reviews
The New York Times
The Great Pulitzer Do-Over, New York Times Full Review
Booklist Full Review
Kirkus (starred review) Full Review
Library Journal Full Review
Publishers Weekly (starred review) Full Review
The Telegraph: What I'll be Reading This Summer Full Review
Saturday Review, The Times
Financial Times
The Daily Telelgraph
State of Wonder is a high-stakes adventure set in the Brazilian Amazon [...] takes the theme of isolation to the extreme. Alexandra Alter
The Wall Street Journal Full Review
NPR Books Preview: Spotting Summer's High Fliers Full Review
Representation
News
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Overseas Success for Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder
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Harris, Hustvedt, Lodge, Murakami and Patchett longlisted for IMPAC Award
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Curtis Brown authors on summer reading lists
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Isaacson and Patchett: Time’s Top 100 most influential people
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Patchett’s State of Wonder shortlisted for Orange Prize
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Ann Patchett and Jane Harris longlisted for Orange Prize
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ICM celebrates 99 New York Times bestselling titles
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Best Books of 2011
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Haruki Murakami and Walter Isaacson triumph in the 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards
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Amazon announce top books of 2011
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State of Wonder by Ann Patchett shortlisted for Wellcome Trust Book Prize
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Authors on NY Times bestseller list
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Hay Festival 2011