State of Wonder by Ann Patchett is a gripping literary thriller that combines mystery, science, adventure, ambition, and moral conflict. Shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction, the novel takes readers from the snowy plains of Minnesota into the remote and mysterious depths of the Brazilian Amazon.

Deep in the waterways of the Rio Negro, enigmatic scientist Dr. Annick Swenson is conducting secretive research into a drug that could transform women’s lives. Her work is closely guarded, and she refuses to provide meaningful progress reports to the pharmaceutical company funding her research.

When Anders Eckman, a mild-mannered laboratory researcher, is sent to investigate, only a brief letter announcing his unexpected death returns. With questions surrounding his disappearance and Dr. Swenson’s research still unanswered, Marina Singh, Anders’s colleague and a former student of Dr. Swenson, is sent to find her.

Leaving behind Minnesota, Marina travels deep into the Amazon, following Anders’s trail and attempting to uncover the secrets Dr. Swenson is determined to protect. As Marina encounters an unfamiliar world filled with danger, scientific ambition, and moral uncertainty, she is forced to confront her own past and question how far people should go in the pursuit of discovery.