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The Wonder Hardcover – September 20, 2016

by Emma Donoghue (Author)

10,433

Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

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Now a Netflix film starring Florence Pugh: In this “old-school page turner” (Stephen King, New York Times Book Review) by the bestselling author of Room, an English nurse is brought to a small Irish village to observe what appears to be a miracle—a girl said to have survived without food for months—and soon finds herself fighting to save the child's life.

Tourists flock to the cabin of eleven-year-old Anna O'Donnell, who believes herself to be living off manna from heaven, and a journalist is sent to cover the sensation. Lib Wright, a veteran of Florence Nightingale's Crimean campaign, is hired to keep watch over the girl.

Written with all the propulsive tension that made Room a huge bestseller, The Wonder works beautifully on many levels -- a tale of two strangers who transform each other's lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil.

Acclaim for The Wonder:

"Deliciously gothic.... Dark and vivid, with complicated characters, this is a novel that lodges itself deep" (USA Today, 3/4 stars)

"Heartbreaking and transcendent"(New York Times)

"A fable as lean and discomfiting as Anna's dwindling body.... Donoghue keeps us riveted" (Chicago Tribune)

"Donoghue poses powerful questions about faith and belief" (Newsday)

Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Little, Brown and Company
Publication date

September 20, 2016
Dimensions

6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

0316393878
ISBN-13

978-0316393874
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Popular Highlights in this book

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Calm was crucial; a strident female voice caused men’s ears to close.
Highlighted by 364 Kindle readers
That was what nobody understood: saving lives often came down to getting a latrine pipe unplugged.
Highlighted by 299 Kindle readers
But that was part of the definition of madness, Lib supposed, the refusal to accept that one was mad.
Highlighted by 248 Kindle readers

From the Publisher

The Wonder

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fascinating.... Like The Turn of the Screw, the novel opens irresistibly, when a young woman with a troubled past gets an enigmatic posting in a remote place.... Heartbreaking and transcendent and almost religious in itself."―Sarah Lyall, New York Times

"A fine, fact-based historical novel, an old-school page turner...Donoghue has written, with crackling intensity, about [spirituality's] power to destroy."―Stephen King, New York Times Book Review

"[Donoghue's] contemporary thriller Room made [her] an international bestseller, but this gripping tale offers a welcome reminder that her historical fiction is equally fine."―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Outstanding.... Exploring the nature of faith and trust with heartrending intensity, Donoghue's superb novel will leave few unaffected."―Sarah Johnson, Booklist (starred review)

"Donoghue demonstrates her versatility by dabbling in a wide range of literary styles in this latest novel.... The closely imagined, intricately drawn story possesses many of the same alluring qualities as her bestseller, Room. .... Donoghue's engrossing novel is loaded with descriptions of period customs and 19th-century Catholic devotional objects and prayers...[and] asks daring questions about just how far some might go to prove their faith."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Donoghue is known for her bestselling novel, Room.... [But] she is also well versed in historical fiction. THE WONDER brings together the best of all, combining a gracefully tense, young voice with a richly detailed historical setting."―The Millions

"Readers of historical fiction will gravitate to this tale."―Mary Ann Gwinn, Seattle Times

"A riveting allegory about the trickle-down effect of trauma."―Megan O'Grady, Vogue

"Donoghue poses powerful questions about faith and belief all the while crafting a compelling story and an evocative portrait of 19th-century Irish provincial society."―Tom Beer, Newsday

"Donoghue's superb thriller will keep readers hanging on to every word, pondering how far one will go to prove her faith."―Liz Loerke, Real Simple

"Gripping."―Claire Stern, InStyle.com

"What at first seems a simple matter becomes far more-stick with it, the payoff is there."―Steph Opitz, Marie Claire

"Fresh and unusually lively historical fiction. [Donoghue's] latest novel brings together both her preoccupation with child peril and her gift for history."―Boris Kachka, Vulture

"A haunting novel about good vs. evil."―Brenda Janowitz, PopSugar

"Like [Room], THE WONDERexplores a dark, insular, and rigidly controlled environment.... Donoghue's clever use of an outsider as narrator lets her explain anomalies to us-what a creepie is (a log stool) and why people tie rags to a tree (to hold their pain)-as she encounters them herself. But there is more to this mystery than superstitions and local dialect. Lib must decipher the private truths of Anna and her family, who have closed ranks in grief over the loss of a son. She must puzzle out the community itself and its contradictory beliefs in religion, science, and tradition. And Lib has her own sorrowful secrets, her own need for personal redemption. Donoghue deftly pairs the two stories, and as Lib uncovers the truth about Anna, she gradually owns the truth about herself."―Roxana Robinson, O, The Oprah Magazine

"Riveting.... Highly recommended."―Valerie Koehler, Literary Hub

"THE WONDER by Emma Donoghue is just that: 'a wonder' of a story about religious delusion and self-denial [that] teem[s] with drama and great moral questions.... Donoghue manages to engage larger mysteries of faith, doubt and evil without sacrificing the lyricism of her language or the suspense of her storyline."―Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air

"Donoghue proves herself endlessly inventive.... This is the kind of book that will keep you up at night and make you smarter."--Julie Buntin, Cosmopolitan

"Rich hauls of historical research, deeply excavated but lightly borne.... [An] ingenious telling."--David Kipen, Wall Street Journal

"All spectacle and gothic horror and inevitably hard to put down."―Stassa Edwards, Jezebel

"Has that vivid, ripped-from-the-headlines feel that comes from an author's utter fascination with a real-world subject.... THE WONDER is deliciously gothic.... Dark and vivid, with complicated characters, this is a novel that lodges itself deep."―Steph Cha, USA Today, 3/4 stars

"Fodder for endless book club debates."―Meghan O'Gieblyn, Los Angeles Review of Books

"A fine work, adept and compelling in voice, plot, and moral complexity.... Donoghue deals out the cards with real skill."―Katherine A. Powers, Boston Globe

"A locked-room mystery, set in atmospheric 19th-century Ireland and as spare, in its own way, as Room.... A fable as lean and discomfiting as Anna's dwindling body.... Donoghue keeps us riveted to Lib's perspective throughout.... Thanks to the complexity of Donoghue's ideas, there's plenty on which to ruminate."―Amy Gentry, Chicago Tribune

"Donoghue, a writer of great vitality and generosity-one gets the sense that she would gladly have her characters over for dinner, as long as they'd agree to eat-has been drawn repeatedly to the genre of historical fiction not so much to inhabit or reinterpret the past as to try to fit together its overlooked, missing pieces.... Fiction is small solace for history's grief, but it's one way to set the record straight."―Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker

"A blazing historical novel."―Marion Winik, Newsday

"Donoghue is a master of plot, and her prose is especially exquisite in depicting ambiguity...

Lib is a heroine the modern woman can admire."―Sarah Begley, Time Magazine

"As in "Room," Ms. Donoghue proves a shrewd observer of the parental urge to distort reality to protect children-and themselves"―Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal

"Donoghue's measured prose is at its best when depicting damaged and failing flesh with extraordinarily vivid economy"―Financial Times

"An excellent new novel that is as much a mystery as it is an analysis of the extent to which some people are governed by their faith."―Houston Chronicle

"A haunting page-turner, filled with Donoghue's enchanting phrasemaking―The Seattle Times

"This a completely engrossing read-you will barely be able to tear yourself away from it".―Next Avenue

About the Author

Born in Dublin in 1969, Emma Donoghue is an Irish emigrant twice over: she spent eight years in Cambridge doing a PhD in eighteenth-century literature before moving to London, Ontario, where she lives with her partner and their two children. She also migrates between genres, writing literary history, biography, stage and radio plays as well as fairy tales and short stories.

She is best known for her novels, which range from the historical (Frog Music, Slammerkin, Life Mask, Landing, The Sealed Letter) to the contemporary (Akin, Stir-Fry, Hood, Landing). Her international bestseller Room was a New York Times Best Book of 2010 and was a finalist for the Man Booker, Commonwealth, and Orange Prizes.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company; Large Print edition (September 20, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316393878
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316393874
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #551,983 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8,341 in Family Life Fiction (Books)
- #8,419 in Women's Domestic Life Fiction
- #26,736 in Literary Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
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Emma Donoghue

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Born in Dublin in 1969, Emma Donoghue is a writer of contemporary and historical fiction whose novels include the international bestseller "Room" (her screen adaptation was nominated for four Oscars), "Frog Music", "Slammerkin," "The Sealed Letter," "Landing," "Life Mask," "Hood," and "Stirfry." Her story collections are "Astray", "The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits," "Kissing the Witch," and "Touchy Subjects." She also writes literary history, and plays for stage and radio. She lives in London, Ontario, with her partner and their two children.

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TowTruck & Wayward Reader

Eerily gothic tale

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2022

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Imagine reading a news report of a child living only on water. For four months. Astonishing? Believable? Suspicious? Lib Wright was trained by Florence Nightengale and nursed patients during the Crimean War. She is asked to travel to Ireland and observe an eleven-year-old girl who claims to have eaten nothing in four months. The village council has concerns with the girl's claim and wants to verify it before they are embarrassed. They hire Lib and a nun experienced in nursing. Both women are to trade off watching Anna giving 24-hour observation and not speak to each other to compare findings.

Lib has a much stricter view of nursing and finds herself at odds with the family hygiene, food, and constant arrival of visitors. Sister Michael seems unconcerned with the conditions and calmly observes Anna. Neither woman is to compare notes but Lib is certain her training will help her uncover the hoax quickly. How could Anna still be alive after four months with no food? Where is she getting her nutrition? Is Sister Michael assisting this farce?

Despite her best intentions, Lib finds herself caring for the child, Anna. Lib is afraid that Anna will not survive for much longer. Against her training, she works to find someone to help. She can no longer observe a child starving to death. Who will help her? Will Lib find out whether this is a farce or not? Anna is deeply religious, do her strongly held beliefs influence her condition in any way?

Two damaged souls meet and learn to appreciate each other. Their friendship helps them heal. This story is similar to a gothic thriller with the underlying tension gradually becoming stronger. Anna's parents seem loving and caring. How far will you go for your child? The characters are imaginatively crafted and the tension is palpable. Leave this century and enter this unusual story.

18 people found this helpful

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SassyPants

The Wonder is Wonderful!

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2017

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This book is a delight to read on so many levels. The story is compelling and interesting and the writing is very good. In addition to containing a disturbing mystery, the novel poses questions about medical ethics and morality. A good book makes you think and I am still thinking about this one a few days after finishing.

The story is set in southern Ireland in 1859, over the period of two weeks. Lib is a widow who became a nurse after her husband of one year died. She was a Nightingale, as in trained by Florence, and was working in a hospital in England after the Crimea War. Her matron suggested Lib travel to Ireland to be a nurse in the O’Donnell household for two weeks. She agrees, but nothing is as she anticipated. Lib has been hired by a committee of townsfolk to “observe” 11 year old Anna O’Donnell for two weeks. The child has not eaten in 4 months and the committee wants to know if this is a hoax or divine intervention as the family claims. The child reports that she receives manna from heaven. People come from all over to see the devoutly religious miracle child. Lib and a local nun are to take shifts and simply observe to see if the child is taking in any food. Lib is out of place in Catholic Ireland and is convinced that the whole thing is a trick. She is a firm believer in facts and science and has nothing but disdain for religion. As she spends time with Anna, an unlikely friendship develops. Lib remains very skeptical of the family and some of the townspeople. She is befriended by a newspaper reporter sent there to cover the story. Together, they begin to discover the horrible truth. As Anna’s health begins to fail, Lib begs the local physician and the committee to end the watch period and intervene. She soon discovers that everyone has their own agenda, including building up the local church if Anna is declared a saint. Lib knows that she needs to act fast, but she is torn between duty and love.

There are so many lovely layers to this novel. The characters have hidden secrets, some of them quite horrifying. It is chilling to learn how far people will go to further their own desires. Far enough to endanger the life of a child and to convince her that she is doing the right thing by starving herself. There are themes of guilt, family loyalty, the goodness and dangers of religion, misperceptions and assumptions, and medical and moral ethics. The story is a slow burn that builds to some startling conclusions. The book is hard to put down and well worth your time.

41 people found this helpful

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Bruno Andreoni

Historic fiction at its best

Reviewed in Brazil on February 4, 2021

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A sharp glimpse into the Irish soul, and staged right after the infamous potato famine. At the same time, a novel that you cannot put down until you finish.

2 people found this helpful

Sara

Molto bello!

Reviewed in Italy on December 24, 2022

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Sfortunatamente ho visto prima il film (che già mi era piaciuto tantissimo) ma il libro è stato molto bello.
La storia si basa sulla vera vicenda delle starving girls ossia delle ragazze (ma anche ragazzi) che dicevano di poter sopravvivere senza mangiare. Infatti, qui incontriamo Anna O’Donnel una undicenne che non mangia da quattro mesi e che sarà tenuta sotto stretta osservazione da due infermiere, Sister Michael e Lib Wright.
Il personaggio di Lib mi è parso molto diverso dalla trasposizione cinematografica, probabilmente perché ne lèggiamo i pensieri più profondi e le sue opinioni. Infatti, Lib sembra molto più cinica nei confronti di Anna. Inoltre, ha un rapporto molto più importante - rispetto al film - con Sister Michael e gli O’Donnels.
L’aspetto religioso è anche MOLTO più presente rispetto alla trasposizione cinematografica. In questo caso, da persona atea e “eretica” (come Lib del resto) mi sono ritrovata molto spesso a buttare gli occhi al cielo. Poi, però, mi sono resa conto di come questa religiosità sia tossica ma non è che per tutti è così. Questo, per esempio, lo vediamo nel contrasto tra Anna e William Byrne: entrambi sono religiosi ma lo sono in maniera molto molto differente.
Il finale per me non è stato un grande twist a causa del film ma non lo avrei sicuramente previsto.

One person found this helpful

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Linda Pfeiffer

Terrific story

Reviewed in Canada on April 15, 2018

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Nurse Lib Wright was considered one of the elite "Nightingales", the nurses whom Florence Nightingale trained to work with her at the Front during World War I. And Mrs Wright had been trained as a nurse before she headed there as opposed to most of the young women recruited to work with Nightingale. As a nurse, she had seen it all. The worst cases of men nearly destroyed in combat, both mind and body. Her ability to observe and provide comfort were the only two things asked of her when she was offered a position in the rural middle of Ireland in a tiny village. She was hired to watch a thirteen year old girl who claimed she had stopped eating four months earlier. The nurse believed that was impossible as the child would be dead if she had stopped eating completely. She didn't know that the belief in the Catholic religion of miracles was playing a part in the entire scenario. She would share alternating work shifts with a Catholic nun who was also a nurse and between the two of them, they would watch the child night and day and make sure she was not receiving any food of any kind by any means. The child only drank a few teaspoons of water each day. This is how the story begins.

Emma Donoghue is a wonderful writer. Many people including me, loved her book Room which was later made into a movie which won an academy award for the female lead, Brie Larson. This book's location is Ireland, set in the late 1800's and the characters are written perfectly for their time. Is there another movie in the future? There could be. I gave you the short version of the beginning, but you will have to enjoy the middle and the end on your own. I suggest that you will do just that. Terrific story.

One person found this helpful

denimfan

A wonderful story

Reviewed in Spain on December 22, 2017

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The fist time I started reading the book I put it away again, but the second time I was mesmerized, the description of the little girl is so vivid it was like being inside the book.

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Lyn Burton

Good read

Reviewed in Australia on July 2, 2023

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Enjoyed very much

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