![]() ![]() I don’t know who decided to package hope as a virtue because it’s not. The plot is richly developed using the style of the poetic language that Patchett has been known for in her earlier best sellers. In an example of Patchett’s use of vivid imagery, she writes, “Hope is a horrible thing, you know. Her narrative weighs the relative value of developing a culturally enhancing, but questionably ethical drug, against the likelihood that its harvesting may threaten the existence of the involved indigenous people. ![]() Her scientific facts seem credible, as many drugs have been developed using plants from nature. Part of the intrigue of this novel is that Patchett did her research at home without ever stepping foot in any jungle. In that book, Patchett explores two settings that are largely unfamiliar to most western readers: the inner workings of a pharmaceutical company and the lifestyles of the Lakashi Amazon jungle tribe in Brazil. My best guess is that if you liked those well-developed novels you will also like State of Wonder. Patchett has written several acclaimed and popular books including Bel Canto and The Magician’s Assistant. ![]() How much responsibility should a pharmaceutical company when considering the consequences of the potential users of the drugs it is developing? That seems to be the central question and theme of Ann Pratchett’s 2011 novel, State of Wonder. ![]()
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