The Wonder

''...and besides, we should speak nothing but good of the dead.''

For me, The Wonder was one of the most anticipated novels of the year. It ticked all the right boxes: Ireland, Florence Nightingale's nurses, ambiguous religious issues, provincial superstitions. So, once it knocked on my door, I started reading it immediately.

We find ourselves following Lib, a young, educated nurse, trained by the legend called Florence Nightingale, to beautiful, mystical Ireland and on a strange mission, a few years after the Crimean War. Lib has to certify as to the truth about Anne, a girl of eleven, who claims to have stopped eating for four months. What is bizarre is the absence of any visible consequences of her abstinence. Upon her arrival, Lib finds that the child has become a local legend, almost elevated to the status of a saint.

Initially, Lib may come across as not particularly likeable, since she shows clearly that she regards Anne and all those who surround her as frauds. However, I don't believe we should accuse her of being narrow-minded. Let us not forget that she is a woman whose true religion and vocation is Science, and sometimes, scientists can become as obnoxious as religious fanatics. Still, Lib is not the only watcher of Anne. A nun, sister Michael, has also been appointed the task. This is a very interesting interaction that helps us see how Donoghue demonstrates the gap between Religion and Science. The nun is silent and under close scrutiny by Lib. A third character that is interested in the case is Mr. Byrne, a young journalist of The Irish Times, who seems to share Lib's disbelief and cautiousness towards the ‘‘wonder'', despite the fact that he is a Catholic.

What draws the readers' attention, initially, is the eternal battle between Science and Religion, Faith against Logic, Hope against Evidence. And then, we stay for the characters who are realistic, each anchored to their own set of beliefs and ways of life. Lib comes to a point where she starts considering that perhaps science can't explain everything. She is not obnoxious, but confident in her knowledge and her abilities, and brave enough to stand for what she believes in an environment that slowly becomes paranoic. Anne is an extraordinary character. It is a rare case in adult fiction that we see such a strong child heroine, and Anne is the heart of the novel. A gentle human being, firm and devoted to her belief, kind and caring for kin and strangers alike. She wants to understand and Lib is her guide.

Emma Donoghue's writing is a work of Art. She weaves a delicate veil to hide themes and clues, all in a language that is simple, but rich and beautiful. Her descriptions of the Irish vilage are vivid, the characters and the dialogue are parading right in front of our eyes, we feel we are a part of the small community as we see it through Lib's confused eyes.

It is extremely hard to write a review without spoilers. This is true for every book, but especially for
The Wonder, as the mystery that permeates the case never loses its tension. My heart was pounding towards the final pages, it took all my strength to resist reading the end right there and then. Visit after visit, day after day, I was trying to guess Anne's secret, the community's Lib's. Folktales and superstitions add to the haunting atmosphere of the story. The fairies, the bogs with their mystical capacity to preserve the dead bodies, the religious hymns that are ever-present in Anne's household...

This is a novel that stays with you for many reasons. The story, the characters, the writing. The Wonder allows us to judge it by its beautiful cover, and the result is to be remembered as one of the finest examples in recent Literature.