Emma Donoghue

An eleven-year-old girl stops eating, but remains miraculously alive and well. A nurse, sent to investigate whether she is a fraud, meets a journalist hungry for a story . . . Set in the Irish Midlands in the 1850s, Emma Donoghue's The Wonder – inspired by numerous European and North American cases of 'fasting girls' between the sixteenth century and the twentieth – is a psychological thriller about a child's murder threatening to happen in slow motion before our eyes. Pitting all the seductions of fundamentalism against sense and love, it is a searing examination of what nourishes us, body and soul.

The Wonder

"Tourists flock to the cabin of eleven-year-old Anna O'Donnell, who is said to be living without food, 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. As Anna's life ebbs away, Lib finds herself responsible not just for the care of a child but for that child's very survival. Haunting and magnetic, The Wonder is a searing examination of doubt, faith, and what nourishes us, body and soul. Written with all the propulsive tension that made Donoghue's Room a huge bestseller, it works beautifully on many levels -- an intimate tale of two strangers who transform each other's lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a spellbinding story of love pitted against evil." -- from back cover.

a novel

The wonder

Incredible. Even more vivid and poignant reading it right after visiting Ireland. Loved the writing style and story, I don’t always gobble up historical fiction but this was so gripping. 

TWs below (that contain spoilers but feel pertinent if you’re going into it blind and have trauma) - 

r*pe, csa, family sa, religious trauma and abuse

erin alise 

Incredible. Even more vivid and poignant reading it right after visiting Ireland. Loved the writing style and story, I don’t always gobble up historical fiction but this was so gripping. 

TWs below (that contain spoilers but feel pertinent if you’re going into it blind and have trauma) - 

r*pe, csa, family sa, religious trauma and abuse



An Irish village is mystified by what appears to be a miracle but may actually be murder in the next masterpiece from New York Times—bestselling author Emma Donoghue. A village in 1850s Ireland is baffled by Anna O’Donnell’s fast. A little girl appears to be thriving after months without food, and the story of this 'wonder' has reached fever pitch. Tourists flock in droves to the O'Donnell family's modest cabin, and an international journalist is sent to cover the sensational story. Enter Lib, an English nurse trained by Florence Nightingale, who is hired to keep watch for two weeks and determine whether or not Anna is a fraud. As Anna deteriorates, Lib finds herself responsible not just for the care of a child, but for getting to the root of why the child may actually be the victim of murder in slow motion. A magnetic novel written with all the spare and propulsive tension that made ROOM a huge bestseller, THE WONDER works beautifully on many levels—as a simple tale of two strangers who will transform each other’s lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil in its many masks.

A Novel

Ryan Mateyk

Okay. The first ~150 pages was one giant eye roll for me. I found Lib to be exhausting with her constant uppity opinions; she seemed to put herself above all the poor lowly Irish folk that make up the bulk of the characters. BUT I kept going and blessed be, because the end more than made up for it. Emma Donoghue is a phenomenal and versatile storyteller and I really did enjoy this story.

azliana aziz

quite a disappointment for me. I was expecting a lot given the very intriguing premise about the mystery of fasting girls. I mean what could go wrong? the thing is, halfway through the book I am almost done with Lib, the protagonist. she's cynical through and through I get it but the way Emma Donoghue keep on and on about her 'godless' principle I am bored to death. also nothing happened almost 100 pages in except for Lib to keep doubting everything under the sky. and then for couple of chapters towards the end suddenly everything moves rapidly. and that revelation, honestly I could see it miles away before Lib realized it and I was so beyond the point of caring. I wished we had more time with Anna though. and that ending *sigh* 
(one more thing, I really feel like this book was so un-emma donoghue. felt so rushed and scattered)

kyra

** spoiler alert **
           Loved the book. I was surprised to see that the average rating was 3.6. 

The plot and the pacing were flawless, the characters were well sketched out and Lib's pov was excellent.

Lugo

This book was WONDERFUL. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Emma Donoghue's beautifully crafted writing made this book feel like a mystery. Constantly making me want to read the the book in its entirety and not put it down. The story weaves in romance, mystery, religion, and drama in a way that is unmatched. 

Paige Leitner

This book was WONDERFUL. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Emma Donoghue's beautifully crafted writing made this book feel like a mystery. Constantly making me want to read the the book in its entirety and not put it down. The story weaves in romance, mystery, religion, and drama in a way that is unmatched. 



An eleven-year-old girl stops eating, but remains miraculously alive and well. A nurse, sent to investigate whether she is a fraud, meets a journalist hungry for a story. Set in the Irish Midlands in the 1850s, The Wonder - inspired by numerous European and North American cases of 'fasting girls' between the sixteenth century and the twentieth - is a psychological thriller about a child's murder threatening to happen in slow motion before our eyes. Pitting all the seductions of fundamentalism against sense and love, it is a searing examination of what nourishes us, body and soul.

Sade A

"But neither the creator nor Nature should be blamed for what human hands have wrought"

 Up until recently the church has been a huge part of my life and while i still for the most part believe in God, i'm able to acknowledge that it leaves people open up to a vulnerability that is malignant for the most part. 

Women are told to be less, children are told they don't have a voice. Your pastor wants you to follow every word he says without questions. Organised religion can and for the most part is detrimental to women and children. If you've been in the church (i can't speak for any other religion) you're able to recognize right off the bat that Anna Mary O'Donnell plight although maybe not in this exact way, is something vulnerable members of society have and do pass through, never getting any help because religion.

Donoghue presents a heartbreaking story of a vulnerable member of society caught in this more often than not fatal snare of "religious enthusiasm"

Anna

Plot was a bit slow for my liking, but atmosphere and mystery were worth it.
I know nothing but a few bare facts about 19th-century Ireland, so it was quite interesting to read a book set in it.
Netflix plans to release a film with Florence Pugh as Lib, I'm really looking forward to it now.

Celeste Richardson

Full review now posted!

What a morbidly fascinating story.

English nurse Elizabeth Wright has been tasked with overseeing a little Irish girl named Anne for two weeks. This imposed watched is to determine how Anna is still alive after 4 months of supposed fasting, and to learn if she somehow receiving nourishment on the sly from someone, or hiding food to eat when everyone is asleep. Mrs. Wright thinks this will be an easy hoax to disprove, but she is so incredibly wrong.

The Fasting Girls is an actual phenomenon, and a very intriguing one. There are very few answers regarding why these girls began fasting and how they were sustained, and why most of them eventually broke their fast. This book was based on that real and mysterious phenomena that crossed religious and continental divides. I didn’t expect to be as enthralled as I was, but I felt almost as desperate a need for answers as Lib Wright in the novel.

The amazing thing about Anna is her utter sincerity. She believes with all of her heart that God alone is sustaining her, and that she has no need for physical sustenance. Her faith the most important thing in the world to her, and she believes with every fiber of her being. Anna is a staunch Roman Catholic, and she spends the vast majority of her time in prayer and singing hymns of praise. Lib is flabbergasted by the sincerity of the girl she was sure was “fasting” for attention. The nurse didn’t expect the girl she assumed was pulling the wool over the eyes of so many to believe her own story so completely.

Lib is an agnostic at best, and is frustrated, confused, and honestly horrified by the religious community’s response to their local Fasting Girl. They see a beatific saint in the making, while Lib herself sees a little eleven year old girl slowly starving herself to death, and she can’t determine the reason why the girl is so dead set on fasting herself into an early grave. As answers begin coming to light, Lib has to fight the faith of the community at large in hopes of saving the life of the little girl she’s been called to watch.

There’s not much more I can say without giving away any of the plot points of the story. But I will say that there were actually some things that, when revealed, surprised me. I’m difficult to surprise, so I found that refreshing. There are also a lot of theological and philosophical questions raised throughout the novel, which I really appreciated. 

My faith is incredibly important to me, and I love Jesus with all of my heart. That being said, nothing frightens me more than fervent faith when mixed with willful ignorance. There are many characters in this book within whom resides this deadly combination, and much suffering could have been avoided if the faithful would have simply been willing to sacrifice their comfort and ignorance in their search for truth. I cannot understand those who cling to their ignorance. If God is the Author and Creator of all we see and experience, it stands to reason that he would be in favor of knowledge and, well, reason. God is not the author of confusion, and He never intended for us to dwell in the dark. What is willful ignorance but a sullen refusal to journey into the light?

“But neither the Creator nor Nature should be blamed for what human hands have wrought.”

This is a book well worth reading. It was my first engagement with Donoghue’s work, but it certainly not be my last.

For more of my reviews, as well as my own fiction and thoughts on life, check out my blog, Celestial Musings.

Cindy Lieberman

A disturbing historical fiction book about an 11 year-old girl in Ireland (c 1850s?) who purports to have not eaten for months and the nurse and nun hired to watch over her to see if the claims of the girl’s family can be verified.

Lauren Attaway

** spoiler alert **
           Ok, this book may not have been my cup of tea. I sometimes struggle with historical fiction specifically when it highlights the past mistreatment of women. However, once I got past myself and really gave this book a chance I was completely hooked. I had a hard time with the religious aspects but I suppose that is the point. I really liked Lib although I found the romance predictable. I couldn't stand Anna for most of the story, but I gained more empathy for her as the book went on, much Lib herself. The last fifty or so pages just flew right by. Excellent story, even if it wasn't my thing.

An eleven-year-old girl stops eating, but remains miraculously alive and well. A nurse, sent to investigate whether she is a fraud, meets a journalist hungry for a story. Set in the Irish Midlands in the 1850s, Emma Donoghue's The Wonder - inspired by numerous European and North American cases of 'fasting girls' between the sixteenth century and the twentieth - is a psychological thriller about a child's murder threatening to happen in slow motion before our eyes. Pitting all the seductions of fundamentalism against sense and love, it is a searing examination of what nourishes us, body and soul.

Elizabeth Hisserich

I found the main character prickly, but I warmed up to her as the story went on. While she could be judgmental, I shared her frustrations throughout much of the story and came to really appreciate those moments when the characters surprised her and us.  I also guessed the big reveal at least partly. However, I was intrigued by the story as it progressed and invested in the outcome. 

Jen Estrella

A fast didn't go fast; it was the slowest thing there was. Fast meant a door shut fast, firmly. A fastness, a fortress. To fast was to hold fast to emptiness, to say no and no and no again.
 I enjoyed this book so much; however, I think that most people would find it boring. The pace is slow. The characters, with the exception of Anna and Lib, are not at all interesting. Also, nothing really happened in the first three parts of the book, minus some speculations here and there. 

But then there's the writing and the ambience. Donoghue perfectly captured the atmosphere that I was expecting when I dove into the book, from the way the characters spoke to the images of the town to food served on the table. It was this atmosphere, in addition to the cultural references (Irish) and the interactions between Anna and Lib, that kept me engaged. 

Finally, although I said that nothing really happened in the first three parts, you should still look forward to the revelations in the last two parts of the book. It's weird; I guess I was so caught up in the atmosphere that I was never at a point where I was actively trying to figure out the mystery, so when the big reveal happened, I was stunned but also really satisfied. Overall, it was a great read, undoubtedly one of the better books I've read this year. Also, thanks to this book, I am now out of my book slump. Yay. :)

Megan Dent

The only reason I'm giving this 4 stars rather than 5, is because it felt a bit slow in the beginning and I struggled to get into the story. But once the story began to unravel, I stayed up until 1am to finish the book. Very interesting descriptions of Ireland and Catholicism through the perspective of a ousider and such an unexpected ending!

Kate

Anastaciya

Read this book in one sitting. Loved the cultural aspects. The subject is heavy, but beautifully told.

In 1859 wordt een Engelse verpleegster naar Ierland gestuurd om daar een 11-jarig meisje, dat al maanden niet gegeten zou hebben, samen met een non, te observeren.

Pia Sophia

I loved this book. As slowly and quickly it went at the same time. I kept thinking ‘why’ and ‘how’ and ‘PLEASE let someone feed this child already! Until I found out the reason of her fast and felt my heart break a little. Couldn’t put the book down!

4.5 stars

The Wonder

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