State of Wonder

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It happened!  I finished a book over the holidays!  I won't confess how long it's taken me to read Ann Patchett's State of Wonder, but I will tell you that I loved it.
Decades ago, Dr. Marina Singh was a budding obstetrician studying under a well-respected but incredibly demanding gynecologist and teacher, Annick Swenson.  Now, Marina works for Vogel, a pharmaceutical company, where she is partner to the kind and family-centered Anders Eckman.  When Anders dies under mysterious circumstances in the Amazon jungle while researching a new miracle drug, Marina is sent off to find out more from his team, including the elusive Dr. Swenson.
It may not sound like much, but it's such an intriguing start to a book.  Patchett is detailed without being overly verbose with her characters, so you'll be sucked in from the get-go.  Much happens within the nearly 400 pages, including an encounter with a cannibalistic Amazon tribe, interactions with 70-year-old pregnant women, and an attachment to an astute and gentle deaf/mute adolescent.  State of Wonder is definitely a book you could read in a weekend; if you're stuck inside with dreary weather, this is sure to transport you.