State of Wonder by Anne Patchett

What a remarkable book!
Ann Patchett's new novel, State of Wonder, tells the story of Marina Singh, a pharmacologist whose company sends her to the  Amazon jungle to look into the supposed death of her colleague, Anders Eckman. He had been sent to the Amazon to bring back news of Dr. Annick Swenson, who, in the company's employ was developing a miracle fertility drug. Dr. Swenson had become uncommunicative about  the progress of her study and her whereabouts. Unfortunately, Enders never returned to tell the story.
Marina is sent by her boss (who is also her lover), Mr. Fox, to get answers. She is quite perturbed by this, as she was once Dr. Swenson's obstetrical medical student and performed a cesearean section that caused a baby to be disfigured. She resigned from that field after and went into pharmacology
What she encounters in Brazil is beyond anything she could imagine. And the crux of Dr. Swenson's research turns out to be quite different from what anyone up north is aware of. 
There are so many issues beneath the surface here, most notably the struggle between preserving the habitat of the indigenous people who harbor this miraculous "drug" and sharing that miracle with the rest of the world who could benefit greatly from its healing power.
Don't miss this book. It's really a treasure.

The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright

I hadn't read about this book but when I found it in the Library, I immediately took it out. I recall reading The Gathering by the same author and recall liking it. And, it won the Man Booker Prize a few years back.
So I was not at all disappointed in this new book by the same author. I read it in just a day and a half! It was short, but also very readable, interesting and full of interesting characters. The author got the reader involved and thinking about marriage, infidelity, and family. Even though most of the characters were not particularly sympathetic,  the story was quick-paced and kept the reader involved. And then there's Evie, the child who quite silently, inhabits every scene.