Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Episode 1

Episode 1 of 10

1859: English nurse Mrs Wright arrives in Ireland to meet her new patient, an eleven-year-old girl who, according to her parents, has not eaten in over four months.

A new novel from the bestselling writer of 'Room', and its recent Academy Award nominated screen adaptation, Emma Donoghue.

A small village in 1850s rural Ireland is baffled by Anna O'Donnell's fast, which began as a self-inflicted and earnest expression of faith. After weeks of subsisting only on what she calls "manna from heaven," the story of the "miracle" has reached a fever pitch. Tourists flock in droves to the O'Donnell family's modest cabin hoping to witness, and a Dublin 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 propulsive tension that made Emma Donoghue's 'Room' a bestseller, 'The Wonder' is 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.

As read by the Academy Award nominated and BAFTA winning actress Carey Mulligan (An Education; Drive; The Great Gatsby; Suffragette).

Read by Carey Mulligan
Written by Emma Donoghue
Abridged by Neville Teller
Produced by Gemma McMullan.

15 minutes

Last on

Mon 26 Sep 2016 22:45

More episodes

Previous

You are at the first episode

See all episodes from Book at Bedtime

Credits

Role Contributor
Reader Carey Mulligan
Author Emma Donoghue
Abridger Neville Teller
Producer Gemma McMullan

Broadcast

  • Mon 26 Sep 2016 22:45

Featured in...

Books

Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.

How many of these 100 Novels have you read?

How many of these 100 Novels have you read?

After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.

Finding Your Story

Finding Your Story

Ten remarkable novels about identity: Which one will help you discover yourself?

Short stories to keep

The fiction podcast featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers