Advance Reviews

​

“Schweighardt presents an intriguing and original storyline spanning the late 17th and very early 18th centuries, depicting the trials and prejudice women have experienced throughout history through the eyes of two strong female leads: the talented naturalist, Maria, and her daughter, Thea—both inspired by real-life historical characters. In the Wonder blends history with the supernatural, resulting in a thoroughly engaging, vocative novel.”

—Booklife Prize

​

“Historical fiction appeals because it immerses you in times long since passed, inviting you to imagine and experience ancient events, places, and lives. The best historical fiction is that which also introduces you to real people from history whose feats remind you that women have always done extraordinary things. Joan Schweighardt’s novel, In the Wonder took me on an exhilarating journey from Western Europe to South America during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, introducing me to German naturalists and artists, Maria Sibylla Merian and her youngest daughter Dorothea (Thea). Written in Thea’s voice, it’s a compelling story about two fascinating, brave women, whose ambition and curiosity about the natural world takes them on an unprecedented adventure. Defying protocol, patriarchism and the odds, Maria and Thea’s exploration of the New World not only exposes them to extraordinary creatures and plants in the jungles of Suriname, but also to its human inhabitants, some of whom become dynamite characters in Schweighardt’s novel. Awe-inspiring, rich in detail and engaging throughout, In the Wonder is as fascinating as it is layered. I was captivated from start to finish.”

—Penny Haw, author of The Invincible Miss Cust, The Woman and Her Stars, and others.

​

“Joan Schweighardt has given us a deeply satisfying read with her latest novel, In The Wonder. Based loosely on the remarkable lives of German naturalist and artist Maria Sibylla Merian and her youngest daughter, Dorothea Maria Graff, the novel follows them from the Netherlands to Suriname at the turn of the 18th century. It deftly navigates the wildly different realities of both places, be they an isolationist religious sect of the Dutch countryside, or the more urbane streets of Amsterdam, or the horrors of a slave trade embedded in a wondrous jungle. The psychological realities of colonialism and its impact on both the native peoples and the slaves who made it possible intertwine with the vivid personalities of both women to make for a fascinating plot that is as grippingly entertaining as it is thoughtful. With a skill only masters of the craft possess, Schweighardt pulls off a coup, and you will find your thinking about this book for a long time.”

 —Kate Niles, award-winning author of The Last Hanging of Angel Martinez and The Basket Maker

​

“This sweeping, richly detailed, and emotionally resonant novel explores the trials of surviving under persecution and judgment, and the possibilities–and hope–that can come from perseverance and purpose. With deep feeling and careful attention to historical detail, Schweighardt movingly portrays two women’s courageous quest for personal and creative freedom in an oppressive and often dangerous world, and their drive to claim a future shaped not by fear but by wonder. Their personal journeys and discoveries make for a captivating and illuminating novel.”

–Beth Castrodale, award-winning author and editor of Small Press Picks

​

“Joan Schweighardt’s lush, evocative prose transports the reader into the ‘wonder’ of her title in this story set on the Wild Coast of South America as it was in the seventeenth century. Her tale of transformations, both entomological and psychological, is all the more remarkable for being based on a true story. This is a book for all those who relish travel into a vanished past.”

—Carolyn Korsmeyer, author of Riddle of Spirit and Bone and No Final Harbor  

 

“… bold characters and thrilling adventure … gripping and immersive. Schweighardt accomplishes the feat of bringing this time and remote world starkly alive.”

—Lynn C. Miller, author of The Surrogate and The Lost Archive, stories 

​

“A vivid and rich imagining of the artistic and spiritual odysseys of a talented naturalist and her daughter as they bravely navigate a male-dominated world to achieve renowned stature on their own merits.”

—Michael Loyd Gray, author of the story collection The Space Between Now and Then, and the novels The Writer in Residence, and Emperor of the Mundane

 

“Raw, wild, yet at the same time, this is a stunning fictionalized account of the travels of 17th-century naturalist and artist Maria Sibylla Merian. I was surprised I had never heard of her! Will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommend!”

—Barbara Bos, Managing Editor at www.booksbywomen.org

​

“Master storyteller Joan Schweighardt immerses her readers in an adventure occurring in another time and place. Fascinating historic descriptions of Europe and Suriname provide a memorable backdrop for characters whose lives might keep you up at night — wondering how their stories might end.”

—Faye Rapoport DesPres, author seven books including Soul to Soul: Tiny Stories of Hope and Resilience

 

​