Somehow the heroine, Marina Singh (with an "h") lacked emotional depth for me. In spite of all the childhood memories and dedication to her pharmaceutical company, 'Vogel', the author did not make her seem real. Marina did whatever she was told. When her boss and lover, Mr. Fox, dispatched her to the Amazon she went willingly, telling herself she was doing it for the Alders. She needed to have closure on Annick Alder's death.Yet, it was Fox who should have gone.
There are too many unanswered questions in this novel. Why did Dr. Swenson not reveal her knowledge of Marina as a former student and the botched C-section? How was it that Alders was still alive? Why did Swenson write that he was dead? Swenson seemed to be a law unto herself. Who was the father of Dr. Swenson's unborn child? Why did Marina allow herself to be drawn into the tribe's lifestyle - wearing their clothes, having her hair braided, and participating in the women's fertility rituals? Though the novel was interesting in its description of the jungle and events medical, my opinion is less enthusiastic than many of the reviews I have read to try and understand the story. And what was with the deaf child and the young couple who occupied Dr. Swenson's house in the city? 