The Wonder

Content Warning: This chapter contains depictions of an eating disorder.

Lib Wright, an English nurse, arrives in the small, rural Irish town of Athlone via train. As she rides in a cart away from the station, Wright’s guide tells her that they are in the exact middle of the country. She is unimpressed by the bleak, muddy landscape and rough-looking homes. Wright is unsure about the purpose of her visit, knowing only that she has been hired for two weeks by the O’Donnell family, who she assumes must be rich.

When she reaches the center of town, Wright is brought to a spirit grocery (inn/pub) where she meets Dr. McBrearty, the O’Donnells’ physician. After questioning Wright about her experiences as a nurse under Florence Nightingale, McBrearty explains that she has been hired to watch over young Anna O’Donnell, who claims not to have eaten in four months. She will report her findings to a local committee which has been organized to investigate Anna’s claims. Wright is immediately suspicious of the situation and Dr. McBrearty, who believes Anna’s claim. Wright suspects he has hired her because of her reputation as a Nightingale, which will add legitimacy to the committee’s investigation.