Books like State of wonder by Ann Patchett

During World War II, a foster girl in Nazi Germany steals books to share with neighbors and a hidden Jewish man, proving literature’s power to nourish the soul amid darkness.

Annabeth, daughter of Athena, must overcome her fears and protect her Greek friends from the Roman camp during the quest to find the Mark of Athena.

A historical novel set in the 12th century, focusing on the building of a cathedral and the surrounding community's fortunes amidst historical events of the time.

Ari, a fifteen‑year‑old Mexican‑American with a brother in prison, meets Dante and a friendship sparks that forces him to confront his identity, family, and sexuality.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks follows the story of Henrietta Lacks, a poor black tobacco farmer whose cancer cells were taken in 1951 without her consent and later became the first immortal human cell line, HeLa, driving major scientific breakthroughs while raising questions of ethics, race, and medical exploitation.

A young Ranger apprentice learns that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom, and they must stop an exiled lord from attacking the kingdom.

Carter and Sadie Kane must destroy the chaos snake Apophis, but their quest is threatened by a powerful magician who might guide them to their deaths instead.

A gripping novel set in Oran, where a plague devastates all classes and evokes deep questions about destiny and the human condition.

A sweeping, family‑centered saga of twin brothers and their father, set against medical practice and the ethical questions of a New York physician.

In "Prodigal Summer," Barbara Kingsolver weaves the lives of three women in southern Appalachia, exploring farm life, wildlife management, and the strength of the human spirit amid rural challenges.

A fictionalized retelling of L. Frank Baum's classic 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', focusing on the enigmatic Wicked Witch of the West and her quest to become the Wicked Witch of the West.

Evie O'Neill discovers she has supernatural abilities while navigating the seedy underworld of 1920s New York City.

"Thalidomide. The word alone evokes horror from those who recall the epidemic of birth defects that swept the world in the early 1960s: Thousands of women took the "safe" new drug as a sleep aid or to relieve morning sickness, only to find that their infants were born with stunted limbs, or sometimes no limbs at all.". "In this medical detective story, scientist Trent Stephens and historian Rock Brynner show how thalidomide rose out of the horror of the Second World War into the brave new world of utopian science. In the process, they introduce us to an unforgettable array of characters, including the former Nazi medical officer who developed thalidomide and the indomitable FDA official who prevented it from reaching American mothers. From an industrial lab in Germany to the White House Rose Garden, from a trial in the House of Lords to a Senate chamber, from a brewery in England to a Louisiana leper colony, Dark Remedy traces the epic journey of this most peculiar drug.". "But thalidomide isn't just a drug with a past. Scientists are now finding it to be an indispensable medicine for those with rare, chronic, or life-threatening diseases - everything from cancer to rheumatoid arthritis to conditions that devastate the immune system. Dark Remedy brings the story of thalidomide into the twenty-first century as a handful of scientists - Stephens among them - finally begin to unravel the drug's mysterious mechanisms. If they succeed, it will open up new vistas for drug researchers, leading to alternative medicines that capture thalidomide's healing properties without its cruel side effects, or to new therapies entirely."--BOOK JACKET.

Seventeen‑year‑old Martin Arrowsmith rises from humble beginnings to become a pioneering scientific researcher, striving to balance personal ambition with ethical responsibility in medicine.

Erin Palmer, a young science student, discovers a deadly DNA linked to psychopathy after witnessing her family's murder. Teaming with a billionaire, she races to uncover the truth while confronting personal betrayal and a looming global conspiracy.

Noah's family and animals prepare for a catastrophic event that forces everyone to board the ark.

In the dense jungle of Malaya in 1942, Doctor Rachel Curtis stumbles across a mysterious, unidentifiable stranger, badly injured and close to death. Four years earlier in 1938 in London, Katherine Stewart and her husband Alex come into conflict with their differing needs while Alex’s father, Alastair, knows he must keep his deeper feelings hidden from the woman he loves; a woman to whom he must never reveal the full extent of that love. Covering a broad canvas and meticulously researched, Changing Times, Changing Tides follows the interwoven journey of well-loved characters from The Call of Cairnmor, as well as introducing new personalities, in a unique combination of novel and history that tells a story of love, loss, friendship and heroism. The stage shifts from London to Singapore, then the turmoil of Dunkirk and D-Day. Love appears to triumph, but events then move in a totally unexpected direction… The novel includes a detailed portrayal of the unsung hero of Operations Dynamo (the Dunkirk evacuation) and Neptune/Overlord (the Normandy landings), Admiral Sir Bertram (Bertie) Ramsay, and has an afterword by his son Major General Charles Ramsay. Sally Aviss comes from East Kent, and has sailed much of the Kent coast and Thames Estuary. In addition to her writing, she is a professional classical musician and instrumental teacher. Changing Times, Changing Tides is the second novel in her Cairnmor trilogy, and is followed by Where Gloom and Brightness Meet.

A Scottish medical student's revenge story set in the 19th century, exploring the dark underbelly of anatomy and the medical profession’s obsession with knowledge.