Wonderland by Tracy Farr

Doctor Matti Loverock spends her days and nights bringing babies into the world, which means her daughters – seven-year-old triplets Ada, Oona and Hanna – have grown up at Wonderland, the once-thriving amusement park owned by their father, Charlie. Then a grieving woman arrives to stay from the other side of the world, in pain and incognito, fleeing scandal. She ignites the triplets’ curiosity and brings work for Matti, diverting them all from what is really happening at Wonderland. Author Tracy Farr has created a bold reimagining of the story of Marie Curie,  famous for her work on radioactivity, on a trip to Aotearoa.

It took me a couple of chapters to settle into the language and viewpoints of the story. Each chapter is written from a different viewpoint (or points in the case of the triplets). But once I had reconciled each voice, I was in. The manuscript won the NZSA Laura Solomon Cuba Press Prize in 2024, and it's easy to see why; the prize awards new writing of "unique and original vision" and Wonderland fits that to a T. Farr's writing is magical, lyrical and mesmerising. 

Her characters are bold and unique, each one well developed and with distinct voices. This extends to the setting as well, with Wellington and Miramar taking centre stage.

Farr used to be a scientist, and her passion and knowledge of that world shines in this book. While Wonderland is an alt-historical fictional story, there are snippets of truth within. Farr pulls characters, settings and items from the past, giving them new meaning and life.

Wonderland was a surprise read for me, a slow burn that kept working its way under my skin and has stuck with me long after I read the final pages. A real wonder.

Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell

The Cuba Press