Talk Healthy

I've put myself out of my misery, but I'm curious. I've read some spoilers on goodreads, but they don't explain everything. So apparently Anders was alive and had been abducted by the cannibals? Why the heck did the crazy doctor tell everyone he was dead? And they exchanged him for Easter? Wasn't he supposed to be like a son for Dr. Swenson? And what happened to the baby she was expecting? I read something about a mermaid baby that Marina delivered, what's that about? And what happens to the research in the end, do they finish it?

Thanks!

Hmm, you may have to google further I don't know how much help I'll be. I read it when it first came out.

I think she thought Anders was dead, and figured there was no way to really check, without risking the cannibals knowing she had Easter. I don't remember the rational behind trading him back for Anders.

If I recall correctly, the baby died in utero months before. She knew, but didn't tell anyone. I think Marina delivered it via c section? I'm a little unsure about all the little details at this point.

Sorry you hated it!

I googled some more, and apparently you're right about the baby, but I still couldn't find enough details on Anders. Let's see if Annie remembers. Thanks!

As for my hating it, well, it happens. I was just pissed at myself for not taking a backup book with me. And as usual, the misconceptions about Brazil were annoying. Manaus has almost 2 million inhabitants, it's not a one-store village. And the Portuguese mistakes... but most of all, I just found it utterly boring, sorry!

I don't really remember any more details on Anders either. I think the end of the book wrapped up quickly and without a lot of explanation, from what I remember. I don't recall what was going to happen with the research either.

Damn, this is driving me crazy now that I don't remember exactly what happened. Didn't the research end up being that something there was keeping the women young, basically a fountain of youth/fertility but they were eating bark or mushrooms or something. I think it was bark. And Dr. Swenson started eating the same thing so she was able to get pregnant. I'm going to have to skim through the end of the book the next time I'm in Target.

Yeah, it was the bark off some trees, in a very small, limited area of the forest. Dr. Swenson ate the bark and even Marina started eating the bark.

Now that I think about it, it's possible Dr. Swenson and team didn't pursue the issue of Anders' death because they didn't want the other tribe to be able to locate the bark. That somehow they might expose its location.

I don't think there was a final conclusion on the research other than they'd found this substance that could promote/prolong fertility in women but, as Dr. Swenson's case showed, just getting pregnant didn't mean all would be well.

But why did Anders end up with the other tribe? Was he kidnapped? And Dr. Swenson simply said "oh, screw it, we'll tell his family he's dead"?