The Wonder

"The Wonder" by J. D. (John Davys) Beresford is an early 20th-century story about how society reacts to a child named Victor Stott, who is far from ordinary. Ginger Stott, a cricketer, finds his world changed when he is blessed with the extraordinary child. The story starts on a train where a narrator sees a woman and her baby, Victor. Everyone on the train is interested because the baby seems strange. The story looks at what happens when people are both interested and disgusted by someone different. Although Victor is a year old, he has never cried or said a word, which leads to rumors and problems for his protective mother and father. The book is about what it means to be normal or unusual and explores the troubles that Victor and his family face as he grows up.