It was really surprising to read Jodi Picoult's Covid pandemic novel Wish You Were Here (#1,345). Not only did it have a shocking twist in the middle, but it all seemed as though the story took place years ago, not just a relatively brief five years ago. That was the consensus of my book club as well.
Diana O'Toole is just where she wants to be in life. Her trip to the Galapagos with her boyfriend Finn will result in their engagement: she's seen the ring in his sock drawer. But when a mysterious virus shows up suddenly in New York City, it's all hands-on-deck for Finn, a surgery resident at New York Presbyterian. Since their trip is all paid for, he suggests Diana go on her own, safe from the virus. She agrees and winds up isolated on Isabela Island as the Galapagos shut down as well. This is the story of how the couple copes with their enforced separation. Or do they?
It's the classic fever dream story. Relationships are turned on their heads as the entire world shuts down. Diana and Finn are only able to communicate sporadically by email as she settles into island life and new relationships while Finn is overwhelmed both physically and emotionally by the demands of his hospital work. Once they are reunited, can they resume the perfect relationship they once shared?
It's an absorbing read touching on the issues of love and loss. If you are reading this, you are old enough to have lived through this turbulent time yourself and Diana and Finn's dilemmas are entirely relatable.
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