My last book blog post for 2021 is Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult. If you’ve read any Picoult novels, you know that there is always a surprise twist somewhere along the way – and I was very surprised by the direction this plot took. I read this book in one day, and it definitely kept my interest and was a good read! (If you don’t want to read about Covid experiences at all, you might steer clear of this book though.)
Diana O’Toole is twenty-nine and works for Sotheby’s in the area of fine art auctions. Her boyfriend, Finn, is a surgical resident in a New York hospital. They have plans and goals and a terrific life – and then a virus appears in the city and their lives change overnight. (We can all relate to the effects of this pandemic.) Diana and Finn have been saving for a trip to the Galapagos – but Finn’s work schedule has exploded and he can’t go…so Diana decides to go on her own. Much to her surprise, the virus has more surprises in store for her – the island shuts down and she is unable to leave. The descriptions of the island are so beautiful and the characters on the island are very endearing. Picoult did a terrific job researching the tropical area. At the same time, Finn’s experiences in the hospital with hundreds of very sick patients are very realistic as well – bringing the trauma of the virus into the story. The novel brings out the toll that
Covid has taken on doctors, nurses and other health care workers.
I really enjoyed Wish You Were Here and would recommend it! Just beware that it does delve into the realities of people who have had severe Covid and survived or not survived.
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