Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a deeply moving novel about the resilience of the human spirit in a moment of crisis.

Diana O’Toole is perfectly on track. She will be married by thirty, done having kids by thirty-five, and move out to the New York City suburbs, all while climbing the professional ladder in the cutthroat art auction world. She’s not engaged just yet, but she knows her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtieth birthday. Right on time.

But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city, and on the eve of their departure, Finn breaks the news: It’s all hands on deck at the hospital. He has to stay behind. You should still go, he assures her, since it would be a shame for all of their nonrefundable trip to go to waste. And so, reluctantly, she goes.

Almost immediately, Diana’s dream vacation goes awry. The whole island is now under quarantine, and she is stranded until the borders reopen. Completely isolated, she must venture beyond her comfort zone. Slowly, she carves out a connection with a local family when a teenager with a secret opens up to Diana, despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders.

Diana finds herself examining her relationships, her choices, and herself—and wondering if when she goes home, she too will have evolved into someone completely different.

Hardcover, 310 pages

Published November 30, 2021

 by Ballantine Books

4.5/5 stars

I read this book last month and glad I did - timing and content wise, as it appears we might, just might be closer to the end of this pandemic and for some any reminders might take this book off the table. Which is sad, it’s a really good book.

This is my 3rd Jodi Picoult book and yet again she took me by surprise with a twist that totally worked. She is known for her twists and this was a doozie . The author notes are a must read, not just for her motivation but for the personal experiences and testimonies.

I loved the time spent in the Galapagos, visualising this lush island preserved by nature, the way of life, customs and the people. Back in NYC it’s totally different as Covid hits and we see the horrible side of the pandemic. Also vivid and sad.

Since parts of the story aren’t mentioned the blurb I will steer away also. Wish You Were Here is a story that makes one think, it’s well written and while some parts might not appear necessary it did reflect who Diana is.

As I’m slowly making my way through her back list (My Sister’s Keeper and The Storyteller so far). I appreciate all the research that goes into her books which reflects in her writing.

This book was part of my 2022 Reading off my shelf challenge (#2)