Wish You Were Here: A Novel

I powered through and read this very engaging novel and could barely put it down until its completion. The tale is more than just living through the throes of the worst facets of the pandemic, it also touches on life's plans and life's curveballs. From personal experience having worked in healthcare during the pandemic, the atrocities and mental anguish that Finn was experiencing was palpable. To this day, in 2024, I still tell others that the horrors spoken from health care workers were true, and somehow people, although moving forward, have short term memory of life with Covid. Thank you, Jodi Picoult, for memorializing it in such a poignant fashion and without the political strife that accompanied Covid's journey. Covid is the main undertone of the novel, but there is also an alternate reality going on with the consciousness of the main character, Diana, while she (spoil alert!) lay in limbo between life and death in an ICU in NY. As Diana recovers, she reimagines and redefines her life's plan. Although I have not traveled to the Galapagos Islands, the descriptions of a small secluded island without the modern conveniences were vividly described. But life's modern conveniences were incidental when you consider droves of people were dying. The contrast between Finn's narratives and the islands solitude was a wonderful juxtaposition and word crafting. Covid did indeed change the lives of many, if not all of us, in many ways. In some ways clinically or physiologically, for others psychologically, and for all of us who do not have short term memory of the atrocities and tragedies, it changed the way we live and behave as humans and treat ourselves and others. Life's plans changed drastically for Diana and Finn as a fallout from her near death experience. Much appreciated perspective from the eyes of Diana and Finn, as well as Rodney and others.

Jodi Picoult is known for taking current events and making them into interesting and intimate stories. In this book, she covers the Covid pandemic. Diana works at Sotheby's in acquisitions, while her boyfriend Finn is a resident doctor at an NYC hospital. They've planned a trip to the Galapagos Islands when a few cases of Covid hit the city. Finn has to stay but urges Diana to take the non-refundable trip. She arrives only to find she's stranded there on Isabela Island with iffy wi-fi and everything closed down, including her hotel. She's taken in by a lovely lady who only speaks Spanish while Diana doesn't, and the first half of the book is Diana reevaluating her life as she struggles to keep in touch with Finn while acclimating to island life. Then there's a huge twist, but no spoilers. Diana and Finn have been perfect for each other, long-term planners and A-types, so life on the island alone with lost luggage and little money is a big adjustment for Diana. At the same time, she gets periodic emails from Finn describing the progress of the pandemic in his hospital. Most of this is familiar information if you paid attention during the worst of Covid, but it still hits hard, especially contrasted with Diana's hiking and swimming days. The twist halfway through the book changes everything and almost turns this into a different but still interesting story. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the Galapagos and, in a different way, the compelling stories of the pandemic. Some political commentary won't please every reader, but I found it factual and well-researched. A very thought-provoking book.

This book surprised me. It begins with Diana, a woman with a solid plan for her life, suddenly stranded in the Galápagos when the pandemic hits. What starts as a story about isolation and self-discovery takes an unexpected turn that completely changes how you see everything that came before it. Picoult captures the unease and unpredictability of early COVID without making it the entire focus. The writing is vivid, especially when describing the island and Diana’s emotional shifts. The twist was bold, but it worked—it forced me to think about how we process trauma and how easily our sense of reality can shift in crisis. Diana’s character isn’t always easy to root for, but she felt real. Her growth felt honest, even if the path there wasn’t what I expected. It’s not a light read, but it’s thoughtful and well-crafted. If you're in the mood for something introspective and slightly off the beaten path, this is worth picking up.

There is so much here that I didn’t know I needed. I didn’t know I needed to read this recap of what we’ve collectively just experienced in the world, even though my vantage point in SoCal Suburbia was completely different. I didn’t know I needed this foray into yet another mother daughter relationship filled with misconceptions, longing and resentment. And I didn’t know I needed the fantasy that showed me about the importance of my reality. Oh how many of us are stuck…. But as a Fan, I absolutely was certain that I would get an artfully crafted ride that I could lose myself in viscerally and relate with on a cellular level. I was not disappointed. Picoult has a mastery for taking different lived experiences and making them so digestible that I can 150% relate and want to highlight every page in the book. This one hit especially close to home for me for all of the obvious reasons—Covid, isolation, mama drama, relationship questions—and then came the reasons that were the icing. My dear friend is battling severe PTSD from being on the front lines. My family is impacted by aging parents, having lost one to dementia. And who isn’t left trying to hold on to the precious gift of the “important things” now that life is picking back up in 2023?! I am sitting way too many hours again in front of my computer and not spending time with my kids, but maybe there is a bit of “what do I do with my kid” truth mixed in there. The pandemic certainly ruined denial for me, and this book captures every ounce of what I am feeling then and now. It was real. We lived through it. And I am so saddened by the statement in the epilogue from Japanese belief that it takes three generations to forget trauma. So I guess that starts with my teenager’ kids as the first. Thanks for this amazing book!!

I haven't finished this book and I probably won't. I feel I've gone far enough (just over halfway) to competently write about why I am not going to bother and why I am so annoyed. Sorry to the author but she can withstand some negative reviews I'm sure. First, I am a fan of the author. Some of her books, a lot actually, are just terrific reads. I wanted to read this because I can't think of anything more compelling than writing about the horrific pandemic we are all enduring. But what a let down. I expected more from this author. This felt contrived and as though social credibility boxes were being ticked off, one by one (Halal?) which is really just an aside so I won't even bother with more of that. First major annoyance: The obvious Yoko Ono character - seriously? Was that intentional? Bizarre. But, ok, never mind all that. What about the read and the main characters? Credit where die: I thought she did a good job portraying what it must have been like to be a healthcare worker in NYC and maybe that's where this book should have focused straight through. Perhaps it even did later but I couldn't suffer one more minute with the main character frankly, a woman who was stupid enough to walk in the opposite direction of everyone else leaving an island during the pandemic. Really? Then, as she received emails from her boyfriend, the doctor in NY who was in serious psychological anguish and horror and physical danger working the front lines of Covid, she never seemed particularly moved by what he was going through but instead writing him about turtles in the Galapagos. Hello, anyone home? Did she ever acknowledge the hellscape he was living in? I didn't notice if she did. I would have rowed home if that were my boyfriend but no, she wasn't horrified apparently. Just angry he pushed her to go but not really meaning it. Meanwhile, she's falling for another man who of course understands life so much better than anyone else because he lives it simply on an island, far from the trappings of superficiality in America. Ugh. Why is this theme repeated in so many books? So predictable. Gruff man with sensitive heart. Yawn. I just couldn't go on. The main character and her hosts on the island were so unoriginal it was brutal - the brooding but sensitive Gabriel, the lonely and misunderstood daughter, and the grandmother with the ever present food...ugh, ugh, ugh. And again, the woman with her life mapped out who finds meaning finally when she communes with nature and brooding men. So sorry, hate to trash a book. There was nothing wrong with the writing on a mechanical level and I wouldn't expect there to be. The author is a terrific writer hence her success. But it would have been nice to see the main character a bit more alarmed and unnerved while her boyfriend suffered at home then her tiptoeing through the tulips thousands of miles away, contemplating her navel and lusting over moody man. I couldn't stand the main character. That's a problem.

I love most of Ms Picoult's novels. What I dislike is the way she puts in her political views. The way Fauci knows all. The way she disses Trump several times, even when we know now Fauci gave horrid advice and the virus did come from China. Also, Trump got the vaccine started and relief setup and extra ventilators. Yet even though these were known facts in the time line she wrote of, I guess if you only watch CNN you'll never know or admit these facts. I heartily dislike any artist using their canvas to promote a political view either way. King does it too and it put me off his books for a while. Overall though, this was a fine book with a great twist. I give a nod to Finn's observation of the nurses being at the largest risk. I know this firsthand from being a nurse working directly with severely ill Covid patients while having an autoimmune condition and asthma. It was like going to war everyday; the grief, the fear, the burnout. Parts of this book were hard to read as it took me back. Yet if you don't know what it was like, you should and I appreciate her putting that out there. Had it not been for the bias, this was definitely a 5 star book. And I hope Diana finds her true life.

I debated 4 or 5 stars, but some of the research and happenings in the book are of such interest to me I had to go with the five. Less than perfect: ending, I am very glad I did not put this book down, half way through thinking it was one more romantic adventure with interesting detail about the Galapagos. I would have missed the most interesting parts of the book.

WISH YOU WERE HERE by Jodi Picoult is moving and thought-provoking story that has stayed on my mind for a long time after turning the final page. It takes a brutally realistic look at the horrifying health crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic but with a stunning twist I never saw coming. Diana O’Toole is, so far, perfectly on track for her carefully planned life. Nearing age thirty, she is steadily climbing the ladder in the art auction world and she is sure that her surgical resident boyfriend, Finn, is planning to propose on their upcoming getaway to the Galápagos. One the eve of their trip, Finn is forced to cancel because the outbreak of Covid-19 in New York requires all hospital staff to be on hand. He insists she go without him, which she reluctantly does. But as Diana arrives on the island, everything goes into lockdown and she is stranded there alone until the borders reopen. Not knowing the language, having no internet service and with her hotel now closed, she is fortunate to be taken in by a local family. As she interacts with the family members, Diana embarks on a journey of self-discovery, examining her relationships and her choices in life. We also hear from Finn through his emails to Diana. As the pandemic worsens, Finn describes in gut-wrenching detail the horror that health care workers are facing on the front lines. His communications become dark and full of despair as the tragedy and trauma of those early days unfolds. The emotional anguish of both Diana and Finn is palpable on the page. Although it was hard to read a novel with the pandemic theme while it is still going on, this is an insightful and well-researched book and I highly recommend it.

There are books you don't just read but devour and want to crawl into. Books that make you forget to eat and drink, that make you forget time and place and leave you breathless. "Wish You Were Here" by Jodi Picoult is such a book. I can say from my deepest heart that this book is definitely going to be one of the best books I have read in a long time. Plot: Diana O'Toole has it all: A handsome and successful boyfriend, a promising career at Sotheby's and all her future life goals already mapped out, like being married at 30, having two kids at 35 while at the same time climbing the professional ladder in the art auction world. What is more, she is convinced that Finn, her boyfriend, is going to propose to her on their upcoming trip to the Galápagos Islands. But then Covid19 comes along. Finn, a surgical resident, has to stay behind at the hospital but urges Diana to make the trip alone. The moment Diana arrives at the Galápagos Islands, the whole place is put under quarantine. Everything is shut down and she needs the help of a local family to find a place to stay. Stripped of almost everything - her luggage got lost and she's running out of money - she explores the beauty of the islands and meets people who will change her forever. Suddenly she starts questioning everything that has seemed so important to her, and she wonders if she will be a completely different person when she goes back home again. Well, and then a plot twist comes along that really left me speechless. I didn't see it coming and I couldn't have seen it coming. I'm not going to say anything more about it, just this: Please read this book!!!!!

My first read of 2023 and a fresh plot with a completely new and different twist. Left me wanting for more when the narration ended. A 5star rating from me.

Over the many years that I have read Ms Picoults` books, there have of course, been some I’ve liked, some I haven’t , some I’ve been indifferent to and some that age just too damn good for words. Wish you were here falls into the final category. It is an impressive manuscript, made even more exceptional, by the subject matter that she has tackled. Our main characters, Dianna and Finn are a couple. Finn is a surgical resident in a NY hospital and Dianna works as an art specialist at Sotheby’s. When covid enters the world stage, little do our couple realise how it may inhabit and disrupt their lives. A planned holiday about to start is disrupted as all Drs are ordered to remain at work. Dianna and Finn discuss whether they cancel it or whether she still goes. Whether she gets out of NY and stays away from what is speculated to be the pandemic epicentre. No more plot. No spoilers. As we sit here, 2 years into the pandemic, it must be acknowledged that it was a brave book to write. You could always say a risky book to write. As a widow from 2019, an ex-registered nurse myself, and someone who nursed my mum through to her passing in 2021, Ms Picoult, boy did you get this book right. Thank you so much for taking your time with your research. My husband was in icu several times during the last years of his life and your writing of ICU a patients and effects from their stay….he suffered those too. I could relate to that. As a registered nurse, I can say that your writing of how nurses work from day to day is beautifully done. I noted the subtle humour that came in through some nurses comments. Again highly relatable. I was that nurse, but am not anymore. Your care in writing about dementia was beautifully done, allowing for the disease to be demonstrated through the exquisiteness of the person underneath. This book was going to be controversial for some people and I think that is perceived in the Goodreads reviews. - Some find it “hard to read”. - Some who have lost someone to C-19 may find it a hard read. - Others have said it is “too heavy, not a light read”. - Others have said that there is not enough drama. From my point of view, I’m a writer and a reader…. - This was fact with a fiction story overlay. Those in the world who have trouble seeing how covid can play out, would benefit from reading this book. It describes everything the world has experienced, but shares it through the eyes of a 29 year old fictional woman. - This book is a life changer book. Anyone that reads it, should sit up and take stock and realise how short life is. Put the phone/tablet down and look at what’s around you. - Readers should take stock of life and “be happy with what you have”. There is a saying “the secret to having it all, is knowing you already do” The underlying message for me in this book…..realise who you are. Sometimes the person or event that is in front of you, that you think is the right thing for you…..may not be.

Meraviglioso

Me ha gustado mucho, es una mezcla de drama y amor basada en la época actual, con un ambiente exótico que hace que sea perfecta para leer en tus vacaciones de verano. Enseguida empatizas con la protagonista y quieres saber más y más.