Published: 2021
Series: N/A
Author: Jodi Picoult
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Historical Fiction, Adult, Adult Fiction, Literary Fiction, Realistic Fiction
Audience (Grade Levels): Adult
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads Link: Wish You Were Here
Triggers: COVID-19 pandemic, isolation, illness, grief, medical trauma, PTSD
Review By: Lisa McPherson
Publisher’s Summary:
“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 an associate specialist at Sotheby’s now, but her boss has hinted at a promotion if she can close a deal with a high-profile client. 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. Her luggage is lost, the Wi-Fi is nearly nonexistent, and the hotel they’d booked is shut down due to the pandemic. In fact, 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.
In the Galápagos Islands, where Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection was formed, 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.”
Review:
Jodi Picoult is an amazing writer. I have always been personally affected, and at times changed, by her books. She generally chooses a philosophical or moral debate as her center point and then she rips your heart out by constantly switching between 2-3 main characters. Just when you understand and sympathize with one, she switches to another. It is dizzying and emotionally draining.
This new novel though was one I almost put down. It is centered around COVID and all I could think of was “I don’t want to relive this!” Quickly, the novel was reminding me of that time and reminding me of how far we, as a society, had come since those first frightening months. I was pulled back into the fear, losses, heartbreak, grief and loneliness that isolation brought us. More than that thought, the novel helped me to remember it, and realize that we must never forget that time either!
It is set up a bit differently than her novels, as there is ONLY one character with the only other voice being a voicemail from another person. The novel, while centered around COVID, is not about COVID at all but about the choices we make in our lives. It is about the goals we set, the people we love and the people we have to forgive. As the main character realizes, “You can’t plan your life… because then you have a plan. Not a life”. It is, as usual, an amazing J. Picoult novel.
She says of her writing style, “The act of writing … is the act of trying to understand why my opinion is what it is. And ultimately, I think that’s the same experience the reader has when they pick up one of my books.” This book definitely does that. 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 an associate specialist at Sotheby’s now, but her boss has hinted at a promotion if she can close a deal with a high-profile client. 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 Galapagos—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. Her luggage is lost, the Wi-Fi is nearly nonexistent, and the hotel they’d booked is shut down due to the pandemic. In fact, 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.
In the Galapagos Islands, where Darwin’s theory of natural selection was formed, 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.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- Social Studies / Modern History: The book provides an incredibly realistic window into the initial lockdown period of the 2020 global pandemic, which can serve as a narrative study on how societies adapt, quarantine, and handle international border closures during global crises.
- Science / Ecology: The Galápagos Islands setting naturally integrates discussions on Charles Darwin, evolution, isolation, and ecological adaptation, mirroring Diana’s internal evolutionary journey.
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): The text deals heavily with themes of courage, trauma, and PTSD, making it a powerful discussion tool for how individuals process sudden life changes, isolation, and grief.
Diversity & Representation:
The novel features diverse representation through its vivid exploration of the local community, culture, and perspectives of residents in the Galápagos Islands during quarantine. Additionally, through the off-screen experiences of Finn, the book respects and represents the exhausting, diverse, and traumatic experiences of frontline medical staff and essential workers navigating a global health crisis.
Readalikes:
- The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
- The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
- Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
- The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
