Wish You Were Here: A Novel

‘Wish You We’re Here’ by Jodi Picoult is a novel that she hadn’t expected to write. Yet I am very pleased that she did. I found this an amazing book, though it can be hard to find the right words when a novel has had a profound effect, yet I will try.First, a word of caution: Jodi Picoult has never shied away from writing about uncomfortable subjects. This novel contains graphic accounts of people with Covid-19 as well as its wider consequences. It is a novel that I would also suggest reading ‘cold’, so only a brief summary.Friday, the 13th March 2020 and Diana O'Toole's life is going well. At the age of twenty-nine she has a job she loves as an art specialist at Sotheby's New York and has recently secured an important client; an achievement that likely will lead to a promotion. She and her boyfriend, Finn, are about to leave on vacation to the Galapagos and she suspects that while there he is going to propose. So far it could be the set up for a romance novel.Then Finn, a surgical resident at a NYC hospital, advises Diane that with the increasing cases of the new virus that the hospital needs him to stay. He insists that she should still go and reluctantly Diane agrees.However, as Diane arrives in the Galapagos the world is shutting down, including her destination, Isabela Island. She elects to stay but finds herself stranded, with only intermittent news from the outside world. While on the island she makes connections with local people as well as with nature, and begins to contemplate aspects of her life to date. No further details to avoid spoilers.As noted above, Picoult does not hold back on depicting the effects of the virus, not only on those infected but by loved ones distraught when unable to visit or say goodbye as well as the experiences of members of the medical profession. It considers the grief and loss, both personal and collective, experienced by many during the pandemic.It also portrays how people responded to quarantine, lockdown and restrictions: baking, box sets, boredom, learning to Zoom, and the like. It brought back vivid memories of those early days of the pandemic when uncertainty was high.I was blown away by this novel on many levels. Given that Diane is sharing her story in the first person, though with additional material, it is an personal account.There was its central story though I was also drawn by details of the exclusive art world in which Diane works; an appreciation of the natural world and, given the location of the Galapagos, musings on Darwin’s theory of evolution. Spirituality and the sense of purpose also plays an important part in the narrative though in a subtle way. Perhaps most importantly is the journey that we all face in coming to terms with death.I appreciated Jodi Picoult’s Author’s Note in which she details the intense research that she undertook in order to portray experiences by inviting survivors to share their accounts.I also expect that ‘Wish You Were Here’ will prove popular with reading groups as it offers a great deal of scope for discussion alongside a good read.Despite a theme that appears dark, there is still hope interwoven throughout. As one character says to Diane: “we are in uncharted territory…The future is completely up in the air.”Overall, I feel that ‘Wish You Were Here’ is an important novel. A novel with heart that is complex and multilayered, yet accessible. It has also given me new perspectives to consider.Very highly recommended.

I was so excited to read this but so disappointed. Its not like her usual work and after the 'twist' I lost interest as it didn't seem to go anywhere. The covid storyline just seems slightly self-indulgent- almost a way to get through lockdown. I hope she will get back to her usual writing as I have loved nearly every other book!

Firstly, I can't understand negative reviews of this book which are based on the fact that it's a story about the Covid-19 pandemic. If you don't enjoy reading about that, don't read about it! I personally do like stories set during the crisis because it's a huge part of our collective human experience and (one day) history, so as Jodi says herself in her author's note for this novel, it's important that it's chronicled and the many stories it contains are told.For that reason I really liked Wish You Were Here. The protagonist Diana has her whole life planned out, and so far it's all going according to plan. Her dreams revolve around achieving specific milestones in her personal and professional life which she must hit by a certain age to stay on track. When Covid arrives, her plans are derailed... and her character arc thereafter unfolds in a beautiful and unexpected way.The big twist half way through really splits the book in two, and I did prefer the first half - especially the scenes in the Galapagos. After the twist the story lost some momentum, as if the reveal had come too soon - hence the reason for losing one star. I loved the very end though, when normally I find endings somewhat disappointing.I haven't read a Jodi Picoult book in many many years, but I remember I used to enjoy the likes of My Sister's Keeper. This one was the usual thought-provoking stuff I'd expect from this author and was typically well written, and it's made me want to delve back into more of her work. I picked up Wish You Were Here because of the subject matter and it certainly didn't disappoint - it's a life-affirming and hopeful view of the pandemic, with an intriguing plot and likeable characters.

I used to read a lot of books by Jodi until they reached a stage of: Part 1 (background setting); Part 2 (the detailed Court Case); Part 3 (the Happy Ever After). This one was obviously not going to be one of these so I decided to give it a go.Ignoring the perhaps possible coma induced life/images/dreams/neurological factors this is totally non-believable. No way, even in the widest sense, would the 'heroine' know all the medical facts of ongoing Covid treatment in the mails/messages from her boyfriend.Never again a book by this author

I love JP but now and again she writes a book I just dont like.I HATED the twist 1/2 way through this, hated it!What started as escapism just became more depressing stuff about bloody COVID.If you're sick of hearing about COVID don't read this book!