Stuck on an island in Covid

Wish You Were Here By Jodi Picoult, Allen & Unwin, $32.99 ..

.. .. .. .. .. .. Jodi Picoult is the queen of plot twists, and this latest novel is no exception.

Diana O’Toole has her life planned out. She works in art auctioning. She’s hoping her boyfriend Finn — a doctor — will propose on holiday to the Galapagos.

But then, Covid. They live in New York and cases are increasing. Finn is needed at the hospital, but he encourages Diana to go on the trip. Once she gets there, the island shuts down and she’s stranded. A family give her somewhere to stay, and she is rarely able to connect with Finn who relates the awfulness of the hospital. Her life becomes almost idyllic, and she learns more about her life, and how it might be cutting her off as the world is crashing.

Expect the unexpected. It’s a doozy. This won’t be the last novel about Covid, but it’s a great read with Picoult’s usual skill with words creating something very different. — Linda Thompson