Wish You Were Here

Jodi Picoult

Allen & Unwin

Written and set during the current global pandemic, this is a brave and interesting insight into living and working within the restraints and challenges of Covid.

Diana O’Toole finds herself forced to rethink her very structured life plan when she finds herself stuck in the breathtaking beauty of the Galapagos Islands at the start of the pandemic. Unable to leave the island due to lockdown and the limited technology available, she is forced to communicate with her surgical resident boyfriend Finn by letter only. He has been left behind in New York working on the frontline of the Covid response.

As Diana learns to stand on her own two feet and fight her internal demons, she learns more about herself. A near-death experience then brings her abruptly back to familiar city surroundings and leaves her no longer prepared to just be a follower.

This is a moving novel about the resilience of the human spirit and a beautiful reminder that we are never too old to learn, grow and change as a result of our experiences. A must-read.