Book richly illustrates pandemic’s impact on lives

“Voices from the Pandemic,” by Eli Saslow (Doubleday)

More than 18 months into the coronavirus pandemic, there’s already been a bumper crop of books about COVID-19 that have focused primarily on the policy failures that allowed the virus to spread.

Eli Saslow’s “Voices from the Pandemic” instead draws attention to the people who have been affected by the virus.

Originally a series that ran in the Washington Post and won a George Polk Award for oral history, “Voices from the Pandemic” offers numerous examples of the heartbreaking, infuriating and even inspiring ways COVID-19 has changed our world.

Reading a book like this in the midst of the delta variant’s surge may seem like a depressing pursuit, but it feels oddly cathartic. So many of the emotions and experiences are familiar. This collection is a reminder of how much we all share in common during a time of great loss.