Like I'm the only one who knows your heart: WISH YOU WERE HERE.

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Diana O'Toole has her life perfectly planned out. Marriage, kids, a career in art history at Sotheby's. Key in her plan is her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident. She's sure he's going to propose during their upcoming trip to the Galápagos. But before they can go on the trip, COVID hits, and the world shuts down. Finn cannot leave New York: he's required to stay at the hospital. Not wanting their nonrefundable trip to go to waste, they decide Diana should go without him. Once there, she finds the entire island under quarantine and realizes she's stranded until everything reopens. Without her hotel reservation or even usual shopping open, Diana finds herself reexamining her life and all she has planned.

This is certainly a COVID themed book, which hits you hard, but it's very well-done. It's told from the perspective of Finn, as he struggles in his New York hospital, and Diana, as she finds herself stranded in the Galápagos. She occasionally writes him postcards and he sometimes writes her emails. It's a fast read, and very "Picoult"--all twisty and emotional, with our protagonist, Diana, questioning her life and her choices. Also meticulously researched--the Galápagos, Diana's art history career, and all the COVID aspects.

Overall, this one makes you think. I found it moving and timely and worth the read. 4 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Random House / Ballantine in return for an unbiased review.

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