Fiction

Wish You Were Here

Wish You Were Here

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  • Create Date：2021-12-01 08:20:57
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Jodi Picoult
  • ISBN：B0929BS6CZ
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Summary

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a deeply moving novel about the resilience of the human spirit in a moment of crisis。

Diana O’Toole is perfectly on track。 She will be married by thirty， done having kids by thirty-five， and move out to the New York City suburbs， all while climbing the professional ladder in the cutthroat art auction world。 She’s not engaged just yet， but she knows her boyfriend， Finn， a surgical resident， is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtieth birthday。 Right on time。

But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city， and on the eve of their departure， Finn breaks the news: It’s all hands on deck at the hospital。 He has to stay behind。 You should still go， he assures her， since it would be a shame for all of their nonrefundable trip to go to waste。 And so， reluctantly， she goes。

Almost immediately， Diana’s dream vacation goes awry。 The whole island is now under quarantine， and she is stranded until the borders reopen。 Completely isolated， she must venture beyond her comfort zone。 Slowly， she carves out a connection with a local family when a teenager with a secret opens up to Diana， despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders。

Diana finds herself examining her relationships， her choices， and herself—and wondering if when she goes home， she too will have evolved into someone completely different。

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Reviews

Virginia McGee Butler ，

One good thing seems to be certain in the wake of every national or international crisis， whether manmade or in nature。 Jodi Picoult will incorporate it into a gripping novel。 The current pandemic sets the scene for Wish You Were Here。 Following the pattern of other Picoult books， the crisis takes on the importance and feeling of an additional character in the book。 Protagonist Diana O’Toole has goals and a life plan that seems to be clicking along according to her schedule when the COVID epidem One good thing seems to be certain in the wake of every national or international crisis， whether manmade or in nature。 Jodi Picoult will incorporate it into a gripping novel。 The current pandemic sets the scene for Wish You Were Here。 Following the pattern of other Picoult books， the crisis takes on the importance and feeling of an additional character in the book。 Protagonist Diana O’Toole has goals and a life plan that seems to be clicking along according to her schedule when the COVID epidemic appears。 Almost engaged， Diana and Finn have a trip planned to the Galapagos just as COVID raises its ugly head in New York City。 As a surgical resident， Finn has to stay and tend to the rising numbers of hospital patients but insists that she go on as planned since the trip money is nonrefundable。 Diana’s life changes， because of the pandemic， ring true。 She deals with a mother with dementia under a DNR order in a nursing home。 She meets people she can’t speak with because she doesn’t know Spanish and has other difficulties in the Galapagos that include an inability to communicate with home because of no internet connections。 Then there is the teenager cutter she meets who mirrors her own contentious mother/daughter relationship。 Surprises and intriguing twists compel the reader through the darkness of the pandemic all the way to the unexpected conclusion。 In a letter from Jodi to her readers， published by Goodreads， she says， “I hope you’ll always remember to ask yourselves how this experience changed the way you think about the rest of your life。” I think it is probable that her hope will come true。 If you are a longtime Picoult fan， you will be prepared for her to put a creative spin on this worldwide disaster。 The author has out-Picoulted herself with this novel。 Readers should be advised to have time， a good chair， and a blanket set aside since not much will be going on until the book is finished。 。。。more

Hannah Zimmerman ，

One of the most infuriating books I’ve ever read。

Melanie ，

This one snuck up on me。 I did not think I would like this book。 I really enjoyed Picoult’s earlier works; however， her recent stuff just has not really clicked with me。 Plus this book is set during Covid – it is just too soon to write/read about it since we are still in the thick of it。 What I didn’t count on， was that this book would have that ole Jodi Picoult magic that carries you into the story and pretty soon you are halfway done with no idea how you got so far in such a short time。 It is This one snuck up on me。 I did not think I would like this book。 I really enjoyed Picoult’s earlier works; however， her recent stuff just has not really clicked with me。 Plus this book is set during Covid – it is just too soon to write/read about it since we are still in the thick of it。 What I didn’t count on， was that this book would have that ole Jodi Picoult magic that carries you into the story and pretty soon you are halfway done with no idea how you got so far in such a short time。 It is hard to say too much about the plot of the book without giving anything away。 It is set during early pandemic in both New York City and the Galapagos Islands。 It is a story about personal growth with the unusual backdrop of a pandemic。 The hospital and Covid patient descriptions were chilling particularly as they were juxtaposed with the beauty and serenity of the deserted Galapagos Islands。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a chance to read and review this one！ 。。。more

LianaReads blog ，

Wish you were here is such an emotional read。 While Covid plays a huge part in the book， it's worth reading it because it gives so much of the true nuances of life in these times。 So many beautiful setting descriptions for the Galápagos Islands and such a heartbreaking story overall。 It takes about Diana and Finn， a beautiful couple that have to go through so much while in lockdown and in the frontline of it all。 Survival， loneliness， grief and， more than anything， human experiences and emotiona Wish you were here is such an emotional read。 While Covid plays a huge part in the book， it's worth reading it because it gives so much of the true nuances of life in these times。 So many beautiful setting descriptions for the Galápagos Islands and such a heartbreaking story overall。 It takes about Diana and Finn， a beautiful couple that have to go through so much while in lockdown and in the frontline of it all。 Survival， loneliness， grief and， more than anything， human experiences and emotionalism。 It might be hard for some to read it but it's really with the time。 The first half of the story is set in Galapagos and I could really see why the author is such a beloved storyteller。 Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley 。。。more

Marialyce （absltmom， yaya） ，

3。5 stars This is a book that makes you wonder about the power of the brain and how it is influenced by being ill， literally at death's door。 It deals with the Covid crisis especially touching those who resided in NYC。 Diana had her whole life planned out with marriage， home ownership， children and even a dog to complete the picture。 It was a dream， one that would be shattered when she goes onto a vacation in the Galapagos while her boyfriend， Finn， a surgical resident in a NY hospital， is requi 3。5 stars This is a book that makes you wonder about the power of the brain and how it is influenced by being ill， literally at death's door。 It deals with the Covid crisis especially touching those who resided in NYC。 Diana had her whole life planned out with marriage， home ownership， children and even a dog to complete the picture。 It was a dream， one that would be shattered when she goes onto a vacation in the Galapagos while her boyfriend， Finn， a surgical resident in a NY hospital， is required to stay working in the hospital knowing the worst was in the future for this illness。 However， Diana went to the Galapagos alone。 When the island shuts down， Diana gives up the opportunity to leave and stays on the island。She is befriended by a native woman and her grandson， Gabriel and his daughter Beatriz。 We discover the wonders of the island through the aforementioned two， as well the problems of being quarantined both on the island and in NYC。 Without the internet， the people are left adrift in an ocean of the unknown （which in a way might be a good thing， with social media， TV， and other outlets scaring us hourly。）The book had a slow start and although it did need a pretty wide stretch of the imagination， it did finally hit a stride so that the reader can ascertain the truthfulness of the author's assessment of the crisis。 In some instances， the book was difficult and readers who are tired of Covid 24/7 might shy away from this one。However， it was entertaining and well laid out as Picoult books often are。Thank you to NetGalley for making this book available to this reader。 。。。more

Perrin Larton ，

Gosh。。。what a perfect way to 'take on' the Covid-19 pandemic。 Meticulous research by Ms。 Picoult had me recalling the first days of the pandemic。 As an aside， I was on a flight in January 2020 sitting next to a man who had just returned from Wuhan， China。 He and I talked about the 'virus' what was in China and he let me know FIRST HAND how devastating the virus was in Wuhan。 He felt he got out 'just in time'， and looking back on that conversation I realize he had。Back to the review:Diane， an art Gosh。。。what a perfect way to 'take on' the Covid-19 pandemic。 Meticulous research by Ms。 Picoult had me recalling the first days of the pandemic。 As an aside， I was on a flight in January 2020 sitting next to a man who had just returned from Wuhan， China。 He and I talked about the 'virus' what was in China and he let me know FIRST HAND how devastating the virus was in Wuhan。 He felt he got out 'just in time'， and looking back on that conversation I realize he had。Back to the review:Diane， an art expert and Finn， a medical resident in NYC， are planning their dream vacation。 After seeing a ring in Finn's sock drawer， Diane just knows he will propose when they're on vacation in the Galápagos。 With epidemiologists predicting an uptick in the number of cases， Finn's vacation is cancelled。 He tells Diana to go ahead without him。 Although she struggles with her decision， she goes ahead and leaves the country。 Once she's in the Galápagos， everything begins to disintegrate。 Her luggage is lost。 All tourists are leaving the island when she's getting there。 Her hotel is closed due to the pandemic。 The island is closed to everyone and there is no transportation off island。 Even if she could get transportation， international borders are closed。 She does make contact with some locals and finds an apartment where she can live。 Diane meets Gabriel， a local who is a former tour operator， and she begins to question her relationship with Finn。 Other locals are featured and Diane begins to feel comfortable with herself and some of her decisions。 Then。。。the world changes。。。Anymore and I'd be in spoiler territory， so I won't say anything else about the rest of the book。 The twist is so well written， you don't see it coming。This book is a bit slow in the beginning， but stick with it！ If I were in a book club， this would be my TOP PICK for a book club read。 There are so many ways to look at this story and it begs to be discussed。 I was hesitant to even begin this book。 I am so glad I read it。 。。。more

Zibby Owens ，

The book opens on March 13th， 2020， in New York City， the day that everything shuts down because of Covid。 Diana takes a dream vacation without her boyfriend。 Suddenly this city is on lock-down， and he's not allowed to leave the hospital as a resident。 Diana gets stuck in the Galápagos Islands and gains insight into what's going on through his intermittent email responses。 My husband's grandmother and my mother-in-law both died of Covid。 Reading about COvid and the shutdown brought it all back t The book opens on March 13th， 2020， in New York City， the day that everything shuts down because of Covid。 Diana takes a dream vacation without her boyfriend。 Suddenly this city is on lock-down， and he's not allowed to leave the hospital as a resident。 Diana gets stuck in the Galápagos Islands and gains insight into what's going on through his intermittent email responses。 My husband's grandmother and my mother-in-law both died of Covid。 Reading about COvid and the shutdown brought it all back to me。 And I couldn't help but wonder: what if she had survived？ What would she be saying about her experience？ This timely book captures the horrible situation the medical professionals， nurses， doctors， and patients experienced during that difficult time。This is a book about human resilience and gives us a front-row seat to what happened behind hospital doors: the loss， the fear， and the love。 I loved the scene at the very beginning when Finn left the room， and it took him forever to disrobe with all the protocols。 He couldn't wait to get out because he was so worried about his own health， but then he noticed a nurse still sitting with a sick patient。 This brought tears to my eyes because so many health care professionals gave so much during this time。 I also loved the escape to the Galápagos。 This book had a strong sense of place provided a very sensory experience to Diana's story。To listen to my interview with the author， go to my podcast at:https://zibbyowens。com/transcript/jod。。。 。。。more

Degenerate Chemist ，

Gotta be honest here。 I'm saving this TBR so I can hate read it later。 Anybody wanna hate read it with me？ Gotta be honest here。 I'm saving this TBR so I can hate read it later。 Anybody wanna hate read it with me？ 。。。more

Alysa Ellis ，

Very thought provoking and has left me thinking about it days after。 I don't even know how to describe it。 Just read it。 First from this author for me but won't be the last。 It was so good。 Very thought provoking and has left me thinking about it days after。 I don't even know how to describe it。 Just read it。 First from this author for me but won't be the last。 It was so good。 。。。more

Ticey Geyer ，

Even if you think you don't want to read about Covid， read this！ Yes， it's about Covid but really it's about so much more。 It's heartbreaking as you immerse yourself in the world of what it must have been like for a healthcare professional， but then there's all the thoughts and feelings of being stranded on an island like Diana。 Most of us likely weren't physically stranded on an island， but sometimes that's what the early days of the pandemic felt like。 The busy， crazy lives that we were leadin Even if you think you don't want to read about Covid， read this！ Yes， it's about Covid but really it's about so much more。 It's heartbreaking as you immerse yourself in the world of what it must have been like for a healthcare professional， but then there's all the thoughts and feelings of being stranded on an island like Diana。 Most of us likely weren't physically stranded on an island， but sometimes that's what the early days of the pandemic felt like。 The busy， crazy lives that we were leading came to a grinding halt and with that we began experiencing a whole new range of emotions and experiences。 This story is captivating， emotional， and will leave you hopeful for the future！ 。。。more

Brooke Smith ，

Happy publication day！ I was given an arc of this book through the publishers and Indigo Books as an Indigo employee to read and review。 CONTENT WARNING: This book details living through the covid 19 pandemic and gets quite heavy， if that isn't something you can read right now， come back to this book if and when you get to a place where you can。 This is one of those books that leaves you feeling changed by the end。 I never thought I would read a book about covid， but I'm glad I did。 This book wa Happy publication day！ I was given an arc of this book through the publishers and Indigo Books as an Indigo employee to read and review。 CONTENT WARNING: This book details living through the covid 19 pandemic and gets quite heavy， if that isn't something you can read right now， come back to this book if and when you get to a place where you can。 This is one of those books that leaves you feeling changed by the end。 I never thought I would read a book about covid， but I'm glad I did。 This book was oddly comforting and wildly relatable。 It almost felt therapeutic to read about something so relative to my life。 Wish You Were Here is essentially a story of survival， resilience and living for yourself。 It's a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of living through life-changing events and finding your path after trauma。 Jodi Picoult is a master in this book。 Her writing is poetic and honest， filled with vivid and beautiful imagery that feels so alive。 I often felt myself and thoughts reflected in her words。 The way she depicts the journey of the pandemic arriving in North America is spot on and she does a beautiful job of having you reflect on the past year and a half of what we all lived through。 This novel is both heartbreaking and empowering， with flawed and multi-faceted characters and a story that reminds you of the preciousness of life and truly living it。 It is by no means a perfect book， and it will not be everyone's cup of tea， but the journey I went on while reading this book makes me think it deserves 5 stars。 Read my full review here:https://www。myantiquesoul。com/book-re。。。 。。。more

Valerie in Nebraska ，

Wish You Were Here is the unplanned writing project that helped Jodi Picoult cope with pandemic quarantine。The premise: It's March 2020 in NYC and Diana O'Toole is on track to achieve her life goals。 Her career at Sotheby's is advancing， her surgical resident boyfriend Finn is going to propose during their long-awaited exotic vacation， and their future plans align perfectly。 Then news of a mysterious virus begins to spread， and Diana and Finn could never anticipate the ways it will change their Wish You Were Here is the unplanned writing project that helped Jodi Picoult cope with pandemic quarantine。The premise: It's March 2020 in NYC and Diana O'Toole is on track to achieve her life goals。 Her career at Sotheby's is advancing， her surgical resident boyfriend Finn is going to propose during their long-awaited exotic vacation， and their future plans align perfectly。 Then news of a mysterious virus begins to spread， and Diana and Finn could never anticipate the ways it will change their lives。COVID-19 is a primary theme so if you're not interested in reading about the early days of the pandemic， pass on this until you are。 I was completely engrossed and read the book in a couple of sittings。 This is most impactful for readers who have little background information so do yourself a favor and avoid spoilery reviews。The novel combines fine art， the Galapagos Islands， complicated relationships， and a worldwide pandemic as only Jodi Picoult can。 Readers either love or hate her ripped-from-the-headlines emotionally-manipulative plots， and this one will be no different。Thank you to Ballantine Books for the review copy of this unforgettable novel。 。。。more

Esther Peacock ，

Wish You Were Here by Jodi PicoultDiana O'Toole's life is going perfectly to plan。 At twenty-nine， she's up for promotion to her dream job as an art specialist at Sotheby's and she's about to fly to the Galapagos where she's convinced her surgeon boyfriend， Finn， is going to propose。But then the virus hits New York City and Finn breaks the news: the hospital needs him， he has to stay。 But you should still go， he insists。 And reluctantly， she agrees。Once she's in the Galapagos， the world shuts do Wish You Were Here by Jodi PicoultDiana O'Toole's life is going perfectly to plan。 At twenty-nine， she's up for promotion to her dream job as an art specialist at Sotheby's and she's about to fly to the Galapagos where she's convinced her surgeon boyfriend， Finn， is going to propose。But then the virus hits New York City and Finn breaks the news: the hospital needs him， he has to stay。 But you should still go， he insists。 And reluctantly， she agrees。Once she's in the Galapagos， the world shuts down around her， leaving Diana stranded - albeit in paradise。 Completely isolated， with only intermittent news from the outside world， Diana finds herself examining everything that has brought her to this point and wondering if there's a better way to live。But not everything is as it seems 。 。 。I was interested to read a book about the Covid 19 Pandemic， and it being written by the fabulous Jodi Picoult was a bonus。 It isn't easy to give a review without exposing spoilers。 This book is about living your life to the full， taking chances， and sequentially recognising that life is too short and making the most of it is essential。 The story captures the confusion， isolation， loneliness and anxiety of those suddenly caught up in the pandemic。 I genuinely enjoyed this read， and I am more than happy to recommend it。I want to thank NetGalley， Hodder and Stoughton and author Jodi Picoult for a copy to review。 。。。more

Sandie ，

I realize that COVID is a lingering global trauma but enough is enough。 First， let me begin by stating that I am literally sick of having spent the past year and a half of my life being inundated， on a daily basis， with facts， figures， fears and general information and mis-information concerning the virus。 Second， I admit that I am NOT what one would refer to as an ardent fan of Jodi Picoult。 I find her writing a bit aggressive when she is “pushing” her latest agenda （or if you prefer， Viewpoint I realize that COVID is a lingering global trauma but enough is enough。 First， let me begin by stating that I am literally sick of having spent the past year and a half of my life being inundated， on a daily basis， with facts， figures， fears and general information and mis-information concerning the virus。 Second， I admit that I am NOT what one would refer to as an ardent fan of Jodi Picoult。 I find her writing a bit aggressive when she is “pushing” her latest agenda （or if you prefer， Viewpoint）。That said， I admit that WISH YOU WERE HERE was not at all what I expected and I ended up being positively enthralled。 Once I began reading this fictional account of protagonist Diana’s multi-layered pandemic experience I found myself immersed in this emotional tale of a woman who has planned every aspect of her life only to have it disrupted by the unforeseen circumstances that， in turn， have her exploring dangerous terrain as well as examining various life relationships。 This is one of those reads where too much information in a review can ruin the reader’s joy of discovery so let me just say， try this one。 You’ll be surprised and satisfied。 。。。more

Claire Thorpe ，

I haven't read a Jodi Piccoult book for years and read this as part of a group reading via Pigeonhole。 Wow what a book - I am still thinking about it a couple of weeks later。 Its set during the start of the Covid19 pandemic and is quite dramatic in the covering of it and does bring it all back as to how little was known in the early stages - it is odd to read a book whilst we are still dealing with Covid！Diana works for Sotherbys and has a happy life with her boyfriend Finn who is a surgeon。 The I haven't read a Jodi Piccoult book for years and read this as part of a group reading via Pigeonhole。 Wow what a book - I am still thinking about it a couple of weeks later。 Its set during the start of the Covid19 pandemic and is quite dramatic in the covering of it and does bring it all back as to how little was known in the early stages - it is odd to read a book whilst we are still dealing with Covid！Diana works for Sotherbys and has a happy life with her boyfriend Finn who is a surgeon。 They have booked a 2 week trip to the Galapagos islands and at the last minute Finn said that all his leave has been cancelled - Diana goes by herself and as soon as she arrived the Island went into lockdown and she was stranded there， there is no internet and she gets sporadic emails from Finn 。 She befriends a father and daughter who live on the island and is immersed into their lives ， she spends a lot of time contemplating her life and where she is going。 Something happens that I was totally unprepared for and left me gasping ！ That has never happened to me before 。 This was a great read - take time to read Jodi's notes at the end 。 。。。more

Rosh | Reads and Reviews ，

I want to preface this review by saying that this book touches on some difficult topics， including the Covid-19 pandemic。 Please read the content warnings and make sure you are in the right head space when reading it。Now onto the review。 I was hesitant at first because I read The Book of Two Ways by Picoult last year and it didn’t really hit the mark for me。 Thankfully， this one did on many levels。 I wasn’t sure how I would feel reading about the pandemic。 Although I haven’t lost anyone close to I want to preface this review by saying that this book touches on some difficult topics， including the Covid-19 pandemic。 Please read the content warnings and make sure you are in the right head space when reading it。Now onto the review。 I was hesitant at first because I read The Book of Two Ways by Picoult last year and it didn’t really hit the mark for me。 Thankfully， this one did on many levels。 I wasn’t sure how I would feel reading about the pandemic。 Although I haven’t lost anyone close to me， I know many who have。 Picoult does an incredible job of writing this novel with care and consideration of the difficult subject matter。I don’t want to give too much away， but I will say that I was very surprised by this book。 I found myself wanting to keep reading to find out what happened next， which is always a good sign for a book。 I did feel it dragged a bit toward the end， but I enjoyed how the book came to a close。Surprisingly， I didn’t cry reading this book UNTIL…the author’s note at the end。 That got me big time！If you’re a fan of Picoult， I’d say this is a definite must read。 If you haven’t read her work， I’d recommend it with the caveat of content warnings I mentioned earlier。 。。。more

Amy Toward ，

Simply stated， brilliant。 This author takes you on a journey to the Galápagos Islands。 She also takes you on a journey to the front line hospital workers during the initial Covid breakout。 This story left me breathless and hopeful。 I never suspected the twist。 Which are the best surprises in books。 Jodi Picoult has a unique， fascinating mind that I’m glad she shares with us。

Lisa Laura ，

This was such a powerful read。 Diana and Finn are successful New Yorkers with their life planned out to a T。 They saved for years to take a dream vacation when COVID hits， Finn is needed at the hospital and he urges Diana to go without him。 She lands in the Galapagos with no luggage to find the island shut down。 The imagery and detail in the Galapagos made me feel like I was there。 Diana finds solace with a local family who shelter her and she struggles with the dilemma of enjoying herself while This was such a powerful read。 Diana and Finn are successful New Yorkers with their life planned out to a T。 They saved for years to take a dream vacation when COVID hits， Finn is needed at the hospital and he urges Diana to go without him。 She lands in the Galapagos with no luggage to find the island shut down。 The imagery and detail in the Galapagos made me feel like I was there。 Diana finds solace with a local family who shelter her and she struggles with the dilemma of enjoying herself while the world is falling apart。。The twist in part 2 blew my mind。 I won't give away any more details but I will say that this book contains heavy COVID details and if I had lost a loved one I may not have been able to read this。 That being said， this is an important depiction of the pandemic， life of a frontline worker and how when faced with such tragedy one examines what is important in life。 。。。more

Vicki ，

“Wish You Were Here，” by Jodi Picoult， tBallantine Books， 336 pages， Nov。 30， 2021。Diana O’Toole is an associate specialist at Sotheby’s Auction House in New York， but her boss has hinted at a promotion if she can close a deal with a high-profile client， Kotomi Ito， for a Toulouse-Lautrec painting。Diana is not engaged yet， but she knows her boyfriend， Finn Colson， a surgical resident at New York-Presbyterian， is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtiet “Wish You Were Here，” by Jodi Picoult， tBallantine Books， 336 pages， Nov。 30， 2021。Diana O’Toole is an associate specialist at Sotheby’s Auction House in New York， but her boss has hinted at a promotion if she can close a deal with a high-profile client， Kotomi Ito， for a Toulouse-Lautrec painting。Diana is not engaged yet， but she knows her boyfriend， Finn Colson， a surgical resident at New York-Presbyterian， is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtieth birthday。On the eve of their departure， Finn breaks the news: because of the coronavirus outbreak， he has to stay behind。 Since their trip is non-refundable， Finn urges Diana to go alone。 She thinks the outbreak will be over in a few weeks。Almost immediately， Diana’s dream vacation goes awry。 Her luggage is lost， the Wi-Fi is nearly nonexistent， and the hotel they’d booked is shut down due to the pandemic。 She turns down the opportunity to be on the last ferry off the island and she is stranded until the borders reopen。 And Diana doesn’t speak the language。 Then she meets an older woman， the woman’s son and his teenage daughter。 As she gets more involved with them， Diana begins to wonder if she should stay there and start a new life。Jodi Picoult writes novels of ordinary people in unusual circumstances。 This is an amazing， multi-level novel that is extremely well-researched。 There is a major twist that I did not see coming。 I thought she couldn’t top her last one， “The Book of Two Ways，” but I was wrong。 Don’t miss “Wish You Were Here。”In accordance with FTC guidelines， the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more

MauiBeachReads ，

I'm not sure I can find the right words to write a proper review of this book。 I LOVED it。 First of all， a disclaimer: I'm a frontline healthcare provider living on a small， isolated island that completely shut down for several months during the peak of Covid。 I found SO MUCH of this story relatable to my real life。 Jodi Picoult did a fantastic job of capturing the fear， exhaustion， and sheer desperation of trying to provide care to Covid patients， not just in the beginning， but even today。 I al I'm not sure I can find the right words to write a proper review of this book。 I LOVED it。 First of all， a disclaimer: I'm a frontline healthcare provider living on a small， isolated island that completely shut down for several months during the peak of Covid。 I found SO MUCH of this story relatable to my real life。 Jodi Picoult did a fantastic job of capturing the fear， exhaustion， and sheer desperation of trying to provide care to Covid patients， not just in the beginning， but even today。 I also greatly appreciated that she did such a great job of accurately describing the medical procedures， protocols， and general jargon correctly - this rarely happens in books / TV / movies and it is frustrating。 She represented frontline providers with respect and her accuracy is important in conveying to the general public what was （and is） happening at different levels of care with these patients， especially in this time of rampant misinformation。 I also appreciated her representation of life on a small island dependent on tourism - the love/hate relationship local residents have with tourists for various reasons。 The way these places' ecosystems rebounded in the short time they were free from overtourism。 This book is full of lessons we've had in front of us throughout Covid - many of us have faced this crisis and have been changed - by illness， by disillusionment， by trauma， by fear。 This book examines what can happen when different people face the same crisis from different perspectives。 Highly recommend to anyone whose life has been affected by this pandemic （so that means everyone！）。 Read this book。 。。。more

Linda Raiti ，

I’ll start off by saying this is the first fiction novel I’ve read that details the pandemic we’ve all lived through these past couple of years。 The author’s note at the end is a must read and gives a detailed explanation why she wrote about the pandemic and the research she undertook。 I thought I may not be ready， to hear about covid and lockdown， still too fresh and all， but boy， did Jodi Picoult deliver this superbly！ The synopsis is on the next slide。 ➡️This was a slow burn to begin with。 Ho I’ll start off by saying this is the first fiction novel I’ve read that details the pandemic we’ve all lived through these past couple of years。 The author’s note at the end is a must read and gives a detailed explanation why she wrote about the pandemic and the research she undertook。 I thought I may not be ready， to hear about covid and lockdown， still too fresh and all， but boy， did Jodi Picoult deliver this superbly！ The synopsis is on the next slide。 ➡️This was a slow burn to begin with。 However I quickly became engaged with the characters。 Picoult has a way of creating such believable characters。 They are strong and resilient yet also flawed and vulnerable。 Her descriptions are so vivid。 I felt like I was in the Galapagos。 I could see the volcano， the sea and the landscape and all the beautiful native wildlife。Then …there was a trademark Picoult shift and a twist I did not see coming！ I literally shouted WTF！！ I was totally stunned。 This beautiful and moving novel is so much more than the pandemic。 It’s about resilience， what we take for granted and the determination and exhaustion our health care and front line workers face in the battle to fight COVID-19。 I highly recommend this one， Jodi Picoult is a truly amazing storyteller， I urge you to pick this one up。 。。。more

audrey oaks ，

When I think of Jodi Picoult books， Nineteen Minutes is the book that was most memorable to me。 As a middle school teacher that book was just too real。 Picoult writes books that are very topical and she gets to the truth of the matter。 Wish You Were Here， which deals with the current pandemic will be right there with Nineteen Minutes as a book I will remember years later。 I wasn't sure I was ready to read a book about our current situation yet， but I found that I had already forgotten some of th When I think of Jodi Picoult books， Nineteen Minutes is the book that was most memorable to me。 As a middle school teacher that book was just too real。 Picoult writes books that are very topical and she gets to the truth of the matter。 Wish You Were Here， which deals with the current pandemic will be right there with Nineteen Minutes as a book I will remember years later。 I wasn't sure I was ready to read a book about our current situation yet， but I found that I had already forgotten some of the things from our early days of 2020。 Picoult did her research and has created an accurate depiction of what those days were like。 Diana O'Toole has a plan。 Her career， marriage， family are all planned。 She has a fabulous job at Sotheby's， her boyfriend， Finn， is a surgical assistant， and they are about to head to the Galapagos where she is sure he will ask her to marry him。 But when the virus hits and Finn is needed at the hospital - Diana heads off on the trip alone。 The world has changed - and Diana is quarantined in the Galapagos where the hotel is closed and she is on her own。 Left to her own resources - she begins to rethink her life。 This book just kept me reading。 It just may be my new favorite Picoult book。 。。。more

Misi ，

“Wish You Were Here” is a good read by Jodi Picoult， which I enjoyed more than her 2020 release。 This novel touches on COVID-19 and the early days in a way that was thoughtful and which didn’t overdo the topic with it being so recent。 There were poignant moments and I found it to be a relatable， solid book where I was not sure how it was going to end-which I appreciate in books。 4 stars ⭐️ for this one。 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy for review。

Cindy ，

This was a wonderful book that captured my heart。 With similarities to her recent novel The Book of Two Ways， we get a glimpse of alternate realities， although the backdrop for this novel is the Covid-19 pandemic。 A fictional book that takes place during the pandemic might be too soon for some， but with a well written plot it would appeal to many。 Diana O’Toole is an associate specialist for Sotheby’s in NYC。 She’s had her life planned out- married by the time she’s thirty， kids by thirty-five， This was a wonderful book that captured my heart。 With similarities to her recent novel The Book of Two Ways， we get a glimpse of alternate realities， although the backdrop for this novel is the Covid-19 pandemic。 A fictional book that takes place during the pandemic might be too soon for some， but with a well written plot it would appeal to many。 Diana O’Toole is an associate specialist for Sotheby’s in NYC。 She’s had her life planned out- married by the time she’s thirty， kids by thirty-five， fluent in French， etc。 Life is going well for Diana， and an upcoming sale of a Toulouse-Lautrec painting could land her a promotion。“You can’t plan your life。 Because then you have a plan。 Not a life。”With an upcoming vacation to the Galapagos Islands planned， she expects her boyfriend Finn to propose in this island paradise。 It’s March ’20 and Covid has reached NY。 Finn is a surgical resident and is forced to cancel their vacation plans to provide care for the influx of patients。 He urges Diana to go ahead without him。 Once she arrives， the island is on lockdown leaving her without hotel accommodations or luggage， and she doesn’t understand the language。 A local woman （abuela） is gracious enough to provide her a room in her home。 Diana attempts to explore the island on her own， describing the beautiful landscape， animals， volcanic tubes and fauna。 She ponders her life in NY as compared to the island- how there is nothing but time。 “I can’t disappear in a crowd。 I am forced to walk instead of run， and as a result， I’ve seen things I would have sped past before- the fuss of a crab trading up for a new shell， the miracle of a sunrise， the garish burst of a cactus flower。”Her communication with Finn is minimal since the internet doesn’t work half the time。 He emails her with updates on his clinical day to day experiences as a frontline doctor。 In one of his emails， he wrote that when someone gets extubated， “Here Comes the Sun” plays on the loudspeakers。 I appreciated that piece of information。 I hope this really happens。 Meanwhile， Diana gets close to Beatrix， a teenager with mental health issues and her father Gabriel， a local tour guide。 I was really captivated by Diana’s connection to Beatrix。Something happens that forces Diana to take a real close look at her life and reevaluate her plans。 Picoult does a great job with introducing topics and real life obstacles for her characters to navigate。 Diana faces many dilemmas， including her relationship with her mother who was absent most of her life。 I appreciated the author’s note at the end。 Many hours of research went into this novel and it is evident。 This was very thought-provoking， and much like Diana， I feel the global pandemic forced others to look inward。I am thankful to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine 。。。more

Joann M ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Not rating as I only finished 50 percent I feel like anyone could have written this just by reading headlines and listening to people's stories I guess I just wasn't into it and felt it might be too soon for it。My thanks to NetGalley， the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Not rating as I only finished 50 percent I feel like anyone could have written this just by reading headlines and listening to people's stories I guess I just wasn't into it and felt it might be too soon for it。My thanks to NetGalley， the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Doreena Silva ，

Another timely， sensitive book for the times from Jodi。A most accurate， heartfelt and insightful account of covid in story form。so surreal and yet a dew twists and turns along the way。A really great read。Thank you to Netgalley， Random House Ballantine and the Author Jodi Picoult for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。

Sherry ，

I haven’t read a Jodi Piccoult book since I cried all the way home listening to My Sister’s Keeper。 It was really dark。 I was driving。 And every time I’d get myself together， something else happened。 So I start to read this book and wonder what I have gotten myself into as this book centers around COVID。 The reports of the new variant just as things are getting back to normal made me question my decision， but once I started and met the characters， I was so glad I was reading it。I am an intuitive I haven’t read a Jodi Piccoult book since I cried all the way home listening to My Sister’s Keeper。 It was really dark。 I was driving。 And every time I’d get myself together， something else happened。 So I start to read this book and wonder what I have gotten myself into as this book centers around COVID。 The reports of the new variant just as things are getting back to normal made me question my decision， but once I started and met the characters， I was so glad I was reading it。I am an intuitive reader that most often is reading a twisty thriller， so the shifts in the book were what I expected from the foreshadowing。 I appreciate the research the author did to portray a front line healthcare worker and that the main character was skeptical with what was actually happening。 I think she nailed my thoughts at the onset of the pandemic。The more we went on the journey with Diana， the more I liked her。 As with all of us， as we experience and grow， our perspectives change。 We have a front row seat as Diana’s perspective of her life and the pandemic morphs。 And by avoiding the author’s books for so long， I forgot how masterful she is at making the reader feel something。 I laughed with Diana and her wry sense of humor and cried with her through her more trying moments。If you find that COVID is political or it isn’t far enough in your rearview mirror， I’d pass on this book for now， but I enjoyed every moment of my read and highly recommend it。 。。。more

Mitzi ，

Wow！ Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult had my complete attention。 I could not put it down。 How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives， perspectives， and choices？ This book examines the shutdown， isolation， and exhaustion in a powerful way。 I am recommending this book to everyone that is ready to read it， and I can’t wait to talk about it！ This would be a wonderful book club pick！I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。

Lisa ，

I received an advanced copy of this book due to the fact that we were interviewed by the author， as my husband is a survivor of severe Covid。 While the story did take some warming up （at least for me） and definitely had some unexpected twists， she absolutely did an amazing job of conveying what survivors of severe Covid and their families experienced。 Yes， it’s hard to read about the pandemic when you’re still in it。 This book really moved me。

Monika Zawasky ，

This is a hard book to review， for two reasons; first， with it being based on quarantine and the pandemic， it’s too raw of a wound。 Second， with （unfortunately） everything surrounding COVID-19 is so politically charged that it’s almost impossible to provide thoughts and opinions without starting conflict。 With my goal of being a part of the bookstagram community， I’m going to focus on the writing， the feelings and the generalities of this review as to keep it as neutral as possible。 Jodi Picoult This is a hard book to review， for two reasons; first， with it being based on quarantine and the pandemic， it’s too raw of a wound。 Second， with （unfortunately） everything surrounding COVID-19 is so politically charged that it’s almost impossible to provide thoughts and opinions without starting conflict。 With my goal of being a part of the bookstagram community， I’m going to focus on the writing， the feelings and the generalities of this review as to keep it as neutral as possible。 Jodi Picoult is one of the most eloquent writers I have ever read。 When you read her books， you can be guaranteed three things- her books are well researched （this is， to an extent， no exception）; she fluctuates between the past and present， filling in gaps and color for the story she is trying to write; lastly， she makes you feel SOMETHING- grief， love， happiness， fear- it all comes through vividly in her writing。 I guess there is also a fourth thing with her writing- most times， there’s a twist and it’s often one you should have， but don’t， see coming。 This novel checked off all 4 items for me。 It was a rollercoaster of emotions- confusion， anger， fear， and gut punching reality。 I was worried about reading this book because， with us still in the middle of a pandemic that we all （really） hoped would be over， I felt a bit annoyed and angry that someone would try and capitalize on something that has affected millions of people。 However， after really thinking about it， it’s hard to find any fictional story that addresses the pandemic。 It’s almost like the entertainment industry is trying to forget 2020 happened- from that lens， it’s refreshing to have an author that doesn’t skirt around the subject。 Any true Jodi Picoult fan would enjoy this read。 It was heavy， yes， but it was hauntingly beautiful。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Wish You Were Here

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Wish You Were Here&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Wish You Were Here&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0