Wish You Were Here
- Downloads：7544
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-11-13 10:51:15
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jodi Picoult
- ISBN：073527696X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and The Book of Two Ways comes "a powerfully evocative story of resilience and the triumph of the human spirit" （Taylor Jenkins Reid， author of Malibu Rising）
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 an associate specialist at Sotheby's now， but her boss has hinted at a promotion if she can close a deal with a high-profile client。 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 Gal�pagos--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。 Her luggage is lost， the Wi-Fi is nearly nonexistent， and the hotel they'd booked is shut down due to the pandemic。 In fact， 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。
In the Gal�pagos Islands， where Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection was formed， 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。
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 an associate specialist at Sotheby's now， but her boss has hinted at a promotion if she can close a deal with a high-profile client。 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 Gal�pagos--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。 Her luggage is lost， the Wi-Fi is nearly nonexistent， and the hotel they'd booked is shut down due to the pandemic。 In fact， 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。
In the Gal�pagos Islands， where Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection was formed， 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。
Reviews
Bethea
，
Diana has her life planned out and is right on track for where she wants to be。 Her career has taken off and her relationship with her surgical resident boyfriend Finn is about to get even more serious。 They have a two week vacation planned together to the Galapagos islands where Diana is sure that he plans to propose。 Everything gets thrown off course when the Covid virus hits and Finn is needed at the hospital around the clock。 He tells Diana to go and enjoy the vacation without him as there's Diana has her life planned out and is right on track for where she wants to be。 Her career has taken off and her relationship with her surgical resident boyfriend Finn is about to get even more serious。 They have a two week vacation planned together to the Galapagos islands where Diana is sure that he plans to propose。 Everything gets thrown off course when the Covid virus hits and Finn is needed at the hospital around the clock。 He tells Diana to go and enjoy the vacation without him as there's nothing she can do there in NYC。 On the way， her luggage is lost and， when she gets to the island， it is just shutting down and everyone is in quarantine。 Trapped in paradise with no luggage and no wi-fi to connect with Finn， Diana feels lost and alone。 She gradually makes friends with a local family and starts to explore the island。 The longer Diana is there， the less she feels trapped on the island。 She's finally able to relax and enjoy being there。 Meanwhile， back in NYC， Finn is on the front lines as a doctor at a hospital。 Diana wonders if once she is able to return home if things will ever be the same。 As usual， Jodi Picoult pulls the reader into the story with her attention to detail and her character development。 She paints a picture of paradise with her description of the Galapagos and the beauty of Isabela island。 Likewise， she does well describing the horrors of what it was like for frontline workers in NYC in the early months of the Covid pandemic。 Jodi also puts in her usual twists so that even though the reader may think they know how things are going to turn out， they are most likely wrong。 This novel made me feel all of the emotions and left me feeling drained， yet hopeful。 I have been reflecting on it for the past couple of days and it is one that will stay with me for awhile。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am very grateful to #NetGalley for an ARC e-book of #WishYouWereHere by #JodiPicoult in exchange for an honest review。 She is one of my favorite author's of realistic fiction and I love how well she researches the topics she chooses to write about。 。。。more
Letty
，
Review to come
Heidi Lengenfelder
，
Book blurb:Diana O'Toole has it all planned out and she's right 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。Her boyfriend， Finn， and she have plans to go on vacation， 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。 He tells her she should still go Book blurb:Diana O'Toole has it all planned out and she's right 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。Her boyfriend， Finn， and she have plans to go on vacation， 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。 He tells her she should still go， since it would be a shame for all of their nonrefundable trip to go to waste。 And so， she goes。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。 In fact， 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。In the Galapagos Islands， where Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection was formed， 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。I wasn't sure how I would feel reading a book about the pandemic， but Jodi Picoult wrote in such a way that it didn't feel like the world has felt for the last couple of years。 She has a way of connecting to the human spirit。 This book is HEAVY， but it's got a very good message。 At times， this book broke my heart， but I powered through。 This is what reading a Jodi Picoult does to you。 Leaves you feeling all the feels。 。。。more
Kylie
，
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book。 I know everyone is tired of the pandemic， but I found this book really enlightening and encouraged by its message of doing what is right for you。 Find your happiness。 Make what you love a priority。
Erin
，
Diana and her boyfriend are planners -- they intend to have the perfect life， with perfect jobs and perfect kids， but first must come the perfect vacation （and proposal） in the Galapagos。 But when COVID hits New York， Diana's boyfriend， a surgeon， must stay behind to fight on the front lines and encourages Diana to take the trip on her lonesome。 The only problem is that the island closes， leaving her with no place to stay， no way to communicate with the locals， and thanks to a mishap with the ai Diana and her boyfriend are planners -- they intend to have the perfect life， with perfect jobs and perfect kids， but first must come the perfect vacation （and proposal） in the Galapagos。 But when COVID hits New York， Diana's boyfriend， a surgeon， must stay behind to fight on the front lines and encourages Diana to take the trip on her lonesome。 The only problem is that the island closes， leaving her with no place to stay， no way to communicate with the locals， and thanks to a mishap with the airport， no luggage。 What follows is an amazing journey of self-discovery and connection with the world around her。I'm not going to lie， I was VERY skeptical about reading a book set in the COVID sphere， but I'm so glad that I gave this a chance。 Jodi Picoult has a gift unlike any other author to seamlessly tie experiences together， tug at your heart strings， and craft realistic and fully formed characters。 And that's what makes this so good。 In true Picoult fashion， there's a devastating twist and admittedly， I was debating DNF'ing because I just。。。 didn't want to buy it。 But once I gave it a chance， I found my heart aching in disbelief and my soul fully embracing the conflict that Picoult created。 As always， she very clearly researches her topics， and I always leave her books with new knowledge in my brain and new feelings in my heart。 。。。more
Debbie
，
My first Jodi Picoult book was My Sister’s Keeper and I have read every book she has written。 I was hesitant about Wish You Were Here due to the book being based during the pandemic。 But I was pulled into it quickly and loved the characters and their relationships and how the pandemic was part of this。 This is an emotional read that makes us think about the choices we make and how life could be different with different choices。 Also please read the authors notes at the end。 Thank you NetGalley f My first Jodi Picoult book was My Sister’s Keeper and I have read every book she has written。 I was hesitant about Wish You Were Here due to the book being based during the pandemic。 But I was pulled into it quickly and loved the characters and their relationships and how the pandemic was part of this。 This is an emotional read that makes us think about the choices we make and how life could be different with different choices。 Also please read the authors notes at the end。 Thank you NetGalley for this ARC。 。。。more
Nancy L
，
What a timely book taking us into the lives and minds of all of us during the pandemic。 Diana is a young woman living with her Resident Surgeon boyfriend leading up to March 2020。 They were supposed to go on a romantic trip to the Galapagos when Finn is told by his hospital that he can't leave。 He sends Diana off on her own for South America thinking he is keeping her safe。 The isolation that Diana endures and her making friends on a closed island encompass the first half of the book。 There is a What a timely book taking us into the lives and minds of all of us during the pandemic。 Diana is a young woman living with her Resident Surgeon boyfriend leading up to March 2020。 They were supposed to go on a romantic trip to the Galapagos when Finn is told by his hospital that he can't leave。 He sends Diana off on her own for South America thinking he is keeping her safe。 The isolation that Diana endures and her making friends on a closed island encompass the first half of the book。 There is a pretty big twist that I don't want to spoil so I won't say much other than I wasn't happy about it at first。Picoult obviously did a lot of research for this book about the procedures in hospitals and what first responders went through。 The lives of those who survived early on in the pandemic are well documented from a time that people were making a lot of guesses。 Picoult does a great job with the characters which is what I care about the most。 I would definitely recommend this book。 Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for this honest review。 。。。more
Leslie
，
Jodi Picoult’s latest novel takes place during the beginning of the Covid pandemic。 Diane O’Toole， an art specialist at Sotheby’s and her boyfriend Finn， a young surgeon， are about to go on vacation to the Galapogas Islands when the pandemic begins。 Finn must go into the hospital but Diane decides to go on the vacation alone。 As she arrives at the island， everything goes on lockdown。 Now she and Finn are separated by miles and having completely different Covid experiences。This is my first time r Jodi Picoult’s latest novel takes place during the beginning of the Covid pandemic。 Diane O’Toole， an art specialist at Sotheby’s and her boyfriend Finn， a young surgeon， are about to go on vacation to the Galapogas Islands when the pandemic begins。 Finn must go into the hospital but Diane decides to go on the vacation alone。 As she arrives at the island， everything goes on lockdown。 Now she and Finn are separated by miles and having completely different Covid experiences。This is my first time reading a pandemic novel and I approached it with reluctance。 However， in typical Picoult fashion， she depicts a moving and vivid picture of the trauma of the 2020 global crisis with a surprising twist。 The novel examines how change and crisis affects relationships and can inspire soul searching。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to review this title before its release。 。。。more
Barbara （The Bibliophage）
，
Originally published on my book blog， TheBibliophage。com。Wish You Were Here， to be released in late November by Jodi Picoult， is a pandemic novel。 But it’s also so much more。 It’s about the necessity of malleable hopes and dreams， whether we want to adjust or not。 It focuses on one relatively young， upwardly mobile couple living in New York City。 Diana O’Toole works at Sotheby’s， the famous art auction house。 And her sweetheart Finn is a surgical resident at a big NYC hospital， working his way u Originally published on my book blog， TheBibliophage。com。Wish You Were Here， to be released in late November by Jodi Picoult， is a pandemic novel。 But it’s also so much more。 It’s about the necessity of malleable hopes and dreams， whether we want to adjust or not。 It focuses on one relatively young， upwardly mobile couple living in New York City。 Diana O’Toole works at Sotheby’s， the famous art auction house。 And her sweetheart Finn is a surgical resident at a big NYC hospital， working his way up in the medical system。 The story begins in mid-March 2020。Knowing the time frame， you realize from the start that Diana and Finn are in for some major challenges。 COVID-19 is just beginning to overrun New York City and the US。 And the two have a long-anticipated trip planned to the Galapagos Islands。 The first struggle is what to do with the tickets since airports and borders are closing down to limit the spread of the virus。Finn encourages Diana to take the trip， even though he’s stuck at work caring for a seemingly unending stream of patients。 So she heads south， and just barely makes it to their vacation destination island。 Where the story goes from there is part travelogue， part character study， and part unexpected twist。 Because it comes from the mind of Jodi Picoult。 The issues brought up by the twist are a reminder of the world we live in。 But I’m not saying anymore because it will indeed spoil your reading experience。My conclusionsFundamentally， Wish You Were Here is a COVID-era story that focuses on the universal themes of love and figuring out your life’s purpose。 It’s an easy read， despite all the moments of pandemic struggle that feel a bit raw。 Honestly， I thought reading about COVID would feel heavy but Diana is so engaging that her story absorbed me。I loved learning about the Galapagos Islands， from the flora to the fauna to the people living there。 Despite the situation being fictional， the location is real and a common bucket-list destination。 In this era， surely I’m not alone in reading about escapist locations like the Galapagos。However， there’s a particular point in the story where Diana makes an unrealistically easy decision。 After that， I had a hard time buying the book’s resolution。 No matter how much I liked the characters， the pivot point was entirely too simple， especially in the time of the virus。 You may feel differently， but given my own pandemic experience， this turning point rubbed me the wrong way。Still， Picoult is a skilled writer， and Wish You Were Here is no exception to the rule。 Not only does she research places， she learns about the real-life people and situations on which she bases her story。 Every bit of that background shows in the depth Picoult brings to her novels。I recommend this book if you’re interested in a journey to the not-so-distant past on a faraway island。 The mix of genres， combined with engaging characters will have you devouring Wish You Were Here。Pair with What Could Be Saved by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz。 The two novels combine themes of art， exotic locations， and finding ourselves。AcknowledgmentsMany thanks to NetGalley， Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine Books， and the author for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review。 。。。more
Kim Pet
，
“What you see。。is not what you’re really getting，” because even those going through the same experiences may conceive different realities。 Omg。 This is the one I’ve been waiting for， for quite a while。 As a huge Picoult fan， I’m not surprised by the depth and complexity of emotion in this one; it’s raw and present; and we’ve all experienced it in one form of another。 I will not give the surprises of this book away and take that experience from anyone， but I will say this is about connections， so “What you see。。is not what you’re really getting，” because even those going through the same experiences may conceive different realities。 Omg。 This is the one I’ve been waiting for， for quite a while。 As a huge Picoult fan， I’m not surprised by the depth and complexity of emotion in this one; it’s raw and present; and we’ve all experienced it in one form of another。 I will not give the surprises of this book away and take that experience from anyone， but I will say this is about connections， so many connections。 This is about our recent lives and relationships， Covid and Alzheimer’s， communal isolation and survival， about finding what’s important isn’t what you thought it was， but that’s just the tip of the iceberg。 Picoult paints a beautiful picture of a life with her creatively masterful use of the written language， and blends in realities that will have you saying， “oh yeah， me too！” Connections。 There are heavy nods to the art world， science and nature， friendships， relationships， mental health， even pop culture and a bit of Yoko; connections。 It’s light at times， deep and desperate in others， and is the perfect combination to tackle the themes held within。 For those who didn’t suffer effects， for those who’ve fought through， for those who weren’t able to， and for those still battling， regardless of your reality， this is a tribute， and a healing， and simply a wonderfully written novel。 You need to Pick。 This。 Book。 Up。 。。。more
Maddie | bookish。pgh
，
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。Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review an advanced readers copy of this book。 This in no way affects my review， all opinions are my own。I feel like I'm going to be in the minority for this one， but this book was just。。。 meh。 I wanted to love it so much because I've been a big fan of Picoult's other books， but this one 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。Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review an advanced readers copy of this book。 This in no way affects my review， all opinions are my own。I feel like I'm going to be in the minority for this one， but this book was just。。。 meh。 I wanted to love it so much because I've been a big fan of Picoult's other books， but this one just missed the mark for me。 I was intrigued by the premise of this book， as this is the first novel I've read where the main plot is about COVID。 I really admire how much research Picoult does when approaching more topical subjects， and I felt transported back to the beginning of the pandemic when we were so uncertain about what we were facing。The story itself was interesting but not as gripping to me as her other novels。 My biggest issue was the plot twist/trope that you find out about halfway through the book （no spoilers）， but for me it just ruined the whole story。 I understand after reading the author's note what Picoult was going for， but for me it just completely fell flat。 I also think I had a hard time understanding Diana as a character， because the decisions she made just didn't seem realistic or relatable。 I also don't want to give anything away， but there was a character introduced in the Galapagos （Beatriz） that I felt was very integral to the story and after the twist， the end result of her character left a bad taste in my mouth。Overall， I'm a disappointed in this one。 I'm glad I read it because I will always read anything Picoult comes out with， but this one is definitely not one of my favorites from her。 I know this book is already receiving high praise， so I'm interested to hear other readers' takes on this！ 。。。more
Maine McMac
，
A very un-Picoult like book to me。 Not poorly written by any means， but it felt very different than the others I've read。 This is not a knock on it， just an observation。 As far as the book as a whole， it suffers from being about Covid 19。 It has a very interesting structure and plot， but I am so over the pandemic， had I known the plot going in， I would have skipped it （I got an ARC on libro。fm and so didn't know anything about it prior）。 A very un-Picoult like book to me。 Not poorly written by any means， but it felt very different than the others I've read。 This is not a knock on it， just an observation。 As far as the book as a whole， it suffers from being about Covid 19。 It has a very interesting structure and plot， but I am so over the pandemic， had I known the plot going in， I would have skipped it （I got an ARC on libro。fm and so didn't know anything about it prior）。 。。。more
Bex
，
Jodi Picoult is one of my automatic-purchase authors， which means I've had the pleasure of reading all of her books and have never been disappointed。 That's not to say they are perfect， by I always feel compelled to get to the end （usually because I'm suspicious of her plot twists - My Sister's Keeper scarred me， for sure！）。 Wish You Were Here falls into the category of her books that I won't read again， but that I felt compelled to keep reading because it was certainly enjoyable。 It doesn't fal Jodi Picoult is one of my automatic-purchase authors， which means I've had the pleasure of reading all of her books and have never been disappointed。 That's not to say they are perfect， by I always feel compelled to get to the end （usually because I'm suspicious of her plot twists - My Sister's Keeper scarred me， for sure！）。 Wish You Were Here falls into the category of her books that I won't read again， but that I felt compelled to keep reading because it was certainly enjoyable。 It doesn't fall in to her most accomplished novels。 Having said that， let's take our hat off to any author （particularly one with staggering asthma， as Picoult does） who managed to write anything remotely engaging during a pandemic。 It's staggering。Wish You Were Here follows a woman who has seemingly a perfect life。 Diana's waiting on a marriage proposal from her surgeon boyfriend， Finn， she's about to score a huge deal selling some highly desired art at work， and she's about to set off to the Galapagos （where she's pretty sure the proposal is going to take place！）。 So her plan to have it all figured out before she reaches 30 seems to be totally in the bag。 Until the coronavirus pandemic hits and she becomes stuck in the Galapagos， without Finn who is stuck saving patients in the ITU/ICU， and has no means of accomplishing any of those dreams anytime soon。Diana really goes on a journey of self-discovery in the Galapagos， but she also experiences the stark isolation that many of us did during the pandemic。 I mean， it's not impossible to imagine getting stuck in a foreign country - it happened！ So I think Picoult captures that feeling remarkably well， likely because she too felt stuck in her home during that time， but she also explores what it means to be alive and NOT what it means to be chasing dreams， ticking boxes and making money which we so often formulate our lives around。 If you look at the bigger picture， it's a real work of art。The trouble is， it's also quite predictable。 I didn't expect the major twist， so perhaps that's not entirely fair， but the minor ones and the way in which Diana's discovery of herself evolved with the secondary characters in her life seemed fairly apparent to me from the offset; Picoult usually gets me good！ So， perhaps a little formulaic for me， but still a thoughtful read - just not as thought-provoking as some of her more controversial topics。ARC provided from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amber R
，
This book follows main character Diana who has her whole life mapped out — on track in the career of her dreams， a great boyfriend who is a surgical resident， an upcoming romantic getaway that she knows will lead to a proposal… But then a virus hits and all plans go awry as she is left to navigate a new reality。 She goes on the getaway to the Galapagos solo， as her boyfriend is left behind to help in the wake of the pandemic and is left with lots of time to reevaluate her life and relationships。 This book follows main character Diana who has her whole life mapped out — on track in the career of her dreams， a great boyfriend who is a surgical resident， an upcoming romantic getaway that she knows will lead to a proposal… But then a virus hits and all plans go awry as she is left to navigate a new reality。 She goes on the getaway to the Galapagos solo， as her boyfriend is left behind to help in the wake of the pandemic and is left with lots of time to reevaluate her life and relationships。 Some of the themes in this book include Covid， work/life balance， self-harm， parent/child relationships， and personal identity。To say I loved this book would be a massive understatement！ The detail with which Jodi Picoult approaches her writing is always astounding to me。 She always does a lovely job fact checking for accuracy and developing her characters。 。。。more
Darla
，
Visit to the Galapagos Islands， anyone？ Yes， please。 The island scenes were what I most appreciated about this new release from Jodi Picoult。 Her vivid portrayals of the island remind me why so many have a visit there on their bucket list。 With Diana on the island as the pandemic breaks out， reports of what is going on inside NYC hospitals comes via email from her boyfriend Finn。 Those are difficult to read and perhaps it was too soon for me to be reading fiction about the pandemic。 I also found Visit to the Galapagos Islands， anyone？ Yes， please。 The island scenes were what I most appreciated about this new release from Jodi Picoult。 Her vivid portrayals of the island remind me why so many have a visit there on their bucket list。 With Diana on the island as the pandemic breaks out， reports of what is going on inside NYC hospitals comes via email from her boyfriend Finn。 Those are difficult to read and perhaps it was too soon for me to be reading fiction about the pandemic。 I also found the overall conclusion to be less than satisfying。 It was interesting to explore an interesting side effect that some have experienced after being on a ventilator。 I do think that this will be my last Jodi Picoult book。 She once again demonstrates a disconnect in her prose from her Author's Notes。 If the pandemic should not be viewed as political， then why are all the references to "the president" negative？ Newsflash， Jodi， the virus did originate in Wuhan。Thank you to Ballantine Books and Edelwiess+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Ofdreamsandstories
，
Thank you Penguin Random House， Ballantine books my NetGalley for the complimentary digital galley！Jodi Picoult’s writing has immense depth and leads you to pause and think about your priorities in life！ She is one of my favorite author！！ I loved reading ‘The Book Of Two Ways’ and was super pumped to get an advance copy of my most anticipated read this month！Wish You Were Here is her best books ever！ It’s so aptly written and first book that I read which was set during the time of pandemic and h Thank you Penguin Random House， Ballantine books my NetGalley for the complimentary digital galley！Jodi Picoult’s writing has immense depth and leads you to pause and think about your priorities in life！ She is one of my favorite author！！ I loved reading ‘The Book Of Two Ways’ and was super pumped to get an advance copy of my most anticipated read this month！Wish You Were Here is her best books ever！ It’s so aptly written and first book that I read which was set during the time of pandemic and how it affected our lives and thinkings， that we had taken so much granted for！Diana O’Toole is my new favorite character， with so much love， resilience， getting to the core of her beliefs and belonging during the tough time of COVID-19 that has affected the world。 This book was a true page turner。I enjoyed switching between ebook and audiobook and the narrator Marin Ireland has done a marvelous job of narrating this masterpiece！I highly recommend this realistic， grounding beauty to be added to your TBR as soon as it releases on November 30， 2021 。。。more
Ben Grover
，
Hello， I’m Ben I live in Boston I was reading an article posted on NACA first time home buyers website， and came across a Credit Specialist with a topnotch recommendation so I wrote him on 760pluscreditscore AT gmail DOT com。 I explained my problem to him derogatory marks and criminal records within 8days with a good report and also increase my score to a high 790 plus I was a little skeptical but I had to give it a try。 So he gave me some instructions to do that would help him get score fixed a Hello， I’m Ben I live in Boston I was reading an article posted on NACA first time home buyers website， and came across a Credit Specialist with a topnotch recommendation so I wrote him on 760pluscreditscore AT gmail DOT com。 I explained my problem to him derogatory marks and criminal records within 8days with a good report and also increase my score to a high 790 plus I was a little skeptical but I had to give it a try。 So he gave me some instructions to do that would help him get score fixed and which I did and it worked I became very happy and we moved on with the process on the 7th he got my sc0re back on track with a good trade lines， they are the best and reliable credit specialist， 。。。more
Stephanie
，
I wasn't sure if I was ready to read a book about the pandemic and this brings you back to New York City in March 2020， but because it's Jodi Picoult I decided to give it a go。 Overall it's not a favorite by the author — I didn't love the main character， Diana， as she felt very selfish， and the story had a lot going on that didn't totally feel relevant。My feelings are mixed and at times it felt like two different books。 It was hard to connect the dots between the Galapagos， Diana's job in the ar I wasn't sure if I was ready to read a book about the pandemic and this brings you back to New York City in March 2020， but because it's Jodi Picoult I decided to give it a go。 Overall it's not a favorite by the author — I didn't love the main character， Diana， as she felt very selfish， and the story had a lot going on that didn't totally feel relevant。My feelings are mixed and at times it felt like two different books。 It was hard to connect the dots between the Galapagos， Diana's job in the art world， and the NYC shutdown。 I appreciated the tribute to the medical community who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic， but this will be hard to pick up if you lost someone to the virus。It's a unique story that reminds us how an experience can change our perception of what's important in life， and I definitely recommend reading the author's note to hear what inspired her story。Thanks to Ballantine Books and PRH Audio for my early copies in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Suruchi
，
Nice Book
Lauren Peterson
，
Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult is heavy and triggering。 While certainly a story of personal growth， it is entirely about COVID。 I feel like the synopsis was misleading—or I didn’t read into it thoroughly enough。 Had I known that this book would immerse me in the nitty gritty details， most dire and depressing situations and moments of the pandemic， I likely would have passed on it。 I currently turn to my books to escape anything pandemic related， the memories of those first dark isolation day Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult is heavy and triggering。 While certainly a story of personal growth， it is entirely about COVID。 I feel like the synopsis was misleading—or I didn’t read into it thoroughly enough。 Had I known that this book would immerse me in the nitty gritty details， most dire and depressing situations and moments of the pandemic， I likely would have passed on it。 I currently turn to my books to escape anything pandemic related， the memories of those first dark isolation days， my own time with the virus and the loss of my own family member who went on a ventilator and never came off of it。 I’m still battling daily with seeing the pandemic effects on how people treat each other， how I have to navigate it as a mother and dealing with how it pivots on us almost daily to the point of feeling paralyzed。 So reading this book was a bit like nails on a chalkboard for me personally—to the point I had to only scan the emails she was receiving from Finn because it was information overload in my already information overloaded brain。 I think that’s important to share （even though it already seems like an unpopular opinion from the reviews I’m reading） but just in case there’s anyone out there like me， be warned。 With that disclaimer and separating myself from all of that as best I can， I think it was an excellently written and compelling book。Diana O’Toole has her life all planned out—career， marriage， babies and the cute house in the suburbs by age thirty five。 She’s right on target and certain her boyfriend Finn is proposing to her on their upcoming vacation to the Galapagos。 Then Covid hits and Finn has to stay behind and work at the hospital。 He encourages Diana to go and despite her hesitation， she gets on the plane。 As the pandemic worsens， Diana finds herself literally trapped on the island due to quarantine orders。 Without her luggage， her Wi-Fi or her boyfriend， she must immerse herself in the culture and go from tourist to islander。 Despite her initial struggles， Diana soon realizes the island is clearing her mind and forcing her to take a difficult look at her life—at the choices she’s made， at her perceived happiness， at her future。 I enjoyed my time with Diana on the island most。 The moments were visceral， emotional and relatable。 I loved the personal growth and change she eventually embraced and I think she was courageous for reasons beyond the obvious。 Change is hard。 Change is scary。 Picoult captured that two-fold relating to both Diana’s personal journey but also the whole need to change due to the pandemic。 I thought the characters were rich and well-developed and had I read this a few （hopefully it will be different in a few years） later， I probably would’ve been much more receptive to diving into and rehashing the reality of what Covid did （and continue to do） to all of our lives。 As of right now though， for me personally， it was too soon。 I was sad almost the entire time—even the ending was left as open-ended as the timeline for the end of this pandemic。 All in all， if you aren’t as triggered by these things， then it is definitely one you will want to pick up。 Just be prepared for a heavy， emotional journey with just enough hope to keep you from drowning in the bleak reality of it。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the digital ARC of this book 。。。more
Ana Hoff
，
4。5 stars ❤️Couldn’t give it 5 because the ending kinda wrecked me。This was such a beautiful story， especially during this time。 I am so glad I was able to read it。 This one will sit with me for a long long time。
Nic
，
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I didn’t enjoy this one as much as previous books by the author。 However I think it’s partly due to the fact it’s Covid related and I wasn’t ready to read a book all about Covid！It’s very descriptive and detailed in some places which wasn’t really for me， particularly the chapters written by the boyfriend back at the hospital。
Jodi Golis
，
It’s been a while since I have been blown away by a Jodi Picoult book。 That is over！ Wish You Were Here chronicles the beginning of Covid for New York City Art Dealer Diana O’Toole who was about to take a dream vacation with her doctor boyfriend in March 2020。 This book came at the perfect time for me。 My 11 year old was vaccinated while I was reading it， so I was able to read about this terrible period with a new sense of hope。 If Covid is a trigger for you， I’d hold off on this one for now。 Ot It’s been a while since I have been blown away by a Jodi Picoult book。 That is over！ Wish You Were Here chronicles the beginning of Covid for New York City Art Dealer Diana O’Toole who was about to take a dream vacation with her doctor boyfriend in March 2020。 This book came at the perfect time for me。 My 11 year old was vaccinated while I was reading it， so I was able to read about this terrible period with a new sense of hope。 If Covid is a trigger for you， I’d hold off on this one for now。 Otherwise， I can’t recommend this read more highly。 。。。more
Crystal
，
All the applause to Jodi Picoult for writing such a thoughtful， provoking and difficult novel。 It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a Jodi Picoult novel as much as I have with Wish You Were Here。 I could absolutely not put this one down。 She took such a tough and relevant topic and wrote it beautifully。 I learn so much from her novels and Wish You Were Here is no exception。 You can really see how much love and work was put into this book in such a short amount of time。 & don’t even get me starte All the applause to Jodi Picoult for writing such a thoughtful， provoking and difficult novel。 It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a Jodi Picoult novel as much as I have with Wish You Were Here。 I could absolutely not put this one down。 She took such a tough and relevant topic and wrote it beautifully。 I learn so much from her novels and Wish You Were Here is no exception。 You can really see how much love and work was put into this book in such a short amount of time。 & don’t even get me started about that twist。 I have so many thoughts and emotions about it。 Thank you to Jodi for writing this novel。 I’m sure writing about COVID while we are still living through it was incredibly difficult as well as risky as an author。 But， Jodi has done this topic justice。 I believe she took what we are all going through and wrote this topic perfectly。 I know some readers aren’t ready for it and that’s okay。 But， don’t pass this novel up friends。 Add it to your tbr’s for a date far far in the future。 It’s so good， you won’t be disappointed。 。。。more
Kayla （IG: kaylasbookgram）
，
I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews on this one。 So let me start of by saying if you are sensitive to the current pandemic in any way this may not be the read for you。 I enjoyed this read。 I was a little weary about the fact that I was reading a book about the current state the world seems to be in currently and wasn’t sure if I’d end up enjoying it since it can be a heavy and controversial topic。 But I feel Jodi did a great job with sticking to facts and not full out opinionated the story。 I will I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews on this one。 So let me start of by saying if you are sensitive to the current pandemic in any way this may not be the read for you。 I enjoyed this read。 I was a little weary about the fact that I was reading a book about the current state the world seems to be in currently and wasn’t sure if I’d end up enjoying it since it can be a heavy and controversial topic。 But I feel Jodi did a great job with sticking to facts and not full out opinionated the story。 I will say for me the part that got me was the huge twist at the second half that I didn’t see coming maybe because I didn’t put enough thought into it before hand。 But I felt it was perfect for the story to keep the reader engaged。 I was a little sad at the abrupt ending because I feel like I needed a little more since it left a huge question of， was it who it led us to believe it was or not。 Overall I think it took some guts writing about a current issue that’s taken the world by storm and doesn’t seem to be letting go any time soon。 。。。more
Anya Leonard
，
This was the first book I read that took a hard look at the COVID-19 pandemic。 Whatever your beliefs or understanding is of what is occurring， there is no doubt that this pandemic has changed peoples' lives drastically over the past 2 years。 Picoult begins this tale with Diana， a young woman working with an art auction house in New York City in March of 2020。 Her plans are to take a vacation to the Galapagos with her boyfriend， a resident at a hospital in the city。 However， the beginning stages This was the first book I read that took a hard look at the COVID-19 pandemic。 Whatever your beliefs or understanding is of what is occurring， there is no doubt that this pandemic has changed peoples' lives drastically over the past 2 years。 Picoult begins this tale with Diana， a young woman working with an art auction house in New York City in March of 2020。 Her plans are to take a vacation to the Galapagos with her boyfriend， a resident at a hospital in the city。 However， the beginning stages of COVID become clear as they are about to embark on their trip， and she is forced to take the trip alone。 Aside from the beautiful descriptions of the Galapagos Island and the complete remoteness of the setting， I found myself wanting to go there。 The writing evoked absolutely breathtaking views and made me hope for a vacation soon。 It also did a wonderful job of portraying the emotions of those first few weeks of COVID when we really had no idea what a long haul we were in for， and how it would affect everything。 The tale has very serious twists and turns that in all honestly， I did NOT expect。 It also took us down a road which we have all been before， and helped me to see it with new eyes。 Picoult has gained a new level of respect in my eyes with this novel， because it was so well-crafted and described a very harrowing time in our recent history with grace and knowledge。 I highly recommend you pick this book up， because it was compelling and beautiful。This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Stephanie Nelson
，
This was a hard one for me to read， which is common for this author。 Jodi Picoult is well known for tackling the issues that we face in our society， and she shoves a dose of reality in our faces。 It can be hard to handle， but it is so worth it！In this story we are following along with Diana， who is a young woman working at Sotheby's in New York and is living the life of her dreams。 She has everything planned and down to a science。 She is right on track with her career and perfect boyfriend， Finn This was a hard one for me to read， which is common for this author。 Jodi Picoult is well known for tackling the issues that we face in our society， and she shoves a dose of reality in our faces。 It can be hard to handle， but it is so worth it！In this story we are following along with Diana， who is a young woman working at Sotheby's in New York and is living the life of her dreams。 She has everything planned and down to a science。 She is right on track with her career and perfect boyfriend， Finn。 Everything is going fantastic， until she gets COVID， and nearly dies。 The story follows her showing what her body goes through， and what her mind goes through; all as a result of COVID。 Frankly， this book broke my heart for her， and for all the people who have gotten COVID; whether they lost their battle or won。 。。。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