Micro review: ‘Wish you were here’ by Jodi Picoult – Times of India

American writer Jodi Picoult is back with a new contemporary fiction ‘Wish You Were Here’, which released in November 2021 and became an instant bestseller. Set against the backdrop of the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, Picoult’s new novel is about rediscovering oneself and hope. In an interview with NPR, Picoult revealed that “Wish You Were Here” is inspired by the true story of Jesse Katayama, a Japanese tourist who was stranded in Machu Picchu at the time. covid The pandemic started. Katayama stayed with the local community there for months, until they were given special permission by the government to visit the historic site! But unlike the true story, Picoult’s novel is set in the Galapagos Islands at a time when the world was shut down due to the sudden escalation of the coronavirus pandemic.

29-year-old Diana O’Toole has her life planned–she aims for a promotion to get her dream job of becoming an art specialist at Sotheby’s, and she goes on vacation to the Galapagos Islands with her surgeon boyfriend. is Finn, where he is about to propose to her. But when everything seems too good to be true, a sudden turn of events takes place. It is March 2020 and New York City is in the grip of Coronavirus. Finn is needed in the hospital and he cannot go to the Galapagos. Instead, he urges Diana to go alone as the trip is paid for. But once she reaches the Galapagos, the world shuts down because of Covid. Diana is now trapped on an island with poor relations with the outside world. As she tries to figure things out for herself—like hotel closures, finding a place to stay, staying connected to Finn when there’s no network—she also questions her life and choices. and checks again…

The book is divided into two parts; Unexpected twists in the latter half keep readers on edge. While Picoult transports readers to the beautiful tourist-free Galapagos Islands in this book, she also writes about the ugly truths of how the pandemic strained relationships between loved ones and families due to isolation. The author also depicts the struggle and never-ending stubbornness of the frontline workers fighting against the virus. “I wrote myself to help put the pandemic into perspective, and find comfort and hope in it,” Picault recently tweeted about his novel and we hope it resonates with many readers as well. .

How critics see the book:

book list Says the book “tapses into the trauma and uncertainty of the 2020 global crisis. Absolutely a must-read.”

Claire Hennessy writes for
Irish Times, “A smart and emotional page-turner who makes room for personal life crisis in the face of a global crisis.”

publishers weekly “As always, Picoult is eminently readable”, writes Picoult.