Wish You Were Here
Ballantine Books
November 30, 2021
E-book
336
Publisher via NetGalley
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.
My review:
I wish it were possible to give two different ratings, because this book deserves that from me. For the writing, the research, and the gut punching emotions, I would rate it five stars all the way! For the enjoyment level I have to knock off a star, and I will explain why in broad terms as I don't want to reveal spoilers. I've seen some readers who are hesitant to pick this one up due to the overall COVID theme. While I definitely would not recommend to someone who has lost a person close to them, I loved the vivid descriptions of the work the healthcare workers were doing, and the effect on people when the world "shut down". Brilliant use of emails from Finn (a doctor in the thick of things at a NYC hospital), one in particular where he stayed with a dying patient, had me sobbing! Finn's accounts of life on the front line were definitely my favorite part of the book, and are completely compelling! The descriptions of the Galapagos Islands were lovely and made you feel as though you were there. Also some interesting side education about the art world (Diana works for Southeby's selling paintings), and the side effects on the brain of someone on a ventilator. The two niggling facets that held back my five stars were the huge twist that comes about 60% in, and a decision Diana makes at the end of the novel. The first one is a trope I absolutely hate in books, but that one I'm giving a partial pass as it leads to educational moments that were super interesting to me. The second one was a complete no go, and it made me dislike the ending (if the ending leaves you unsatisfied, that's a definite lowering on the enjoyment scale). However, that's just me, and I really feel this book deserves all the praise. I'm planning a different ending in my mind, so it's all good!
Not for those who have a close COVID loss, this is a brilliantly written account of the beginnings of the pandemic. Overall, its a love letter to the front line hospital workers, who literally deserve all our praise! A definitely must read, make up your own ending if you must 🙂
Nice review. I wish Covid was over but we may have years more to go. And yes, I like everyone else are getting mighty tired of it. Perhaps I’ll wait till next year to read this one.