Wish You Were Here
Notes
I'm not sure what to say about this book. It's an easy, engaging read, but it takes a turn. Maybe two turns. Three?
Jodi Picoult wrote this novel during lockdown for the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020. It doesn't read as a hurried job, though. The story is solid, fleshed out, believable... and a bit baffling.
The pandemic plays a major role in the story, as an art specialist and her partner - a surgical resident - in New York City find their lives jolted by it. She (well, you have to read the book to find out what goes on with her), but HE lives the nearly overwhelming horror of the medical community dealing with this sudden and inexplicable disease. His 'reports' about what he's going through are heart-breaking.
But she's hearing about it all via email she gets sporadically while stuck in the Galapagos. Or is she?
We're left with some fascinating knowledge about ways the mind can adjust to save itself during near-death or after-death experiences. I don't doubt any of the information set forth in the tale, because I've read about such things before and I do trust Jodi Picoult's research.
Personally, I wanted to scream a few times at some blatant disregarding of safety protocols by somebody who truly should know better. There's a twist, and a twist, and maybe another twist...
I enjoyed reading this book (fast, over two days) and it left me with a lot to think about, but it also left me with a sense of dissatisfaction that I'm struggling to identify. I guess that makes it good writing. I know I'll remember it for a while.
Jodi Picoult wrote this novel during lockdown for the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020. It doesn't read as a hurried job, though. The story is solid, fleshed out, believable... and a bit baffling.
The pandemic plays a major role in the story, as an art specialist and her partner - a surgical resident - in New York City find their lives jolted by it. She (well, you have to read the book to find out what goes on with her), but HE lives the nearly overwhelming horror of the medical community dealing with this sudden and inexplicable disease. His 'reports' about what he's going through are heart-breaking.
But she's hearing about it all via email she gets sporadically while stuck in the Galapagos. Or is she?
We're left with some fascinating knowledge about ways the mind can adjust to save itself during near-death or after-death experiences. I don't doubt any of the information set forth in the tale, because I've read about such things before and I do trust Jodi Picoult's research.
Personally, I wanted to scream a few times at some blatant disregarding of safety protocols by somebody who truly should know better. There's a twist, and a twist, and maybe another twist...
I enjoyed reading this book (fast, over two days) and it left me with a lot to think about, but it also left me with a sense of dissatisfaction that I'm struggling to identify. I guess that makes it good writing. I know I'll remember it for a while.