THIS. BOOK! I was looking through photos the other day and ran across an image that I posted “Essential Workers” that was painted on a parking garage at a Charleston, SC hospital. I was almost done with this book yesterday when I posted that image and wow, does it ever ring true. This book sucked me in and I couldn’t believe where it took me. Quite the ride…

Also to note, there is a bonus short story Broken Things by Jodi Picoult at the end of WISH YOU WERE HERE (paperback edition). It was excellent!!
Read about WISH YOU WERE HERE by Jodi Picoult, from her website:

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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 Galapagos—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 Galapagos Islands, where Darwin’s theory of 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.

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My review on Goodreads:

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book! High praise for an author who nailed the pandemic so well (without making the story all about the pandemic). I’m not going to spoil it by giving details. Go read it, seriously, this is some excellent writing! This was the first book by Jodi Picoult that i’ve read, can’t wait to read the next one!

👉 View all my reviews

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📚 Until next time…

✨ Take a moment to be grateful for at least one thing today – TODAY will be a good day, you’ve got this!