Jodi Picoult's books are known for being thought provoking about current
and past events and this book does not disappoint. I was hooked
from the very beginning when the novel starts in a March 2020 time
frame.
The Story
In this book Jodi Picoult says she is exploring "the resilience of the
human spirit in a moment of crisis".
In the first pages we are introduced to Diana O'Toole and her boyfriend Dr.
Finn Colson. They are a young couple very much in love and planning on
taking the trip of their dreams to the Galapagos Islands. They are all
packed and set to take their trip when Finn comes home and announces that he
cannot get away to take the trip. He is a surgical resident in
New York City, and it is the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Finn
convinces Diana that she should take the trip without him since they have
already paid their nonrefundable down payments. Dianna reluctantly
agrees to go.
When Diana reaches the Galapagos, she takes the ferry over to the
island where they are staying only to discover that due to the pandemic it
is the last ferry to the island and the island is now shut down due to the
pandemic. When she arrives, there is no transportation
available, so she decides to walk to their hotel only to discover that
it has been shut down. Diana is beginning to panic when a worker from
the hotel is leaving and stops to talk to Diana. She offers a place
for Diana to stay in a cottage she owns. She is very kind to Diana and
offers her food and advice.
The next chapters find Diana exploring the island, meeting people along the
way, and dealing with communication problems. She tries to contact
Finn, but communication is very limited, and she finally is able to get
someone to let her into the hotel to use their server.
In the meantime, Finn, is working day and night at the hospital to deal
with the spreading pandemic. When he gets a moment to send Diana an
email, he never knows if she is getting them. In one email, he lets
Diana know that her mother who is in a nursing home is gravely ill and the
nursing home is quarantined by the pandemic.
There is so much more to the story, but I don't want to spoil it for you by
telling you about all the twists and turns. I will tell you it is a
very compelling story made even more interesting by the fact that we are
currently living in the pandemic. I highly recommend this book.
More Books I Have Enjoyed by Jodi Picoult
I have read many of Jodi Picoult's books. Here are some that I
particularly enjoyed.
The Book of Two Ways explores Egyptology and I found very intriguing. Here
is a review that Diana wrote on this book. Book of Two Ways
Leaving Time is a book that explores the relationships between humans and
animals. The elephants in this story were delightful and I would
recommend this book.
My Sister's Keeper is the heart wrenching story of a young girl who
was conceived in order to provide bone marrow for her
dying sister. It is considered by many as their favorite Picoult
novel.
Enjoy your Reading! Books are a wonderful escape from daily
life.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
FOLLOW US ON:
