Book Review: "Wish You Were Here" By Jodi Picoult

 

This was absolutely fantastic, mind blowingly real, and chilling to the core.

Let me preface by saying as I'm typing this on 3/4/23 I myself had Covid pneumonia for the 1st time the day of my dad's passing on 2/10/23. My dad passed from end stage cancer after suffering a heart attack in FL while I was at home battling Covid pneumonia with sepsis after suffering from minor symptoms like a common cold for a week.

So, now here we are and I'm told during my dad's final memorial gathering/mass that my brother now has Covid in Fl and it scares the shitte out of me as he sounds twice as bad.

Look, what I can say is nothing in life is guaranteed and we're not promised tomorrow and that's why I loved this book by the gifted and talented Jodi Picoult as she brings us to our knees in this newest piece.

Diana is our main gal with a hero's welcome and she's determined to live a long and cushy life. Just one problem she's come down with this dreaded virus and is now fighting for her life.

I've had dreams similar to what the author notes, that were so bad that I would scratch my arms as if I'm sinking in quick sand or being buried alive but that may be due to the trauma of an abusive relationship with a malignant narcissist more than Covid pneumonia but I can't rule anything out.

The author does an incredible job bringin the Covid fog to life, the scary dreams of entrapment, and the reality to our doorstep especially in hospital and nursing home settings.

Our heroes are those who attempted to save lives while not infecting themselves as I can't imagine putting their lives on the line to save ours.

The ventilators, the dyspnea, the entire medical journals on this topic can't bring reality home like this book can with regards to Barbados, the chickadee birds, the tropical feel, the sensation that she's trapped there unable to help back home with her boyfriend Finn at the hospital and her mother's situation.

That ending....oh, hot damn! YES and all while becoming free of resentments and the past.

The work of a great author is in transporting its reader to another place and time while feeling every emotion and that's true with Jodi Picoult -a masterful storyteller!