Wish You Were Here
Diana O’Toole works at Sotheby’s and lives in New York City with her boyfriend, resident surgeon Finn. They are planning on leaving for the Galapagos Islands when the city gets hit with the first patients of the Coronavirus. Finn tells Diana to go without him since the trip was paid in advance and it is silly for both of them to stay home.
As she is arriving on Isabela Island, a mob of people are waiting for the ferry. The ferry operator tells her that the island is closing, and this is the last ferry. She has to decide if she wants to stay or return. She decides she is going to be adventurous and stays. When she walks to her hotel, she sees a woman locking the door. The woman tells her the hotel along with the rest of the island is closed for two weeks. On an island, without her luggage, without knowing the language, without a place to stay, she stands there wondering what to do.
This is a beautiful and well written story that everyone should read. We have all been affected by Covid-19 in some way. The pandemic has caused many of us to feel the isolation more than others. It caused anxiety and made us question the future of the new normal. Like the author, I have respiratory issues and have not been to a grocery store since before the pandemic began. I highly recommend this book.
