Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
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 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 non-refundable 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 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 secrets opens up to Diana, despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders.
In the Galapagos Islands, where Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection was formed, Diana examines her relationships, choices, and herself – and wonders if when she goes home, she too will have evolved into someone completely different.
We invite you join the Hooked on Books book club at the Osage Beach Library to discuss this title on Thursday, August 18, at 11 am. Hooked on Books meets on the third Thursday of the month at 11 am.
The ebook and audiobook are available for download through the Libby app. Anyone with a valid Camden County Library District library card can sign up for a free Libby account. Do you need a library card? See what you need to bring with you to apply for a library card today. Copies of the book and audiobook are available for checkout at the Osage Beach Library.
