The book starts on 13 March 2020. It was the last working day before everything closed down due to Covid. It ends in May 2023.

Diana & Finn have the perfect life & are about to embark on a dream vacation to Galapagos when Covid enters the city. Being a doctor, Finn has to stay back, but encourages Diana to take the trip alone. The dream vacation turns to a nightmare for her as the island had also shut down due to the virus. However, Diana is adopted by a local family and is able to enjoy the island while she’s stuck there. However, both Diana and Finn miss each other & often wish the other was there.

This is a bit similar to our experience. For the first 10 months of the pandemic, Sha and I were stuck in 2 countries. The differences were that I was working full time, stuck at his parents’ home, and that we both had excellent Wi-Fi. However, I do understand being stuck & wishing that the other was there.

The twist at the end of part 1 wasn’t something I expected. I am not going to talk about it as it will ruin the story for those who haven’t read yet.

Throughout the book, I was angry with Diana about her behaviour. However, in hindsight, I can’t help but wonder whether I am equipped to judge her. I have no idea what her experience with her tragedy was like.

There’s always a sense of melancholia in Picoult’s writing & this book was no different. I think Picoult has drawn a realistic picture of what life was like during the Covid lockdown.

I liked how parts of this book felt like a love letter to the healthcare workers. I do not know whether it was medically accurate, but the struggle, suffering, isolation, and the loss is what I remember. It was so real that I felt it was more a documentary than a novel.

⁉️ In the end note, the author says that humans mark tragedy, meaning that everyone remembers what they were doing when a tragedy hits. Do you remember what you were doing on 13th March 2020?