Wish You Were Here

Synopsis: Jodi Picoult’s novel opens on March 13, 2020, and we all know what happened on that day. It was the day “normal” went extinct. In this fictional universe, Diana, an art specialist at Sotheby’s, and her boyfriend Finn are preparing to go on vacation to the Galapagos. Diana is expecting a proposal. However, COVID intervenes, and Finn, a surgical resident at New York-Presbyterian, declares that he can no longer go. The hospital needs him to help fight this mysterious new virus. It should be gone in two weeks (!!!!) so Finn urges Diana to go anyway. She does, and ends up stranded on Isabela island in the Galapagos. She is forced to stay longer than expected, and in the process evolves and begins to question her life goals and relationship.

Review: I’ve read a few book by Jodi Picoult, and they follow a familiar rhythm. Contemporary social issue, set in a fictional setting, often with a twist. Well, this one comes with a heck of a twist! This is actually a book that has improved its rating in my mind with more time since completion. My first reaction upon reading it? Well, it was given to me by a friend, and I had no idea what it was about. When I realized it was not just COVID adjacent, but a full on COVID immersive story, my reaction was to wince in pain. Who wants to relive that story? Yet, as more time has gone by, I’ve come to appreciate some of the thought provoking ideas. It’s a reflection on how an experience can change your perception of what is and what is not important. The first half of the story was a little slow for me, but it did pick up after that. All told, a good story, unpredictable (which I liked), but maybe not a great read if COVID has affected you in a deeply personal way.

Rating: 3/5

Recipe: This book made me think about something you could make for dinner with the things you have on hand, just pulling from pantry or refrigerator. Pasta is great in that way, and pasta puttanesca is very close to the perfect pandemic dinner solution.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup panic bread crumbs

1 pound spaghetti

4 fillets anchovies (or 1 Tablespoon anchovy paste)

4 cloves garlic

pinch crushed red Chile flakes

28 ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand

1/4 cup black olives, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons chopped capers

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley

1) Melt the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add breadcrumbs and toast until golden brown. Set aside

2) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about a minute or two less than package recommends. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.

3) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies and cook 2-3 minutes. Lower heat to low and add garlic, Chile flakes and cook another 1-2 minutes.

4) Stir in tomatoes, olives, capers, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 easspsoon pepper, bring to a simmer and cook 10-15 minuets, until thickened.

5) Increase heat to medium high and add cooked spaghetti and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water. Cook 1-2 minutes more, then remove from heat, stir in parsley. top with toasted breadcrumbs and serve.