Books Set in North America: United States

Dava Shastri’s Last Day, by Kirthana Ramisetti (2021)

Dava Shastri is 70 years old and has a terminal illness.  She is an extremely wealthy businesswoman who had created a foundation to help kickstart careers for people less fortunate.  All her adult life, she has been very controlling, especially of her own children who are involved with her businesses.

The novel begins in 2044.  She has controlled every aspect of her life, including a doctor-assisted death.  Shortly before Christmas, she summoned her four children, their significant others, and her grandchildren to her estate on a private island.  They arrived just as a news leak reports Dava’s death.  Dava had assumed that reports of her death would also focus on her good works.  Instead, secrets of her past are brought forth.  Secrets that she must now confront, both to herself and her family.

Although the events surrounding Dava’s death take place in the future, much of the story recounts Dava’s life and her relationships with her family and friends.  Dribs and drabs of Dava’s past life are revealed, as well as the turbulent relationship of her family.

Sadly, for me, none of the characters were particularly likable.  Families squabble.  Sibling fight.

I was on a nine-hour plane flight, so this book was a distraction.

Read: November 27, 2022

3 Stars

Books Set in North and South America: United States and Galapagos Islands

Wish You Were Here, by Jodi Picoult (2021)

 

This novel focuses on the Covid-19 pandemic.  Diana O’Toole is a young art specialist on the verge of her 30^thbirthday.  She and her surgical resident boyfriend have plans to vacation on the Galápagos islands to celebrate her milestone birthday.  Days before they are to leave, Covid-19 shuts down the United States and her boyfriend must remain at the hospital to help with the influx of Covid patients.  He convinces Diana to still take the vacation as it is already paid for.

 

Diana arrives at the Galápagos, only to find that the island will be shut down for two weeks.  The hotel where she was to stay is closed down and the spotty internet connection is spotty.  Diana is isolated from the rest of the world and is unable to contact her boyfriend.  An old woman befriends her and provides her with food and a small apartment, the had formerly belonged to her adult son.

 

Being away from all this is familiar to her, Diana begins to re-evaluate her life and her relationship with her boyfriend.  Why doesn’t he try to contact her?  Why did he convince her to go on their trip alone?

 

The author also researched Covid-19, and the second half of the book explores how people who contracted the virus and survived coped.  [Spoiler Alert: Many patients who contracted Covid experienced hallucinations.  In this novel, Diana’s trip and lengthy stay in the Galápagos islands was a hallucination.  What seemed like a lengthy stay on the islands, was just a few days.  Days she spent in the hospital with a very serious case of Covid.  The author interviewed many patients who experienced such hallucinations while suffering from Covid and Diana’s story is based on these interviews.]

 

This was an easy and fun book.

 

Read:  November 8, 2022

 

4 Stars

Books Set in Europe: England

The Appeal, by Janice Hallett (2021)

 

This little mystery novel is written entirely in emails, letters, and messages.  It’s a clever gimmick.  We know from the beginning that someone was murdered and the accused is awaiting an appeal.  The title, The Appeal, has two meanings: (a) two young lawyers are tasked with reviewing the documents for the appeal; and (b) the family of a young child suffering from a rare form of cancer, is making an appeal for money for treatment.

 

As the reader goes through the documents the characters come to life.  The novel focuses on a small-town family-owned amateur theater group known as The Fairway Players.  They decide to put on Arthur Miller’s play All My Sons to raise money for Poppy, the 2-year-old with cancer.  Poppy is the granddaughter of Martin and Helen Hayward, the wealthy family and owner of the theater.  Helen is always the star of all the stage productions.  Since this is an amateur theater, the actors all have other jobs.  Most of the actors are in the medical field and work at one of the two near-by hospitals.

 

All is not as it seem, however, and each character has a secret.  As the young lawyers sift through the documentation, they come up with their own theories of who the killer or killers may be.

 

This was a fun and very quick read.  I had been in a reading dry-spell and this is just what I needed to get back into reading again.

 

Read:  November 7, 2022

 

4 Stars