BOOK CLUB KIT
A Note from Jodi
Photo © Tim Llewellyn
Dear reader,
When the pandemic first started, I couldn’t concentrate on anything else—I
couldn’t write. I couldn’t even read. I was quarantined at home, paralyzed
with fear at what COVID would do to my asthmatic lungs. When I was
finally able to start working again, all I wondered was: How are we going
to chronicle this pandemic? How do we tell the tale of how the world shut
down, and why, and what we learned?
Diana’s story is one we can all connect to: it’s one of isolation, adaptation,
and survival. We woke up one day, and everything as we knew it changed.
To say it was catastrophic is an understatement, but it also gave us a much
clearer sense of what matters.
I hope that
Wish You Were Here
has provided you with a means of
reflection and of connection to one another. And, most of all, I hope you’ll
always remember to ask yourselves how this experience changed the way you think about the rest of your life.
Because if I have learned anything, it’s that the world can change overnight, and so can what we believe to be
most important to us. What did you yearn for this past year? What did you discover about yourself? Are you
where you really want to be?
Enjoy this great kit, which includes discussion questions, an awesome playlist, and photos from my trip to the
Galápagos. Thank you for reading and sharing!
—Jodi
Photo © Tim Llewellyn
Discussion Questions
What was it like to revisit March 2020 right at the moment the world changed as we entered the pandemic? Did the author capture
what it felt like when everything started? Was it strange to think back to that time? What emotions and thoughts came up as you
started to read?
Diana was trapped in the Galápagos, unable to return to New York City due to travel restrictions. But she managed to make friends
and explore the island every day. Do you think she would have been more or less isolated if she had stayed in the city?
Diana chooses to stay on Isabela, even though she knows it might mean getting stuck there. Would you have made the same
decision? Has there ever been a time in your life when you made a split-second decision that surprised you?
When Diana realizes she is stuck without any resources on the island, she is rescued by the generosity of Abuela. How does
Abuela’s instinct to come to a stranger’s aid compare to Gabriel’s instinct to preserve the needs of himself and his family first? Is
one or the other’s motivations better justified?
Think about how Diana and Gabriel’s relationship evolves over the course of the book. How does their understanding of one another
compare to the way Diana and Finn relate?
Why do you think Diana was able to form such a close bond with Beatriz? What can the book teach us about mental health and
how to help those who are struggling?
What did you think about the revelation that Diana didn’t physically get stranded on Isabela after all? Did you see the twist coming,
or did it surprise you?
Do you think unconscious, lucid experiences like Diana’s have meaning? Are these experiences “real” in some way?
Diana insists that she must have gotten Covid and imagined her time in the Galápagos for a reason, while Finn believes that
“viruses don’t need reasons.” What do you think about the way other people (Finn, Dr. DeSantos, Rodney, others) react to Diana’s
experience?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
The questions below have major spoilers for the book—please come back to this page once you’ve finished
reading and are ready to dive into a discussion.
Discussion Questions
Diana instantly connects with Kotomi Ito over the Toulouse-Lautrec painting, something that held huge promise for Diana’s career.
When Diana returns to New York and recovers, she bumps into Kotomi in Central Park, eventually meeting up regularly to walk
together. Why do you think the author chose to include this storyline?
Art is described as a partnership between the artist and the viewer. Do you agree? How does this relationship dier from the one
between an art therapist and a patient?
Diana and her mother have a complicated relationship, but by the end of the novel, Diana understands her mom much better and
is finally able to forgive her. What do you think allowed Diana to forgive? In what ways do our relationships with our parents—even
when those relationships are tense—define who we are?
What was your reaction to Diana’s increasing certainty that marrying Finn isn’t what she wants for herself after all? Have you ever
realized that the plans you have for your future don’t align with your desires?
Darwin’s theory of natural selection—gleaned from his research in the Galápagos—addresses how isolation can be both a curse and
a blessing. Has humanity “evolved” during the pandemic? Why or why not?
Covid-19 changed Diana—from her job to her personal relationships—but do you think those changes would have still happened if
2020 was “normal?” How did the pandemic change you? What lessons did you learn about yourself, and what changes to your life
will you keep as we move forward?
How do you interpret the book’s ending? Who do you think has saved Diana from falling?
Wish You Were Here
deals with the pandemic in ways that can be intense. Jodi Picoult even discusses in her Author’s Note that she
struggled with finding a way to process these unprecedented events, and wondered: “How do we tell the tale of how the world shut
down, and why, and what we learned?” How did reading about the pandemic compare to experiencing it? What kinds of emotions
and reflections did the book bring up for you? What parts of the early pandemic had you already forgotten?
Who would you cast to play the characters in a TV or movie adaptation of
Wish You Were Here
?
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
The questions below have major spoilers for the book—please come back to this page once you’ve finished
reading and are ready to dive into a discussion.
Playlist
Listen to this playlist on the Random House Spotify page.
The Lucky Ones
– Breathe - A New Musical (Original Cast Recording)
Wish You Were Here
– Pink Floyd
Empire State of Mind
– Alicia Keys and Jay-Z
Six Feet Apart
– Luke Combs
Imagine
– John Lennon
Brave
– Sara Bareilles
Stronger
– Britney Spears
Stuck with U
– Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber
Seasons of Love
– RENT (Original Cast Recording)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
– Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwoʻole
Welcome to New York
– Taylor Swift
Survivor
– Destiny’s Child
Dog Days Are Over
– Florence + The Machine
Go Your Own Way
– Fleetwood Mac
I Can See Clearly Now
– Johnny Nash
Anywhere Away from Here
– Pink
I Wanna Love You but I Don’t –
Ben Platt
Don’t Stand So Close to Me
– The Police
So Far Away
– Carole King
Mad World
– Gary Jules
Everybody Hurts
– R.E.M.
Somebody to Love
– Queen
Unwell
– Matchbox Twenty
With or Without You
– U2
Island in the Sun
– Weezer
Better Together
– Jack Johnson
De Donde Vengo
– Alex Alvear
One Day at a Time
– Jeremy Voltz
Riptide
– Vance Joy
Forever Like That
– Ben Rector
Recipe: Abuelita’s Quesadillas
Servings: 8
FOR THE TORTILLAS
2 cups of all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon salt
FOR THE PASTRY FILLING
1 x 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
¾ cup arrowroot starch flour (you can also use all-purpose flour)
½ teaspoon salt
1–2 tablespoons water (if the pastry dough becomes too thick)
Try your hand at these Ecuadorian quesadillas. Not to be confused with Mexican quesadillas, these pentagon-
shaped pastries are both sweet and savory (and are typically enjoyed at breakfast)!
TO MAKE THE TORTILLA:
Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and
mix until the dough forms a sticky ball.
Once you can no longer mix with a fork, knead the dough on a
well-floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 8–10 minutes)
then let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Generously dust the counter with more flour and roll the dough
into a long snake-like rope that is ½–inch thick. Cut into 1-inch-
long pieces. You should end up with approximately 8–10 pieces of
dough.
Roll out each ball of dough into a circle that is ⅛-inch thick. Set
aside until you have made the filling.
TO MAKE THE PASTRY FILLING:
Whisk together the cream cheese and egg yolk. Add the sugar,
flour, and salt until thoroughly combined.
TO MAKE THE PASTRY:
Place a large scoop of filling in the center of the tortilla.
Spread the filling out to the edges of the tortilla but keep most of
the filling in the center.
Bake at 350°F degrees for 8–10 minutes.
Credit: zestofzen.com/sweet-quesadillas-from-san-juan-bakery-in-quito
Recipe: Canned Banana Peppers
Diana saw plenty of canned vegetables during her visit to Isabela Island’s outdoor market.
Learn to can your own veggies!
Servings: 1 quart
INGREDIENTS
4 cups peppers (banana, jalapenos, serrano, etc.) cut into
¼-inch rings
2 cups vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place pepper in a sterilized quart jar. Set aside.
Place vinegar, sugar, and salt in medium non-reactive saucepan,
stirring until salt and sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil over
medium heat. Pour the mixture over the peppers, leaving ½-inch
headspace in the jar and seal.
Refrigerate the peppers for up to one month or process them in
a boiling water bath (for 15 minutes if you live in altitude below
6,000 feet, or for 20 minutes if above 6,000 feet).
Allow at least 24 hours before opening the peppers for the
best flavor.
Credit: addapinch.com/pickled-peppers-recipe
Recipe: New York-Style Cheesecake
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a bowl until
evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture into the bottom and about
½-inch up the sides of the springform pan.
Whisk flour, sour cream, and vanilla extract in bowl. Set aside.
Stir cream cheese and sugar with a wooden spoon in a large bowl
until evenly incorporated, 3 to 5 minutes.
Pour milk into cream cheese mixture and whisk until just combined.
Whisk in eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
Stir in lemon zest, orange zest, and sour cream mixture; whisk until
just incorporated.
Pour mixture into prepared springform pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until the edges have nicely pued and
the surface of the cheesecake is firm except for a small spot in the
center that will jiggle when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour.
When the cheesecake is done, turn o the oven and let it cool in
the oven for 3 to 4 hours. This prevents any cracks from forming
on the top of the cheesecake.
Credit: allrecipes.com/recipe/221142/new-york-style-cheesecake
Servings: 12
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp. melted butter
18 graham crackers, crushed
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
1 ½ cups white sugar
⅔ cup milk
4 eggs
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
Make this NYC classic at home and enjoy a slice!
Drink: Manhattan
Servings: 1
INGREDIENTS
2 oz. bourbon or rye
1 oz. sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters
Garnish: brandied cherry
INSTRUCTIONS
Add the bourbon (or rye), sweet vermouth, and both bitters to a
mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe.
Garnish with a brandied cherry.
Credit: liquor.com/recipes/manhattan-2
This classic cocktail is a perfect drink to help you unwind after a long day of work (or reading!)
Drink: Sex on the Beach
Servings: 2
INGREDIENTS
Ice
50 ml vodka
25 ml peach schnapps
2 oranges, juiced, plus 2 slices to garnish
50 ml cranberry juice
Glacé cherries, to garnish (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Fill two tall glasses with ice cubes. Pour the vodka, peach
schnapps, and fruit juices into a large jug and stir.
Divide the mixture between the two glasses and stir gently to
combine. Garnish with the cocktail cherries and orange slices.
Credit: bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/sex-beach-cocktail
No explanation needed here . . .
Chicha de piña
Ecuadorian spiced pineapple drink
INGREDIENTS
The skins and core of 1 pineapple (organic if possible and
thoroughly washed)
½–¾ lb. of panela piloncillo or brown sugar (whole or in chunks—
more or less to taste)
Assorted spices: cinnamon sticks, all spice peppers, cloves, anise
10–12 cups of water
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in large saucepan or pot.
Bring to a boil and simmer partially covered for at about an hour,
stirring occasionally.
Let cool, unless you are drinking it warm or hot; you can drink
it immediately or let it rest refrigerated to allow the spices and
pineapple flavor to concentrate.
Credit: laylita.com/recipes/spiced-pineapple-drink-chicha/
Check out these photos from Jodi’s trip to the Galápagos!
