Wish You Were Here

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Diana struggles with the validity of her experiences on Isabela, even though they felt completely real to her. Have you ever had an experience that felt deeply meaningful to you but was difficult to explain to others? How did you reconcile this disconnect?

2. Throughout the novel, characters must adapt to dramatic changes in their lives. Reflect on a time when you had to completely revise your life plans. How did you handle this adjustment?

3. The story explores how isolation can lead to both personal growth and to disconnection from others. How did your own experiences of isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic (or during a different crisis) affect your relationships and sense of self?

4. Diana ultimately chooses to pursue art therapy rather than continuing in the art business world. Have you ever made a similar choice between financial security and personal fulfillment? What factors influenced your decision?

5. Consider Diana's complicated relationship with her mother. How has your understanding of your own parent-child relationships evolved as you have grown older?

Examine the book's relevance to broader societal issues, cultural trends, and ethical dilemmas.

1. How does the novel address society's tendency to prioritize planning and control over adaptability and spontaneity? What does the pandemic reveal about this tension?

2. The book explores the idea that different people experience the same crisis in vastly different ways. What does this phenomenon suggest about collective trauma versus individual trauma during major historical events?

3. How does the novel's treatment of healthcare workers during the pandemic reflect broader societal attitudes toward essential workers?

Dive into the book's structure, characters, themes, and use of narrative techniques.

1. How does Picoult use the Galapagos Islands—the birthplace of evolutionary theory—as both setting and symbol? How does this choice enhance the novel's themes?

2. Consider the role of art throughout the novel—from Diana's work at Sotheby's to her sketches on the island to her eventual career choice. How does art function as both plot device and metaphor?

3. How do the parallel stories of the death of Diana's mother (both the hallucinated version and the real version) work together to develop the novel’s focus on the tension between perception and reality?

4. Examine the significance of the novel's title, Wish You Were Here. How does this sentiment take on different meanings throughout the story?

5. How does Picoult use the motif of drowning—both literal and metaphorical—to develop her themes and characters?