A much needed, thoughtful, anthology of stories and poetry reflecting this time in a global pandemic.

A collection of short stories and poems all about the first few months of COVID quarantine. There is something for everyone but not all will probably resonate. This will definitely be a great addition to the time capsule of our society so we remember all the nuances of this pandemic. Thank you Jennifer Haupt for the ARC.

I was very fortunate to be given early access to this book - thank you again to publisher Michelle Halket, author Jennifer Haupt and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this. Alone Together is a collection of essays, poems, and interviews by a selection of authors and poets about their thoughts, feelings and experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. I wasn’t sure if this would be too close to home with the lockdown only just easing over in the UK, but the minute I started reading this I couldn’t put this down. The collection is written primarily by authors from the U.S. - even though I live in the UK, and each country has a different experience of lockdown at different stages, the updates on the pandemic situation within the U.S. is one I also feel BBC News in particular followed closely.

A beautiful introduction from Jennifer Haupt - she really weighs up the some of the lovely things that have come out of lockdown, such as the Zoom calls and social aspects from the virtual connection, yet she speaks about how important it is to have the balance of seeing people in real life as well. At no point did I feel that any of the writing glorified the pandemic - if anything, they were all very real and honest and a true depiction of the reality people have faced in the past few months. It was funny at times, pointing out some of the crazy things some of us have sworn we’d never do: staring at the walls lost in thoughts, grocery shopping every day of the week as a form of escapism etc., although these were written with humour, they were highly relatable.

One topic that was approached a few times in various pieces was the subject of racism, particularly in light of George Floyd’s death. An essay in the first section by Andrea King Collier tells a story from when she was a young girl out shopping with her granddad, when a racist woman with a young toddler sat in the seat of the shopping trolley, for no apparent reason, shouts the n word to them both before walking into the supermarket. A few aisles later, they come across the same baby, choking.
Everyone was stood around fretting, yet Andrea’s grandad held out his hands, patted the baby on the back and saved her life. The racist Mum says nothing, not even a thank you. Andrea asked her grandad why he saved the baby’s life, and the moral of the story that she took away from her grandad was ‘good people look out for each other’. What a heartbreaking experience to have so young, and a selfless act from her grandfather.

Martha Anne Toll’s essay was an interesting read as well, as she writes over a period of a couple of weeks and updates the reader on her symptoms and health throughout having COVID-19. There’s been many accounts by people writing of similar experiences, but this gives you a real sense of the timeline and symptoms of COVID 19, and the affect this has on her family. There’s such a diverse range of content in this book - I can highly recommend this for anyone that’s looking to discover writing about COVID-19. It’s something I can imagine will date beautifully and act as a time capsule to look back on in years to come. Do check it out when it’s released on 1st September 2020!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital review copy!


I'm so glad that this collection exists! Years from now, I think this will be a valuable resource and an opportunity to reflect on this unprecedented time. I also think it's incredible that these authors came together to donate to the bookselling community while this industry is so shaky. Many of the perspectives offered here reflect my own uncertainty about our world post-COVID.

There are a few things that don't work for me while reading this anthology in the current moment. Firstly, the briefness of the stories and the similar themes make this collection seem repetitive. It was so hard to connect with the authors and stories because they were so short (many only a couple of pages in length).

What a crazy world we live in during this pandemic.

Have you felt alone? Inspired? Unsure what to do next? Struggling with the reality of the unknown, while also trying to create a new normal for yourself, your family, your loved ones?

Missing the personal connection, even as we sit on zoom chats and have more time than ever to talk to one another?

Than this collection of words is for you. Read it, pass it along to others who may feel the same as you & treasure all the feelings.

Thank you to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for allowing me to read this title in exchange for my honest review. I cannot wait to buy a copy, and continue to support the indie bookstores we all love so much.

Very nice to already read books about the pandemic that is still affecting us at the moment.
We got a lot of different people‘s insights which I enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying I was not in the right headspace to read this. I wasn’t ready for it. That being said, the essays about living in the age of COVID and quarantine were all well done and beautiful. Lots of talent within these pages. However, it left me feeling rather down and depressed. But that says more about where I’m at than the book itself. 3.5 stars.

Alone Together is about our time in COVID-19. How this uncertain time has changed our life. The things which we used to consider normal is not normal anymore. Our life is changed. The book is about how we fee
Is has a wonderful collection of poetry, stories, interviews written by different talented authors describing their experiences during this uncertain time. There is something for everyone to relate to. When I read it I was able to relate to most of it. It has themes such as loss, despair, anxiety, grief, and isolation. When I was reading it it made it clear to me that I was not that only one feeling or experiencing this we all are alone but facing things together.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this lovely collection.
4.5⭐/5⭐

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC copy of this collection. Just like how the title suggests, we may be physically "isolated" because of the pandemic but emotionally and spiritually we are connected and we've been all through some of the emotions and reactions displayed in the book. Alone Together is a collection of essays, short stories, and poems dealing with crucial themes in a very crucial timing. Themes such as loss, despair, anxiety, grief, and alienation are front and center but in a really engrossing way!!
I'm so glad this actually drew my attention and my request was accepted to have an early copy of it.

This was astonishingly good. Exactly what I needed during this strange year. I was so excited to get my wish granted and I cannot say enough positive things about this book. Wonderful.

When I heard about this collection, I was elated… and scared. Even though I wasn’t in self quarantine long, it took a tole on my mental and emotional well being. I wasn’t taught how to just be still for days on end. I don’t think many of us here in America are good at it honestly. More than that, though, I went from being someone made to feel like a monkey could do my job to being essential- over night! And then everyone started talking about reopening strategies and masks… suddenly the essential employee is a sheep, worthless… a Nazi even if they never say a word- simply because their company- that essential of all businesses- has politely asked you to wear a mask while in the store. It was hurtful, degrading… and demoralizing. I had so many feelings, all of which were being magnified by the fact that I didn’t see my family- the largest part of my support system- as often as I wanted; and I didn’t always know when and if I would be seeing the coworkers and customers that I loved. Several of my work friends have had to quarantine, and two still are. I know I am lucky, the cases that have come to those that I care about have been minor. Everyone has survived it with little more than cabin fever. I am so grateful. I digress, though… let’s get back to the book.

What made this especially tempting for me right now is that I have felt alone- cut off. I am sure many of us have. In here is not only proof that we are not alone, even when we feel it down to the bone, but that we can work through it together- that others have. While I didn’t agree with every entry, each one was a piece of their soul- their pain, fear, vulnerability or triumph. Out in the open, unapologetic and glorious. I had started highlighting and noting the pieces I thought would be especially important to me, until I realized I had done this to nearly every piece in the book. The collection also introduced me to several authors that I hadn’t known about before. I have either bought or borrowed several books that are now in my TBR and I will be getting through them. While so many stories were painful, there was hope and solidarity too. We are not alone, even when we have to shelter alone…. we can be Alone Together. For me, this is a five star book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
On the adult content scale there’s a lot of language, and sexual content- much in the form of sexts or innuendos. There is some heavy stuff about past traumas and the like, but nothing that I think a teenager couldn’t handle. I would give it a five.


I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Central Avenue publishing in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

The book comes out the beginning of September! Be ready!

Alone Together is a compilation of poems,essays and short stories of various authors depicting their experiences , thoughts and feelings during the COVID pandemic. I think the book is aptly titled. While we may be alone physically , what we are going through is affecting us collectively. The pandemic has not left a single person go unscathed. This book does not gloss over the negative impacts - I liked the fact that it didn't. It made me realize we are going through this together.This is a wonderful collection of literature that made me laugh and cry at the same time.

I hope to buy it when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the e-ARC of this book.

This book should be called "Chicken Soup for the Quarentined Soul." There are stories of inspiration, hope, loss, devastation, grief, peace and so much more! This pandemic has taken a lot away from us and there is still so much that is uncertain at this time. This collection remids us that we are NOT alone and that we are all doing our own little parts to survive this and make it through. Truly a heartwarming book for the soul during these monumentous and historically trying times.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alone together stands up to it's name...the feeling that everyone is going through now with the pandemic. How can we all feel so along, yet so together all at the same time? Reading these collective works gives the reader an answer to that understanding, that even though we all may be apart, no one is going through these feelings and emotions alone. This work allows that light to shine to us all.

This was a really good book. It was very interesting to read how COVID19 is affecting others and things they are experiencing. It was even more interesting due to whom authored the essays. Others work they have done is listed so if you want to take a look at some of their other writings, you have a starting point This is a book that I will gift and tell others about. Thanks to Netgalley,,the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Jennifer Haupt and Central Avenue publishing for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

A selection of essays, short stories and poems, this anthology explores various writers' experiences, thoughts and feelings during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Haupt's introduction, she notes that this book "holds our collective pain and our dreams, and I hope she offers you what she has given me: a renewed sense of possibilities". Well, this anthology certainly achieves this hope.

What I particularly enjoyed about this collection is that it did not gloss over the negatives of the pandemic. So many people suffered financially, mentally and physically and I can really see this book being read years in the future for the next generation to understand what it was like living through the major global pandemic. It highlights how the Black Lives Matter movement and George Floyd's death, as well as the collective sense of helplessness, has brought so many individuals from across globe together. I loved the individuals voices and the vast differences in experiences between each chapter or story.

I will definitely be purchasing a finished copy, and will recommend this read for anyone who is looking for something like this!

This book is comprised of short stories or poems from about 90 different contributors divided into five sections. I wasn't familiar with any of the people who contributed to the book, but I still enjoyed it. I found myself taking breaks while reading this as anything relating to COVID can at times seem too overwhelming to deal with for prolonged periods of time. One thing that struck me while reading the book is the sense of humanity that everyone is experiencing during this time, no matter who they are, where they live, what their job is... everyone is being impacted and affected in some way. And it was amazing to see how those experiences manifested into a short story or a piece of poetry.

What a beautiful book which will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. This is a book about love, loss and everything In between with stories, poems and interviews revolving real life and events and thoughts during the Covid 19 crisis especially. It’s a lovely read to remember what we were going through during 2020.

Alone Together is a heartbreaking and hopeful look at the times we are currently living in, full of quarantine and isolation. I think that what makes even the hardest days of COVID-19 life and quarantine bearable is the understanding that we are all in this together and we are all facing hardships of some type.

This was a wonderful collection of poems, essays, and interviews detailing what life in "Corona Times" is like--from mask wearing to zoom weddings, dealing with the loss of loved ones from long distances, and the general disruption of plans and wishes that have been forced on hold. Some of the stories were humorous, some devastating, some completely absurd in how relatable such a different way of life has become.

I truly think that this collection has a story for everyone, and will be perfect to pick up for inspiration in the current moment. It also serves as an important document of the heaviness of this time and the true sacrifices made by many to keep others safe and supported during the pandemic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the e-ARC of this book. I also want to note and give thanks to the contributing authors for donating shares from this book to benefit The Book Industry Charitable Foundation.

"Alone Together" was a book unlike any I have ever read before. Sometimes it's still hard for me to believe that our country is experiencing this, but this book made it seem like I wasn't alone. Other people are uncertain, other people are anxious, other people are sad. Every single emotion that we are feeling right now is real, and chances are, there's someone else out there in this world that is feeling the same exact way that you do in this very moment. I think this will be a great book to read a few years down the road to think about how far we've come and to capture what we went through.