A very timely read and the narrator are all amazing in delivering every word to the readers.

RATING: 4stars

The narration on this was beautiful! I enjoyed the real look at how COVID-19 has impacted people's lives. Some of the stories I wasn't ready to hear but I appreciated that this didn't romanticize any aspect of this time. I liked the different types of writing. My favorite were the poems. I left this book feeling a little bit sad, connected to how others are experiencing this time, and hopeful for how we're moving forward together.

I think this book and its breadth of stories will be a great resource in five years, and much of the writing is lovely and deeply felt. That said, it just felt too soon for me. I was intrigued by the concept, but realized after listening to an hour or two that that I'd done so much intense article- and essay- and Twitter-thread-reading in the first few months of the pandemic, I now have Covid-story fatigue. Sadly, now that we're months further in and things haven't improved, I also had a hard time drawing hope and meaning in the same way I grasped for it in the beginning. How do we know how this will end, or what good will come to balance all the bad? The individual essays were strong, but the framing and takeaways felt a little forced while still amidst the gloom. (I also wished that the NetGalley version had a table of contents so I could sample around more.)

This is a collection of essays written during the initial lock down of the Covid pandemic. This was so well done and I loved the narrator.

It would be morally wrong for me to give this book anything less than five stars. I adore the concept — short stories and prose about a pandemic that has absolutely affected every person on earth that's ALSO a fundraiser for said pandemic's damage? Yes. Give me all of that positive energy. Some of these stories were amazing — and I will think of them often. Some hit way too close for comfort. Some were comic relief. Some were educational. Some were emotionally exhausting. Some were just beautiful. Read it slow to savor each piece!

Great collection of a myriad of perspectives on the Covid-19 crisis. Lovely cast of narrators too. Some humour, some heartbreak, and a variety of writing styles.