Readers revisit the pandemic and forced quarantine caused by COVID-9 in this captivating read, Hold, Please by Richard Hester. The author starts the book in the spring of 2020 – more specifically in March – when the world was hit with the seriousness of the virus we now know as COVID-19. From then on, we get a day-by-day report on what is happening in the world, the U.S., New York city, and in the home, mind and heart of the author himself. Even though Hester states in the beginning, that this book is his own experience; “What follows is my year and mine, alone”, as a reader we can relate to him and can find a sense of familiarity in the events we lived through.

The book was meant to be read as the days passed to serve as a safety net, as it was originally a bundle of Hester’s blog posts meant to help cope with quarantine for both the author and reader. This is a compelling memoir that comes at a critical time as we slowly escape from the clutches of the worst of the COVID-19 lockdown and try to return to our new normal lives. We’re now left to reflect on our experiences in the past couple of years and this book does a fantastic job of capturing the emotions we had during those harsh times. This book will forever be a reminder of the challenges we faced such as the pandemic, the murder of George Flloyd and the circus of the presidential election.

The author’s writing is reassuring, and I enjoyed how each chapter read like a journal entry both to educate and console the reader. This is a long book, but we had a long year in quarantine so there was much to observe and discuss. This is a thought-provoking memoir that will pique the interest of readers looking for a slice of life book that takes place during a historic time.

Hold, Please: Stage Managing A Pandemic is observant and well-written. Readers looking for a thoughtful look back, or a riveting memoir about an interesting person and how they handle a challenging situation, will find plenty to enjoy in Richard Hester’s contemplative memoir.

Pages: 578 | ASIN: B09TQ138MG

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/08/30/hold-please-stage-managing-a-pandemic/