The COVID Wars

<p>The COVID Wars by David John Roberts is a brilliantly observed character-driven novel that captures the raw unfiltered reality of everyday life during the pandemic. At the heart of the story is Derek a modest café owner in Chiswick who suddenly finds his world turned upside down by forces outside his control; namely government policy in response to the pandemic and how this feeds through to the population at large. Through Derek's eyes we meet a cast of sharply drawn characters-his partner Samantha her teenage son Jack a mix of eccentric neighbours loyal customers and unexpected skeptics-all trying to make sense of shifting rules media frenzy and the emotional weight of isolation.</p><p>Rather than retelling headlines The COVID Years zooms in on the smaller more human moments: the tension in a household forced into 24/7 togetherness the humour in socially distanced conversations the warmth of unlikely friendships and the disorientation that comes with endless political tinkering and not enough clarity. It's a rich timely and at times unexpectedly funny exploration of how people cope-not as heroes but as humans. Deeply relatable and unflinchingly honest this book doesn't just revisit a chapter in history-it reveals what it felt like to live through it.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>