Beginning with the absolutely critical first moments of the outbreak in China, and ending with an epilogue on the vaccine rollout and the unprecedented events between the election of Joseph Biden and his inauguration, Lawrence Wright's The Plague Year surges forward with essential information--and fascinating historical parallels--examining the medical, economic, political, and social ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's Going to Be Just Fine" --The trickster -- Spike -- "An Evolving Situation" -- "Flatten the Curve" -- "It's Coming to You" -- "Nothing Can Stop What's Coming" -- The doom loop -- "Let It Be March" -- "It's Like a Wind" -- Bellevue -- The no plan plan -- Little Africa -- The mission of Wall Street -- The man without a mask -- Waves -- I can't breathe -- Tulsa -- Thelma and Louise -- The hedgehog and the fox -- Dark shadows -- The Rose Garden cluster -- The search for patient zero -- Survivors -- Surrender.