Rita Mann

40 Days Under Covid-19 Lockdown Rita Mann

From the frontline of social care as a foster carer in the UK, this diary-journal lays open the maelstrom of daily life under Covid-19 lockdown. Insightful, acerbic, playful and intimate, Rita Mann confidently gathers the vortex of political discourse in her fist and asks probing questions as to where we all go from here. Thoroughly researched and with over 160 citations, the book presents a social commentary of a defining period in 21st century that is both vivid and deeply affecting. Every aspect of the lockdown is candidly portrayed - from daily news briefings to shocking headlines and death statistics, the promises of politicians, PPE shambles, challenges in social care and the minutiae of everyday life. Critical of the delays in lockdown, Rita Mann observes: "One click of a button to view the crisp, live webcam at Piazza San Marco in Venice and witness the eerie emptiness would have reminded anyone of what needed to be done to stop people from crowding. And prevent Covid-19 from spreading." Rita Mann's concern for where we now find ourselves runs deep. "Across the world, every country, every home has been forced to down tools and arguments in order to save lives. That is the most powerful common experience we have shared. That alone should make us different. We have changed. Grief and sorrow, love and joy have coalesced as we celebrate what we have now and what we might not have tomorrow." A book that quietly explodes with the tensions of the times.