Lockdown Lovers

Lockdown Lovers is a f_i_v_e_-_p_a_r_t_ _l_o_v_e_ _s_t_o_r_y_ _s_e_t_ _i_n_ _l_o_c_k_d_o_w_n_ _c_o_n_d_i_t_i_o_n_s_ _i_n_ _t_w_o_ _r_e_g_i_o_n_s_,_ _A_s_i_a_ _a_n_d_ _E_u_r_o_p_e_._ _ I_n_ _P_a_r_t_ _I_,_ _s_e_t_ _i_n_ _H_o_n_g_ _K_o_n_g_ _a_n_d_ _C_h_i_n_a_,_ _f_o_r_t_y_-_s_o_m_e_t_h_i_n_g_ _a_c_a_d_e_m_i_c_ _J_o_h_n_ _R_y_a_n_ _g_o_e_s_ _t_o_ _t_h_e_ _l_o_c_a_l_ _2_4_/_7_ _M_c_D_o_n_a_l_d_s_ _e_v_e_r_y_ _d_a_y_ _t_o_ _r_e_c_o_r_d_ _e_v_e_n_t_s_ _a_r_o_u_n_d_ _h_i_m_._ _W_e_ _a_l_s_o_ _g_e_t_ _r_e_g_u_l_a_r_ _u_p_d_a_t_e_s_ _a_n_d_ _r_e_f_l_e_c_t_i_o_n_s_ _o_n_ _t_h_e_ _t_i_m_e_ _o_f_ _l_o_c_k_d_o_w_n_ _f_r_o_m_ _P_h_o_e_b_e_ _H_o_,_ _K_w_o_k_-_y_i_n_g_ _a_n_d_ _a_ _p_a_n_g_o_l_i_n_._ _P_h_o_e_b_e_ _i_s_ _a_ _t_w_e_n_t_y_-_s_o_m_e_t_h_i_n_g_ _H_o_n_g_ _K_o_n_g_ _a_c_t_i_v_i_s_t_ _a_n_d_ _r_e_c_e_n_t_l_y_ _e_l_e_c_t_e_d_ _l_o_c_a_l_ _c_o_u_n_c_i_l_o_r_,_ _K_w_o_k_-_y_i_n_g_ _i_s_ _a_ _g_o_v_e_r_n_m_e_n_t_ _h_e_a_l_t_h_ _o_f_f_i_c_i_a_l_,_ _a_n_d_ _t_h_e_ _p_a_n_g_o_l_i_n_ _i_s_ _o_n_e_ _o_f_ _t_h_e_ _m_a_m_m_a_l_s_ _r_e_p_o_r_t_e_d_ _a_s_ _b_e_i_n_g_ _a_t_ _t_h_e_ _r_o_o_t_ _o_f_ _t_h_e_ _v_i_r_u_s_._ _ I_n_ _P_a_r_t_ _I_I_,_ _J_o_h_n_,_ _P_h_o_e_b_e_ _a_n_d_ _K_w_o_k_-_y_i_n_g_ _h_a_v_e_ _a_l_l_ _h_a_d_ _t_o_ _g_o_ _i_n_t_o_ _q_u_a_r_a_n_t_i_n_e_ _a_s_ _t_h_e_y_ _h_a_v_e_ _p_i_c_k_e_d_ _u_p_ _t_h_e_ _v_i_r_u_s_._ _J_o_h_n_ _a_n_d_ _P_h_o_e_b_e_ _g_r_o_w_ _c_l_o_s_e_r_ _i_n_ _u_n_i_q_u_e_ _l_o_c_k_d_o_w_n_ _c_o_n_d_i_t_i_o_n_s_._ _P_a_r_t_ _I_I_ _e_n_d_s_ _o_n_ _t_h_e_ _n_i_g_h_t_ _b_e_f_o_r_e_ _t_h_e_i_r_ _p_a_s_s_i_o_n_a_t_e_ _e_n_c_o_u_n_t_e_r_ _i_n_ _P_h_o_e_b_e_’s_ _q_u_a_r_a_n_t_i_n_e_ _q_u_a_r_t_e_r_s_._ P_a_r_t_ _I_I_I_ _i_s_ _s_e_t_ _i_n_ _l_o_c_k_d_o_w_n_ _c_o_n_d_i_t_i_o_n_s_ _i_n_ _I_r_e_l_a_n_d_,_ _E_u_r_o_p_e_._ _J_o_h_n_’s_ _p_a_r_e_n_t_s_ _a_r_e_ _i_n_ _t_h_e_ _v_u_l_n_e_r_a_b_l_e_ _c_a_t_e_g_o_r_y_ _a_n_d_ _h_a_v_e_ _b_e_e_n_ _o_r_d_e_r_e_d_ _t_o_ _s_t_a_y_ _i_n_ _t_h_e_i_r_ _h_o_m_e_s_._ _J_o_h_n_ _t_e_l_l_s_ _n_o_ _o_n_e_ _b_u_t_ _h_i_s_ _p_a_r_e_n_t_s_ _t_h_a_t_ _h_e_ _h_a_s_ _r_e_t_u_r_n_e_d_._ _H_e_ _d_e_l_i_v_e_r_s_ _g_r_o_c_e_r_i_e_s_ _a_n_d_ _m_e_d_i_c_i_n_e_ _t_o_ _h_i_s_ _p_a_r_e_n_t_s_’ _p_o_r_c_h_ _b_u_t_ _t_h_e_ _p_a_i_n_ _i_s_ _t_o_o_ _m_u_c_h_ _w_h_e_n_ _h_e_ _s_e_e_s_ _t_h_e_m_ _s_t_a_r_i_n_g_ _a_t_ _h_i_m_ _f_r_o_m_ _t_w_e_n_t_y_ _f_e_e_t_ _a_w_a_y_ _b_e_h_i_n_d_ _t_h_e_ _p_o_r_c_h_ _d_o_o_r_._ I_n_ _P_a_r_t_ _I_V_,_ _J_o_h_n_ _h_a_s_ _c_o_m_e_ _b_a_c_k_ _t_o_ _H_o_n_g_ _K_o_n_g_ _f_r_o_m_ _I_r_e_l_a_n_d_ _a_n_d_ _i_s_ _l_i_v_i_n_g_ _o_n_ _h_i_s_ _o_w_n_._ _P_h_o_e_b_e_ _i_s_ _c_a_u_g_h_t_ _u_p_ _i_n_ _e_v_e_n_t_s_ _t_a_k_i_n_g_ _p_l_a_c_e_ _i_n_ _H_o_n_g_ _K_o_n_g_._ _K_w_o_k_-_y_i_n_g_ _s_t_i_l_l_ _s_e_n_d_s_ _i_n_ _h_i_s_ _w_i_t_t_y_ _c_o_m_m_e_n_t_s_ _a_b_o_u_t_ _t_h_e_ _G_o_v_e_r_n_m_e_n_t_._ _ P_a_r_t_ _V_ _t_a_k_e_s_ _p_l_a_c_e_ _i_n_ _H_o_n_g_ _K_o_n_g_ _a_n_d_ _C_h_i_n_a_ _t_w_o_ _y_e_a_r_s_ _a_f_t_e_r_ _t_h_e_ _f_i_r_s_t_ _o_u_t_b_r_e_a_k_._ _E_a_c_h_ _c_h_a_r_a_c_t_e_r_ _h_a_s_ _m_o_v_e_d_ _o_n_,_ _a_n_d_ _t_h_e_ _p_a_n_g_o_l_i_n_ _i_s_ _f_l_o_u_r_i_s_h_i_n_g_._ _ I_n_ _t_h_i_s_ _p_a_n_d_e_m_i_c_-_r_i_d_d_e_n_ _w_o_r_l_d_,_ _t_h_i_s_ _n_o_v_e_l_ _r_e_m_i_n_d_s_ _u_s_ _h_o_w_ _h_u_m_a_n_ _c_o_n_t_a_c_t_ _w_i_l_l_ _n_e_v_e_r_ _c_e_a_s_e_ _t_o_ _b_e_ _m_a_n_k_i_n_d_’s_ _s_a_v_i_n_g_ _g_r_a_c_e_ _t_h_r_o_u_g_h_ _t_h_e_ _d_a_r_k_e_s_t_ _t_i_m_e_s_._ Lockdown Lovers is a love story set in lockdown conditions in Hong Kong and Cork, Ireland. Pushed to the limits of endurance, the characters find themselves driven to desperate shows of passion and love. This 5-part story alternates between the perspectives of the four main characters, John Ryan, a local Hong Kong academic, Phoebe Ho, an activist and recently-elected District councillor, Kwok-ying Lee, a Government Health Official, and a pangolin, the mammal reportedly at the root of the virus. They all struggle to discover who they are and what they truly desire as their world is turned upside down by the virus. John spends his days in a 24-hour McDonalds scribbling reflections on lockdown, Phoebe runs her campaigns, and Kwok-ying gives us surreal assessments of the Government. Pretty soon, they are all in quarantine with with minor symptoms but with resilient infections they can’t shake. The long days of quarantine bring John and Phoebe together and they share a passionate encounter that changes them forever. John finally leaves quarantine only to return to Ireland to help his vulnerable parents, leaving his wife Sue and son Sam behind. However, John realises he can do little for his parents so he returns to Hong Kong to rediscover with his family that closeness he was opened up to in quarantine. The novel ends in 2022, two years after the first outbreak, in a divided Hong Kong. The _n_o_v_e_l_ _r_e_m_i_n_d_s_ _u_s_ _h_o_w_ _h_u_m_a_n_ _c_o_n_t_a_c_t_ _w_i_l_l_ _n_e_v_e_r_ _c_e_a_s_e_ _t_o_ _b_e_ _m_a_n_k_i_n_d_’s_ _s_a_v_i_n_g_ _g_r_a_c_e_ _t_h_r_o_u_g_h_ _t_h_e_ _d_a_r_k_e_s_t_ _t_i_m_e_s_._ Lockdown Lovers is a love story set in lockdown conditions across two continents. Pushed to the limits of their endurance in lockdown and then quarantine conditions, John Ryan, a Hong Kong academic, and Phoebe Ho, a Hong Kong District councillor, decide to break the rules of their quarantine and rediscover what has been denied them for too long, passionate human contact. The novel alternates between the perspectives of John, Phoebe, Kwok-ying, a Government Health official, John’s wife Sue, his son Sam, Princess Selina, a millionaire’s heiress, and a pangolin, the mammal reportedly at the root of the virus, as they all find their own way to deal with the dramatic changes in their environments. In Part III John even travels back to Ireland desperate to assist his parents in their lockdown. Haunted by the memory of touch Phoebe opened him up to in quarantine, he realises he must return to Hong Kong to rediscover love with his wife and son. The story ends in Hong Kong in 2022, 2 years after the first appearance of the virus in the city. The novel reminds us of our undying capacities for contact and closeness even at times of pandemic when they seem under threat like never before.