We didn't know how good life was...until we all lost touch.

When We Lost Touch is a genre-bending novel primarily set in the first 18 months of a deadly pandemic. It will be read as historical fiction in the future, but as contemporary fiction now for readers who will find their own pandemic experiences mirrored in the challenges and lives of the characters.

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"...an authoritative fictional documentary of the COVID years that will both resonate with those living them now and educate further readers about the psychological, political, and social turmoil the pandemic introduced into nearly every facet of life around the world...look no further than When We Lost Touch for a powerful saga grounded in the reality of shifting lives." - Midwest Book Review

Grace, a family therapist, returns from a cruise to find that life has been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her daughter's graduate program goes virtual, and her 11-year-old grandson on the spectrum is home 24/7 with school by Zoom. Her best friend, Katrina, contracts the virus early on but isn't recovering. On top of that, Grace is called to facilitate a COVID grief group, whose members express rage and sadness at the senseless deaths of people they love.  

Meanwhile, Molly and Mike forge a long-distance friendship over Zoom. A young couple, Zed and Cherry, finds validation and connection in QAnon. And on another front, Theo, a respiratory therapist, questions the ethics of keeping oxygen-starved patients alive.  

When We Lost Touch is contemporary historical fiction set during the first 18 months of a deadly pandemic. Ordinary people lose touch with friends, family, reality, and truth as they're caught in a war zone where most of the casualties are taken down by friendly fire. Kraus expertly weaves stories that portray life during a pandemic, providing a gripping, nuanced look at political, social, and medical challenges.