This article argues that despite students facing obstacles when studying remotely and online through the COVID-19 pandemic, some are able to overcome barriers to achieve their academic goals. While formal methods are used to evaluate teaching and learning, the five teacher educator researchers in this study sought to understand pre-service teachers' experiences of this form of engagement. The South African pre-service teachers are studying to become teachers of English, and the article focusses on their experiences of studying a novel via remote online learning. Using qualitative content analysis and underpinned by the Technology Acceptance Model, the study showed that the pre-service teachers found the lack of peer collaboration and mentoring difficult, and their efforts were hampered by a lack of material resources. However, some demonstrated agency and resilience in the face of obstacles and were able to relate their experiences of lockdown to the events in the novel.