#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of Small Great Things returns with a powerful and provocative new novel about ordinary lives that intersect during a heart-stopping crisis.“Picoult at her fearless best . . . Timely, balanced and certain to inspire debate.”—The Washington Post The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center—a women’s reproductive health services clinic—its staff … Center—a women’s reproductive health services clinic—its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage.
After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.
But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order to save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester, disguised as a patient, who now stands in the crosshairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard.
Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day.
One of the most fearless writers of our time, Jodi Picoult tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A Spark of Light will inspire debate, conversation . . . and, hopefully, understanding.
Praise for A Spark of Light
“This is Jodi Picoult at her best: tackling an emotional hot-button issue and putting a human face on it.”—People
“Told backward and hour by hour, Jodi Picoult’s compelling narrative deftly explores controversial social issues.”—Us Weekly
more
An extraordinary read in a very original format. A must read for an innovative approach to a difficult social issue.
A Spark of Light follows two storylines. The main story line is about a day at a women’s health clinic. All seems normal. The protestors are outside, nervous women are inside. Doctors and nurses shuffle around to help their patients in the best possible way. Then, the unexpected occurs. A gunman enters the clinic and starts shooting. Hugh is called. He is a police officer who is known for his skills of talking people down, talking them into surrendering. So, it is a normal job for him, until he finds out that his daughter and sister are inside. Then, all that matters to him in the entire world is on the line.
The minor story line is about Beth, a young woman who has been arrested for taking abortion drugs in an illegal manner. She desperately needs her father, but he is too ashamed, too angry.
The thing that makes this story unique is that Picoult tells this story backwards. Each chapter is an hour in real time. We start with the intruder dealing with Hugh after having shot some people. We work back to what brought the characters to the clinic that day. At first, I found this confusing. After all, it is very unusual, and something to which readers are not accustomed. After I became used to it, however, I could see that the surprises that Picoult withheld until the end had more impact.
As usual, Picoult’s characters are true-to-life, and as the reader reads, they become people about whom we care very much. This is a book that must be experienced!
The title of this book has a special meaning. I do not want to spoil that surprise.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
I love all of her books and this one was no exception.
This book was hard for me as I am prolife. In her comments at the end she gave statistics of how much harm prolife protesters have caused but at no time does she give statistics on how many abortions have taken place. As usual she addresses a co triversial subject that she is very passionate about. After reading this I am still prolife
Wow. A hauntingly poignant tale that shows the flip side of choices. I love the morality in Picoult’s novels.
As she always does, Jodie Picoult is covering current affairs…abortion this time. How timely what with all the uproar that is occuring. Excellent characters each flowing well into the next. From the first page to the last it I enjoyed every word.
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
October 2, 2018
Fiction
I received this digital ARC from NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an unbiased review.
This is a very powerful book which delves into the delicate and controversial topic of abortion. The method of reverse story telling seemed effective initially but became confusing as more characters were added to the story. Each character has his/her own history and beliefs which allow for a multidimensional plot.
When Hugh McElroy woke up on his birthday he has no idea what challenges he would face on a seemingly ordinary day. As a police detective experienced with hostage negotiations, Hugh was prepared when the call came in for assistance at the Center. Things become more personal when he realizes that his 15 year old daughter, Wren and her aunt Bex are among the hostages in the reproductive health clinic.
There are many twists and turns as each person’s life and reason for being at the Center that day is revealed. Each person has a separate story which brings them all together to eventually unite during this shared tragedy.
Ultimately, we are all entitled to our beliefs and trying to force those values on to other people will always be counterproductive to the initial goal. Our values and ethics are often challenged by unexpected life events to which we might never imagine. No one has the right to judge or condemn another person’s right to choose what’s best.
I really loved this book. I loved the way it unfolded, backwards in time. It built the characters and timeline in a new and interesting way. This was the first I’ve read by this author. The first book I read for a new book club. Now I will be reading a bunch more of her books!
Jodi Picoult always seems to find a way to deal honestly with moral dilemmas, this time with the issue of abortion. This book shows both sides of the issue in a manner that doesn’t condemn but seeks to enlighten, understand and inform so that everyone can be more open to other views. I think every woman should read this book, especially those who are pro-life. It won’t change minds and I don’t believe the author seeks to do that, but it may bring an awareness and understanding to those who are faced with this difficult dilemma.
Confusing
Good but didn’t like the abrupt ending!
Love her; she never leaves me unhappy with her books
This is a story told starting with the end. A gunman has entered a family planning clinic and has shot several of the people who work there. He has taken the rest hostage. The lead hostage negotiator has a daughter and sister that are trapped inside, but he doesn’t want to step down. He wants to be able to get them, and everyone inside, to safety.
The book works backwards from the end of the situation to what caused it in the first place. Each chapter is one hour in the past, and the pieces are weaved together to get to the heart of why this was happening and to learn about all of the people involved. In typical Picoult fashion, there are surprises along the way – things you don’t see coming.
This was a pretty good book. Picoult is always an up and down experience for me. She is an amazing writer and incredible author. But sometimes her stories are just so so. This was a tricky topic that she tackled and I applaud her for that. She has written books around racism and school shootings – really trying to write about both sides of the issue. That she does well. I am just not sure I loved the backwards timeline. IT was…fine. I think in some ways there were too many characters that she tried to get into the mix and at times it just got muddled. I think if she stuck with just maybe the top 3-4 characters and developed there timelines, it would have flowed easier.
This is a heavy topic and a very controverisal one. I have a feeling that anti-abortion and family planning advocates are going to have a hard time with this one. I felt she did a good job actually giving some light to that side of the fence, but when I read the comments on Amazon – that doesn’t seem to be the way they see it. So you have been warned. And I agree with her – I don’t think that these two sides will ever agree in our lifetime. But listening to both sides is a good place to start.
Not my favorite Jodi Picoult novel.
Intricate, gorgeous and incredibly intelligent, I loved every second of this book. No matter what your views on this very sensitive social issue, A Spark of Light is a wonderful read.
Rather than being preachy about either side, I think the success lies in that it so eloquently shows that there are many sides to this issue. That each us have our own idea of the truth that is shaped by our pasts, and that means none of us are necessarily wrong in how we live our lives, we are just living the best life we can following the best morals we know.
I found A Spark of Light balanced, fair, well researched and bold in highlighting issues and facts that many (again, from both sides) shy away from. Picoult is one of my favorite authors and this again proved why.
Structurally, the story starts at the end and moves backwards, which was such an interesting way to handle this story, and as an author myself I’m aware this must have been incredibly difficult! It could have fallen flat, as the characters essentially developed backwards, but in Picoult’s capable hands, the story was suspenseful and eloquently done.
I found it so interesting that Picoult chose to use the 3rd person (rather than 1st), which really helped the story not be preachy, but instead be what it is: a story. Initially it felt like there was a little too much backstory to each character, but in the end I felt I knew them so well and I loved all of them, particularly Dr. Louie!
A truly masterful story done sensitively and eloquently. I raise my hands to Picoult, the goddess of writing. 🙂
I picked up this book because I was interested to see how Picoult would handle such a sensitive and controversial storyline: a shooting at an abortion clinic. It was an ambitious undertaking with a strong message, but the reverse chronological order made it hard to read and the large number of characters meant that many of them lacked depth.
Another great novel from Jodi!
Not my favorite from Jodi, but as always, a fantastic read.
I liked the timeline of events and how the characters unfolded as you read.
This is not a typical Jodi Picoult book. I read the first few chapters and put it down. Life’s too short.