#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
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Not her best.
I found it enthralling how the author presented so many different sides to a controversial subject
Throughout her career, but particularly in recent years, Jodi Picoult has proven herself a fearless author, willing to fictionalize any controversial topic. A Spark of Light may well be her most risky, ambitious, and successful endeavor to date because she at last tackles the issue of abortion.
The setting is a women’s reproductive health services clinic where the staff offers services to anyone who comes through the door. In a story that could all too easily be ripped from any morning headline, it is a gunman who enters. He opens fire, immediately killing some and taking others hostage.
Hugh McElroy is the police hostage negotiator who initiates communication with the gunman and soon discovers that Wren, his own fifteen-year-old daughter is inside the clinic, along with her aunt, Hugh’s sister. Also inside with the gunman is a nurse who calms her own panic in order to save the life of a wounded woman; a doctor who work at the clinic because of his faith; a pro-life protester who entered disguised as a patient but may now be a victim of the rage she has experienced herself; and a young woman who is there to terminate her pregnancy.
Picoult employs an unusual and highly effective technique to relate the day’s events: They are set forth in reverse chronological order, hour by hour. Thus, the book opens at the point of the story’s dramatic climax, and then the events that led up to that moment are revealed in reverse order. As Picoult traces the action back through the morning, showing how each individual came to be at the clinic, the characters’ secrets and motivations are revealed. Heart-breaking, jaw-droppingly ironic details are explored that demonstrate how beliefs, assumptions, demands, fears, and, indeed, bravery converged to fatefully deliver each person to the clinic on that particular day.
Employing her signature style, through the thoughts, beliefs, and actions of her characters, Picoult asks readers to ponder the most difficult questions. How should the rights of a pregnant woman to autonomy and privacy be balanced against the rights of her unborn child? Can laws imposing absolute boundaries ever be workable? How do one’s past experiences and upbringing undergird and inform one’s opinions on the subject? And given the wide range of beliefs, values, and experiences Americans hold, is there any possible way that, as a society, consensus can ever be achieved?
A Spark of Light is a compelling, demanding, and thought-provoking story that provokes a deeply visceral reaction. The subject matter and story are timely, controversial, and provocative. In the hands of a less-skilled writer, the story could have become mired in preachy, judgmental rhetoric. But Picoult approaches the topic with sensitivity, and compassion and respect for all of her characters. Thus, she manages to tell the story in a balanced, understanding fashion. Picoult’s extensive research on the topic is evident in the way she portrays the fragility of her characters and the monumental impact of beliefs and actions upon their own lives, as well as upon the lives of their loved ones.
For fans of Picoult’s work, as well as those who have never read her previous books, A Spark of Light is, along with Small Great Things, a book that simply must be read by anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the competing viewpoints on abortion, and why those on opposite sides of the issue must find a way to peacefully co-exist.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.
I was sadly quite disappointed in this book. I had really high hopes. I felt like there was too much trying to be “PC” about this issue. Reading the events in reverse order really fell flat for me. I felt that the epilogue was abrupt and there were unresolved pieces of the story as well. Instead of trying to incorporate some character from every possible walk of life and situation, the story may have been better told by going more in depth with a few of the key characters.
Makes you think about the different sides of abortion
Stellar job with creating characters that I was invested in. Great job exploring the heated topic of abortion and looking at both sides of the issue.
I respect Jodi Picoult as a writer and was not disappointed with a spark of light, Very informative,and realistic. I always come out of reading her books feeling respected. I learnt a lot about abortions, both pro-life and pro choice, about parenting, the role racism plays in these issues ( not to count how to fry a perfect egg). Most impressed by her and her skills. I have and continue to recommend this and all her books. I am a proud Fan of Lady Picoult
I found it very difficult to keep the times switching back and forth. I have loved all her other books, but didn’t care for this one
I haven’t read a Piccoult book I didn’t like but this one was so timely and is so intricately contrived, it is one of my favorites. It tells so many stories that are interconnected (as she often does), but each one has a theme of its own. I seldom find books that aren’t thrillers or mysteries to be page turners, but I spent many hours trying to find a spot to stop at so I could go to sleep! It’s good that I’m retired and don’t have to get up to go to work!
A very serious attempt to show both sides of this dellemma.
It was a balanced approach to a difficult topic. She handles the issues sensitively and write a real page Turner. She did it again.
I’m a huge Jodi fan. This book had a structure that was not her normal style and I struggled a bit with the repetition and flashback style, but the story was well done and thought provoking.
This book was thought provoking. It was not about abortion but the women’s reasons for getting an abortion.
The book centered around a police negotiator, Hugh, his sister, Bex, and his daughter, Wren; and Wren and Bex’s reason for being at the center.
I found the characters to be brave and witty and kept they’re heads while being held hostage.
Jodi Picoult never disappoints
Jodi Picoult always writes an intense story that makes you think about both sides of any moral issue she addresses throughout her book. This book, A Spark of Light was no let do to say the least. I have read all her books, and this one really hit me. She never writes one sided and shows the good/bad of all sides within her book. Very insightful and thought provoking. Once again, she wrote a winner and one that will offer many discussions. Excellent as always!
This was told in reverse order, it started at 5 pm and worked backwards to 8 am before the 6 pm epilogue. I already knew what was going to happen, so there was no mystery or moments wondering what was going to happen. I feel I would have much preferred if it started at the beginning of the day.
There were so many loose ends. So many characters were introduced and we got very detailed backstories but no conclusion on what happened to them. I did like that we saw a different in every little section rather than just focusing on one or two.
It didn’t flow well enough to keep me interested. There was so much information about abortions and it seemed to drag.
I’ve never had so many conflicting feelings over a book as I did for this.
Did I enjoy it? No.
Did I like it? I’m not sure.
Did I think it was good? Yes.
Before I begin this review, please note that this book deals with a sensitive topic: abortion. If you plan on reading this, I suggest that you do it with an open mind.
Let’s start with the first question. It took me 18 days to finish this book. EIGHTEEN. There were a lot of times when I almost gave up on it. But I pushed through because I wanted to find out how things began. You see, this book is written starting from the end back to the beginning. This could work for some but it left me feeling disoriented and a little confused. I agree with what some reviewers say that the best part of this book is the first chapter. Writing a book in reverse order is anticlimactic. You get the climax first and the excitement goes downhill from there. But the good part is it will make you curious about the reason behind everything.
Full review: https://kookbookery.wordpress.com/2018/11/18/review-a-spark-of-light-by-jodi-picoult
The only reason I gave this book 4 stars and not 5 is because of the way it’s written – in reverse. This drove me so crazy that I started to think it was me so I looked up reviews. It didn’t bother many people but it DID bother a fair amount. So, I started from the back and read to the front – you know, sequently.
Good book and thoroughly researched as are all her books but at the same time very disturbing. I am glad that A) I do not live in the south and B) am no longer of child bearing age. This is a hot button for me as I do not think that any man should have a say over a woman’s body – ever. Just my opinion, I’m sure many will disagree.
As a huge Jodi Piccoult fan I knew this book was tackling another timely and controversial topic. What I wasn’t prepared for was the herky-jerky narration which made the story very choppy and sometimes hard to follow. There was no rhythm to the story also making it hard to stay invested. The book opens with the denouement and went downhill from there. Told in a reverse timeline, it fails to come together into a cohesive story.
I will start my review saying I will NOT discuss the political sides of abortion or whether I think it is right or wrong.
George Goddard, an upset father, takes it upon himself to teach the women and doctor at the state’s only abortion clinic a lesson, by taking them hostage. He blames everyone there, patients and staff, for what has happened to his daughter.
After the first shot was fired, Hugh McElroy, a hostage negotiator, was one of the first one scene. What he doesn’t realize is that his fifteen year old daughter is inside with her aunt, his sister. Hugh has depend on his training and the others inside to keep his daughter safe.
Through the eyes of a nurse who is a patient, the doctor who performs the abortions, a retired professor facing a death she cannot control, the distraught father, an anti abortion protestor, a young woman who felt abortion was her only way out and a scared teenager we learn of the many different reasons humans make the decisions they do.
You can guarantee that when you pick up a Jodi Picoult book you will be made to dig deep inside yourself and think. You may not agree with the issue being discussed but you will be forced to see the issue from every side.
I was not sure if I would like the narrative structure The Spark of Life was written in but by the end I was glad it was written backward, meaning we start with the most recent hour of the hostage standoff and work our way back to how it all began. It forced me to question why and take more of the facts given into consideration.
A great book for book clubs as many discussions can arise while reading. Expect tears and heartache as you read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House-Ballantine through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.