#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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This book addresses Choice for women and who gets to make the choice.
Very informative and well written.
This novel was an intense read with surprising events throughout the story! I liked the way so many different emotions were portrayed as we get to know the different characters throughout the pages. The story is about one day at the Center, a reproductive health services clinic. The day is told backwards of what happens this day. A gunman has come into the clinic and taken the people hostage. The police hostage negotiator on the scene soon finds out that his own fifteen-year-old daughter is one of the hostages. Among the other people inside the Center are a doctor, a nurse, a pro life protestor disguised as a patient, and a young woman who is there to get an abortion. The women inside the Center this day all have their own reasons for being there. And they all have their own stories that will be told throughout the pages as the day goes on. But their lives will be joined together this day after the gunman comes into the building. There are so many issues that are addressed throughout this book. Pregnancy and abortion, and women’s rights and options are addressed. The relationships between mothers and fathers and their children are a strong part of the story, as well as so many larger issues. But even more important, we see these issues on a personal level through each person’s story.
The premise of this book — a hostage situation at an abortion clinic in the South — is interesting (and perhaps too realistic). The book comes together in class Picoult style with the characters lives intersecting. Many times this occurred in unrealistic ways, such as the hostage negotiator’s daughter/sister being in the clinic at the time, and the hostage-taker finding that out. Not a spoiler since much of this is evident by the first chapter. The book weaves in an out of about 6 character’s lives that brought them to this moment, and trying to keep all of them straight was a challenge as not one of them was well developed. It was also unrealistic that the hostage taker would find the clinic that his daughter didn’t even use. While the book grew on me somewhat in the reading, I found the ending to be unsatisfying. This was not, as in prior Picoult books due to a depressing ending. It was due to a non-ending. What happens to all the people we follow? Yes, most of them live, but we leave without knowing what happens to a young girl facing murder charges for abortion, a nurse contemplating abortion but rethinking it, secrets yet to be told. To read all those pages for no closure was frustrating.
Confession first; this is my first Jodi Picoult book, I have hear about a lot of her books, but I think I was just too intimidated by her books. Usually when books or authors get too much hype I stay away, don’t ask why, I’m just too afraid that I will not like the book or the author and them I will be that odd person that doesn’t like the book and everyone will hate me. At the end? I will usually fall in love with the author/book and feel stupid and ask why the heck it took me to long to read it. This is the case with Jodi Picoult and I finally decided it to give it a try and why? Because Netgalley had her latest book there and I would maybe have the chance to read before it would be too hyped about it. And OH MAN, am I glad that I jumped at the chance. I got approved for the arc and I read it before it came out and I freaking love it. The topic was not one that you read everyday which made me love the author even more. Let’s get to it.
The whole book takes place in one single day, yes you heard it right. It starts at one time and then the time will rewind to the beginning of the day and you get to find out what is going on inside the women’s center. One thing you need to know is that the book has not one, not two but lots of POVs. You even get the POV of the shooter and of his daughter that is not even present at the women’s center. Yes, it can be confusing at times, because one thing you have to continue to remember is when one POV is over the next one will start from one hour prior to that one which there were a few times that I was like wait, what time is it again?
You will start this book and will not be able to put it down because you will want to find out what let this person to do what he is doing and what will happen to these hostages, will they survive? And then you to hear about each of these people’s lives and choices they are making or made and about women’s rights and what some people, even doctor’s go through in order to protect them.
A really powerful and intense story and one that should be read all over no matter your point of view.
5 out of 5 stars!
Jodi never disappoints!
thought provoking
Well-written book on an important, controversial subject. Picoult shows all sides of the controversy and helps resolve the issue.
Jodi Picoult is the master of taking a controversial subject and showing there are very real human beings behind every side of an issue. A Spark of Light is no exception. I enjoyed the format of knowing the end and slowly going back to the beginning. The reader builds empathy for each character as Jodi peels back the layers of who each character is. So many surprises! I know I want to talk to each character to find out more. I will be thinking about this book for a long time. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine books.
A Spark of Light was a captivating story regarding the controversial and emotional topic of abortion. The story took place within a time frame of several agonizing hours, but in reverse order. The reader already knew that a distraught father took the lives of several innocent people at the Center while keeping several hostages. As the story enfolded, we learned the reasoning for his violent actions as well as the background story of the rest of the people whose lives were forever changed by entering the Center on that fateful day.
The author, through her characters, argued in favor of both pro life and pro choice. She created an interesting complex set of characters that pulled you into their stories and what eventually brought them to the Center. This was an engaging read and highly recommended.
It starts off as a typical day at the Center, a women’s reproductive health care clinic in Mississippi. For Hugh McElroy, it’s his 40th birthday, and a day that he hopes will pass by quietly and quickly. But everything changes in a moment when an armed shooter enters the Center–shooting employees and patients on sight. Hugh, a negotiator for the police, is immediately called to the scene. Once there, he comes to the horrifying realization that his sister, Bex, and his only daughter, fifteen-year-old, Wren, are inside. Hugh tries to keep this information to himself, determined to save the people he loves the most. Meanwhile, many inside the clinic are struggling to stay alive, while the shooter is trying to come to terms with the reasons that brought him to the clinic in the first place.
“Here was the one thing all these women had in common: they hadn’t asked for this moment in their lives.”
Jodi Picoult is known for her powerful books that make you question the world around you, and her latest is certainly no exception. This novel asks interesting, thought-provoking, and timely questions: not just about abortion but about women’s rights in general and the power men have over women, including their bodies. It makes you think, and it’s certainly not an easy read. I found it to be an eye-opening experience. You may go in with a set view and particular political stance–and while this novel is in no way attempting to change your view–it allows you to see things from all sorts of points of view. The book is filled with complicated people and their stories; nothing is simple here.
The novel is told backward: starting with a shooter entering the clinic and working back from that moment. I’m not always a fan of this format, and it does take some getting used to (for me anyway). I read this one while I was sick and busy at work, so I always had to pause a little bit to get my bearings with each chapter. But the format causes the story to be extremely tense, forcing you to really want to know what happens. I’ve read some reviews where they thought the backward style left nothing unexplained/nothing left to know, but I found it to be the opposite. The first chapter leaves you with a near cliffhanger, and you spend the rest of the book frantically flipping the pages, trying to find out what happens.
I found this one to be especially poignant and excellent at portraying its characters. Picoult captures moments in time, as our characters remember back on things. It’s a lovely look at fatherhood for two sets of families, and Hugh and his daughter, Wren, are a wonderful pair. Picoult does an excellent job paralleling them with another set of characters, too. Then there’s Izzy, a nurse, with whom I dare you not to fall in love, and Dr. Louie, the doctor at the clinic. Both are so tough and easy to root for. I also learned so much while reading about them. It was easy to picture these characters and even easier to fall for them–all signs of a well-written novel.
By the end, Picoult has some twists up her sleeve: some surprising, some not. I thought the ending wrapped up a little quickly, but I still was impressed with one. You don’t enjoy it, per se–the subject matter is a little rough for that, but you’ll find yourself wowed by the characters and their shared story. 4+ stars.
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult is a story told by Picoult in a voice that has become totally her own. It takes place on the day a shooter has descended on an abortion clinic. People are dead; people are wounded. They all came in wounded and came together at this moment in time for a variety of reasons, just as would be at the point of any tragedy. How will it all end? Will any of them ever be whole?
There is the Roman Catholic doctor who performs abortions for his own reasons; the protestor who has entered the clinic under false pretenses to gather intel to use in the campaign against it; the young teen who has been brought by her aunt to get birth control. On the outside is the police negotiator, the father of one of the hostages.
This book is about abortions, but it is also about people and how each of them got to be who he/she is. It is a heart-rending story of lives that have taken detours. It was difficult to read, as there is so much pain. It was worth it, though. I recommend it. Enjoyed is not the correct word but it was worth my while to read A Spark of Light. Jodi Picoult is always worth the time.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. #netgalley #asparkoflight
We are all drowning slowly in the tide of our opinions, oblivious that we are taking on water every time we open our mouths.
This book had so many characters. So many different views. In the end you end up feeling for every one of these characters in some way shape or form. Wren went to the abortion clinic to get birth control with her aunt. She didn’t tell her. What would that secret cost her family?
George is upset. His daughter had an abortion. How will he handle the fact that she ended her babies life when he is pro-life?
Those were just few of the characters in this book. Just a few of the questions that comes up while reading this book. This was my first Jodi Picoult book. I loved it and cannot wait to read more. She made you feel like you were inside the book.
Jodi Picoult has written another powerful, emotional and thought-provoking book. This is indeed a subject that is so very controversial: abortion. It is one that sparks much outrage in people no matter what position they take. Here in this book we get both viewpoints of the characters and you can feel the anger of those opposed and the anguish and guilt of those having had an abortion or thinking of having one. The story is told in reverse order and as confusing as that sounds, it was brilliantly done. With this book and Jodi Picoult’s last one, I though they would be ones I would not be able to get through because of the subject matter. But, as always, I have not been disappointed. I’m just always left in awe.
No matter what position you take on the subject of abortion, A Spark of Light is a must-read and one that I very highly recommend.
A distraught father turned gunman, seeks deadly retribution inside the women’s health clinic that he holds responsible for the termination of his unborn grandchild. Starting at the end and replaying the events in reverse order, author Jody Picoult doesn’t play it safe with her latest book, “A Spark of Light.” Tackling the controversial issue of abortion, the author gives an honest, balanced, and thought-provoking take on the choices women face when presented with an unplanned pregnancy and the resulting ramifications. She accomplishes this daunting task, by giving the reader a glimpse into the lives of all those trapped inside the clinic and the reasons they came to be there in the first place.
Regardless of which side you fall on—pro-choice or pro-life—Jodi Picoult will have you digging dip within yourself and examining your own beliefs. Perhaps even questioning them, as well. Intense and expertly executed, “A Spark of Light” is a story that is both timely and relevant. Boasting relatable, multi-dimensional characters, this story drew me in right from the very start and held me captive right up until the very end. While this is the very first book that I’ve read by Jodi Picoult, it certainly won’t be my last.
I thought this book gave a very balanced look at a hot topic issue that will likely remain so forever.
I was a little concerned and expected some preaching towards one side or the other, but really never felt like that. The characters were well done and I found myself caring a great deal for some of them.
There were a few things that would likely not have happened in real life, but authors need some leeway so their story can be more poignant, I think. It bothered me, but not enough to stop me reading this book.
I requested an ARC and was happy to receive one. My opinions are my own and freely given.
Jodi Picoult, Author of “A Spark of Light” has written a unique controversial and contemporary novel which is an emotionally packed, captivating, intriguing, intense, heart-breaking and riveting novel. Kudos to Jodi Picoult for stirring up the pot with her descriptions, and her vivid accounting of the events and characters. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, with Mystery and Suspense thrown in. The timeline of the story is in the present and goes to the past when in pertains to the characters or events in the story.
The author describes her colorful and dysfunctional cast of characters as complex and complicated possibly due to the circumstances. Throughout the story, Jodi Picoult manages to describe each character, and how the problems at hand effect and concern them. Not everyone is sure of exactly how they feel, and what to believe. The author discusses an important and relevant topic, what makes a mother or father a good parent? What are the choices that we have to make?
The story takes place in an orange Center that services Women’s needs such as abortion, contraception, women’s illnesses and women’s reproductive health services. Every day there are lines of anti-abortion protesters handing out their “educational bags” trying to stop the women going in. There are usually pro- choice people helping the women going in to safety. On this particular day, there is a shortage of pro-choice people accompanying the patients going in. This takes place in the south, and usually the women have to wait 2 days and be informed before making a choice. The women are informed at the different stages of pregnancy what there options are, and are told it is their choice.
No on realizes that there is a traitor in their midst. A woman who is a pro-lifer , and anti-abortion is disguised looking for any information that could close this clinic down. She has no idea what danger is ahead of her.
A man armed with a pistol, walks into the building and starts shooting people. The gun-man is desperate and angry. It seems somehow his daughter had an abortion, and he is out for revenge. This man also has PTSD, and thinks himself back to the war doing his job.
A hostage negotiator is called in ,not aware that both his daughter Wren and his sister are in the Center. Wren’s Aunt has taken her to get contraception, but her father is not aware.
Now there are two fathers involved, one a hostage negotiator, and one hurting and holding the other hostages. Somehow all the hostages, no matter what their believes are, have to work together to survive.
The author discusses the importance of communication, love, emotional support, and hope. I would highly recommend this controversial and emotional novel to those readers who enjoy a challenging story. I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
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PUBLISHED BY LINDASBOOKOBSESSION
I am a retired teacher and an avid reader of books of all genres. I have several Kindles and Nooks, hardcover copies, paperback editions, and collect signed first editions. I love to read and write reviews. I have reviewed on NetGalley, First to Read, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, BookBrowse(First Impressions) LibraryThing, and Amazon. I am obsessed with books!! View all posts by lindasbookobsession
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The story opens with George, an active shooter at an abortion clinic, and a hostage negotiator, Hugh, trying to diffuse the situation. Why is George so angry? And, will Hugh be able to talk him down?
“Want to clear up a divisive issue? Throw all the parties into the crucible of a hostage situation, and let them simmer.”
And, that’s exactly what the author accomplished in this ambitious and powerful what if situation. The story begins towards the end of the hostage situation and then moves backwards in time as the reader finds out more about each of the characters involved, both inside and outside of the clinic.
In my opinion, throughout the entire book, both sides of this controversial and emotional topic were explored and presented in an equal manner.
“It stood to reason that both life and death began with a spark of light.”
Abortion is an extremely controversial topic, and like all of the controversial topics Jodi Picoult explores, it will make you think and consider and think some more. No matter which side you’re on, pro-life or pro-choice, I think this book is worth your time. Even if you don’t change your stance, hopefully, at the very least, your mind will open a bit, allowing you to find compassion and empathy for BOTH sides.
“But he hoped empathy would spread, an invasive weed of compassion.”
“Maybe it was possible to walk in another person’s shoes, without trampling his step.”
I love the majority of Jodi’s books, but while reading most of this one, I was at a 3 star rating. I just didn’t find it as gripping as her previous works, especially Small Great Things (5 stars) and My Sister’s Keeper (5 stars). But, finally, finally, finally towards the end, I was able to raise it to 4 stars. 4 SOLID stars. She’d finally grabbed my full attention. She’d finally made her points, and I finally felt the power of her words. Kudos to the author for opening a much-needed dialogue about abortion. I also really loved the Author’s Note at the end.
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Location: Jackson, Mississippi
Jodi Piccoult tackles a tough subject , abortion. Whether you are pro-choice or pro-life this book will give you insight into both worlds. This story is multi layered giving points of view from multiple characters. It all begins when a gunman opens fire at a Women’s health center. It then takes us into the lives of these characters and their different beliefs. I am pro-choice but this book helped me to understand all sides. The characters are richly developed and I felt like I knew each and every one. I loved how the author gives us reason for discussion. This would be a great book club read. You are there, feeling the fear. You are there for each decision and the why’s. I was enveloped in the pages of this book. It made me think. It helped me understand. This is a book for our times. This is a book that must be read. It is a very realistic portrayal of how lives intersect in the world we live in. This book will help you to understand both viewpoints. I will not soon forget this book. Please don’t miss this book because the subject matter makes you uncomfortable. This is truly an extraordinary book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the honor of reading this book.
Where to start. My emotions are all over the place. The story follows numerous characters during a hostage situation at a women’s reproductive health services clinic (The Center) in Mississippi. The story starts at the end and works backwards by the hour, frustrating and a little confusing at times, but it worked so well. Amongst the hostages are a pro-life protestor, a pregnant nurse, a lady who has just had an abortion, a young girl, Wren, who is there for contraceptive advice and the doctor who performs the procedures, and a few others caught in the crossfire, oh and let’s not forget the shooter. Throughout the story we learn their history and what has brought them to The Center this particular day, interwoven into the story are a few twists and turns that are totally unexpected, leaving me in awe of the author and her writing. The epilogue goes back to the beginning and we learn the outcome of this tragic story. I would however like to say I would have loved to know more of the after effects, I had so many questions about the ‘what next?’ How do you recover from a situation like this? The author’s note at the end left me quite tearful, and whether you are pro choice or pro life I’m sure the pages in this book will leave you reeling, they certainly did me. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.