#1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is a born storyteller who “writes with a fine touch, a sharp eye for detail, and a firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships” (The Boston Globe). Small Great Things is Picoult at her finest–complete with unflinching insights, richly layered characters, and a page-turning plot with a gripping moral dilemma at its heart.
… dilemma at its heart.
Ruth Jefferson, a labor and delivery nurse, begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone on the ward. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?
Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case, but Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible–especially for her teenaged son. And as the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy come to see that what they’ve been taught their whole lives about others–and themselves–might be wrong.
From the Hardcover edition.
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I couldn’t put it down. Her best yet!
Growing up in a very racially diverse town during the race riots in Newark, NJ I was exposed to some serious bigotry at a young age. I made an internal vow very young to not be prejudiced. As an adult I’ve always checked myself for layers of privelege and hidden prejudices. I spoke often to my children about pre-judging a person on race, religion and cultures. I only wish this book was written 20 years ago. Small Great Things “schooled” me. The heroines of this novel Ruth and Kennedy reached deep into my heart and peeled away even more hidden layers. Ruth, a beautiful strong black nurse, is unjustly accused of negligent infanticide of a white supremacists newborn. Kennedy is the white public defender who fights to take Ruth’s case. I heard my own voice & sayings come out of Kennedys mouth more than once. Ruth gave me an honest glimpse into the life of one of my peers that is a person of color.
This book is so timely with the very serious issues of racism, the hidden alt-right white supremacy movement, how to be an ally and friend instead of the “great white savior”. As with all of Jodi Picoult’s books you will be forced to see controversial issues from ALL sides. She has a way of making you understand the worst protagonist and the humanity of the heroes. This book isn’t preachy but it does help us look into the mirror and confront what we see. By the time I finished this book and read the Author’s note I was weeping at her transparency. I highly recommend this book.
This book deals with racial intolerance in a way that is very real. Some may turn their head and claim such a thing never existed, but the truth is it did. Jodi Picoult address this in a very real way. The story was both difficult and mesmerizing to read. It challenges the reader to step out of their comfort zone and deal with the truth of bigotry. You will most assuredly love the character of Ruth Jefferson, the neo-natal nurse. I did.
I dealt with a very similar subject in Passing through Perfect and there were a number of readers who said such a thing cannot be, but it was. If you can set predisposed opinions and move forward with an open mind then, yes I would recommend this book.
This is the best book I have read in a long time. It describes how racism is so insidious in our culture and society and how it affects those who are discriminated against.
Characters were realistic and heartfelt. Please read this book. It would so help us create a better world
“Here’s the thing about racism – it’s systemic and institutional, but it’s both perpetuated and dismantled in individual acts. Most of us don’t talk about racism because we don’t HAVE to, and because we are afraid of offending people. It’s my hope that this book will be a springboard for discussion, and will give readers the tools and the vocabulary to join a conversation that this country desperately needs to have. -Jodi Picoult, online interview
Small Great Things brings up incredibly important themes regarding race, power, and privilege, and it is written for those who do not have melanin-rich skin, specifically those who need that extra bit of perspective to understand what the term white privilege means. Understanding often leads to self-reflection which let’s hope leads to more eyes open and more speaking up to facilitate desperately needed change. We’ve come a long way in the past 200 years but we still have a long way to go.
My favorite quote:
“Babies are such blank slates. They don’t come into this world with the assumptions their parents have made, or the promises their church will give, or the ability to sort people into groups they like and don’t like. They don’t come into this world with anything really except the need for comfort and they will take it from anyone without judging the giver. I wonder how long it takes before the polish given by nature gets rubbed off by nurture.”
This is one of the most important and realistic books lately.
Unbelievably, this was my first Jodi Picoult book, and I’ll definitely be reading more from this author! Three-dimensional characters showing the good, the bad, and the ugly. This book was enlightening in ways that were sometimes uncomfortable…and that’s actually a good thing. A step in the right direction toward being ‘woke.’ There is so much for me to learn. The twist at the end I didn’t see coming. Fantastic book.
I felt so many different emotions reading this book that it’s difficult for me to put into words what I really want to say about it. OMG and WOW are rather trivial things to say but it’s that and more. Talk about a loaded topic to write about- this is it! Racism, discrimination, White Supremacy, medical malpractice, and White privilege! This has got to be the most thought provoking book I’ve read in quite some time and I highly recommend it. My perspective has forever been altered! All I can say now is -Thank You Jodi Picoult!
One of my three favorite books that I read last year, I highly recommend Small Great Things. A fascinating premise, incredible character development, and a page-turning plot. Jodi Picoult is a master storyteller.
I loved this book. This is Jodi picoult at her best. The characters are real and easy to relate to. I didn’t want it to end
Every time I finish a Jodi Picoult book, I have trouble deciding which is my favorite. They are all SO good. So well-researched, so fascinating, and so wonderfully different from each other. This one was particularly engaging and hard to put down. One or two of my readers have compared my work to Ms. Picoult’s, which was one of the biggest compliments of my life!
Loved, loved, loved this book!!! It changes POV throughout the book, which isn’t my favorite way to read a book. But the characters are all so compelling and they all have amazing growth. Really enjoyed this book!
Wow. What a book. And I don’t mean that in a fluffy kind of way. This is a powerful, thought-provoking, hard to read, core challenging kind of book told through a captivating storyline.
On the surface it’s a courtroom drama about an African American nurse who is accused of murder when the newborn baby of a white supremacist couple dies at the hospital where she works. There is lots of drama and plot twists and sitting on the edge of your seat. But what this book is truly about is racism. Overt and subtle racism.
Told through the eyes of the African American defendant, the white defense attorney, and the white supremacist accuser, this book challenges readers to really think about and recognize how racism is a part of the daily fabric of their lives. As a white reader I have much to consider in how subtle ways racism is in my own life and how I can learn better ways to empathize and change how I approach racial situations in daily life.
I like all of Jodi Picoult’s novels. This one holds the heavier topic of racial discrimination. Told from the perspective of a female African American nurse, caucasian female attorney, and male white supremist, the language of the supremist was offensive. However, I loved the female characters Picould created, and the story is well written. Once again, loving Picoult’s work!
It took me a while to truly get into this book. I think it was because several major scenes were retold by different characters perspectives. At first, I found it a bit slow and redundant. However, I then understood how important the retelling of everyone’s own frame of reference was. And when this happened I was hooked. I found it impossible to put this book down. I truly came to care for the characters, even the ones I hated. And the twist endings – WOW! This is the type of book that stays with you for a very long time after you turn the last page.
I’m pretty embarrassed to admit I have never read a Jodi Picoult book before this one. But now I know I will be reading all of her books.
Have read all of her books. Terrific writer! Always a twist at the end.
I love reading Jodi Picoult, my all-time favorite author. She always gives us something to think about, about life and about ourselves.
This is the book I wished I’d written – thought-provoking, intelligent and a clever social commentary. I loved it.
This is such a well written, and I assume well-researched, story. It’s not a warm & fuzzy romance, nor is it an action packed dystopian or fantasy. It’s not even a thriller. (Those are some of my favourite genres so choosing this book sort of surprised me, but I’d heard the author being interviewed) . It’s a story about prejudice… an eye opener… it taught me about my own prejudices, some I didn’t even realise I had, and made me think about tolerance and understanding in a different way. I’d never have thought I could read a book with a white supremacist protagonist, never in a million years, and yet I couldn’t put it down. Well done to Ms Picoult for tackling such a difficult subject. And doing it well.
Makes one look at the world in a whole new way.