#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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This book should be required reading in high school. It really explores racism in a thought provoking way!
This is one of the most thought provoking books I’ve ever read. It had me looking into my own heart at feelings learned from childhood, how we must change our way of thinking. Well done!
This is a must read book, it will really leave you thinking. At the end you will know why.
This book really made me think, not only about the racism we live with every day, but about every word I say and how it affects others.
Picoult at her best!
I couldn’t bring myself to finish this book. There was so much hate, rage, bigotry…and it was too real, which is actually a compliment to the author. It was just too real to read.
A thought provoking book discussing current feelings and perceptions on race inequalities.
I have never read any of her books that were not relavant. She’ one of my favorite authors!
Great book with a great storyline. The author does a great job in addressing the conflict of racism while creating consensus in the end.
Small Great Things is a must read. I am white. And I am a racist. Even though I profess I am not prejudice, I am racist. Tough words. Harsh realization. I liken myself to Kennedy. “I don’t see color.” I would like to thank Ms. Piccoult for this journey. What a difficult topic. In reading this, I had to put it down, walk away and digest this bitter pill. I was angry, frustrated disheartened. I found myself thinking “this is me. I think this way. How can I possibly begin to think I understand?” This book has opened my eyes to my ” gifted” life. I have a job. I walk down the street without fear. I’m not monitored in a store. I’ve learned it isn’t enough to love culture and ethnicity. It is time for equity and equality.
Jodi Picoult knocks it out of the park with Small Great Things. Her characters are so very true to life that I thought of people I know as I read her novel. Is it predictable? You may think so at times, but you will change your mind. I hated to finish the book yet, I could not put it down.
Bettie Greer
This book was amazing and I highly recommend it! It really touched me and made me think about myself and my beliefs. The characters were so interesting and there were so many twists and turns. I can’t wait for the movie!
I have consistently read Ms Picoult’s books over the years and this ranks up there as one of her most personal and best. A must read.
I love Jodi Picoult and unfortunately there are still people in this world with this mentality.
Picoult does it again. I know I’ll be thinking about this one for a long, long time. Her characters are so real, you may think you know some of them. But the messages are even more important, so much so that I think this should be mandatory reading for every high school student and adult on this country.
This book explores some of the dichotomies of life that exist between everyday whites, African Americans, and skinheads. The interplay, using the voices of the three main characters, attempts to let us understand their thinking (and delves into their histories so we understand more about who they are).
I would recommend this to anyone that is interested in understand more about racial issues/problems. I applaud Jodi Picoult for the research and the soul-searching that she did before tackling writing this. The Author’s Notes made me feel more comfortable after reading the book (I was a little concerned about the idea of a white woman writing from the POV of an African American).
Great read. I like how it was written from the different characters perspectives. Stops to make you think about the world around us
It was a good read. Makes one think I likes liked it.
Love all her books!
Jodi always makes you think.