SMALL GREAT THINGS

Author:  Jodi Picoult

Genre:  Women's Fiction, Standalone

Published:  October, 2016

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  40

From NetGalley:

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years' experience. During her shift, Ruth 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 with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. 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 gives unexpected advice: 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 for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other's trust, and come to see that what they've been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.

 In her well-established style, Picoult tackles racism.  I think she took an honest look and conveyed it very well through her characters.  My biggest complaint was the length; it seemed to go on and on.  What I liked most was the few twists I didn't anticipate.  It kept me engaged in the story.  

Thoughts of Joy

   

My thanks go to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.