Book Summary and Reviews of Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

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BeckyH

Thought provoking
I haven’t read any Piccoult for a while (a little tired of the “disease of the month” rut she seemed to be in), so I had avoided this book also. But I kept hearing really good things about it. People who didn’t read Piccoult LOVED it. So, I gave it a shot.
All those good things I heard were true. This is a good book! The tale revolves around an African-American nurse. She is a good nurse with a sterling reputation until she is Labor and Delivery nurse to the wife of a white supremacist. This IS a Piccoult book, so, of course, something terrible happens to the baby. Now the tale becomes sympathetic (yes, sympathetic) portrayals of a white, racist, perfectly awful man, his white racist, perfectly awful wife and a here-to-for unbiased, wonderful person African-American nurse and her honor roll student , off to Yale son.
You will learn more medical jargon than you ever wanted to know and, maybe, discover a few of your own biases and prejudices. This is a good story, well told, that will keep you wondering about yourself until the final pages.
5 of 5 stars

Cloggie Downunder

Moving and thought-provoking
“What if the puzzle of the world was a shape you didn’t fit into? And the only way to survive was to mutilate yourself, carve away your corners, sand yourself down, modify yourself to fit?”

Small Great Things is the 22nd adult novel by American author, Jodi Picoult. Ruth Jeffries is an experienced neonatal nurse, working in the Labour and Delivery suite at Mercy-West Haven Hospital in Connecticut. Having performed her usual checks on baby Davis Bauer, she is shocked to be told she may not have any further contact with him. Turk Bauer is a White Supremacist and determined that no black nurse is going to touch his child.

Notwithstanding the directive, some time later Ruth finds herself faced with a dilemma when Davis stops breathing. Despite emergency intervention, Davis dies and Turk is convinced that Ruth is responsible. When Ruth is arrested, it is Public Defender Kennedy McQuarrie who represents her for the arraignment, and helps her seventeen-year-old son organise bail. Seeing the opportunity to gain experience, Kennedy asks to be assigned to Ruth’s case, a case that would normally go to someone more experienced.

Picoult uses three narrators: Ruth, Turk and Kennedy give the perspective of the black defendant, the White Supremacist and the privileged white lawyer who believes herself impartial to race. Characters that begin as somewhat stereotypical soon develop a depth that may surprise. Likewise, the plot that seems to be headed to a fairly predictable conclusion develops a few interesting twists. Drama and tension are relieved by the delightfully funny banter between Kennedy and her family.

This is a story that is packed with emotion: sorrow and grief, love and hate, guilt and shame, all guarantee some lump-in-the throat moments. Words of wisdom and insightful observations are a feature: “It is amazing how you can look in a mirror your whole life and think you are seeing yourself clearly. And then one day, you peel off a filmy gray layer of hypocrisy, and you realize that you’ve never truly seen yourself at all”

Picoult also gives the reader some marvellous descriptive prose: “Turk Bauer makes me think of a power line that’s snapped during a storm, and lies across the road just waiting for something to brush against it so it can shoot sparks” and “We passed a few women in the kitchen, who were bouncing from fridge to cabinets and back like popcorn kernels on a hot griddle, who were exploding one at a time with commands: Get the plates! Don’t forget the ice cream!” are examples.

Of course, only a person of colour may judge if Picoult’s portrayal of a black woman is accurate, and, while many will criticise this white author, with her privileged upbringing and education, for having the audacity to present a black person’s perspective, her extensive research, as mentioned in the author’s note, is apparent in every paragraph.

Racism is a big topic to tackle, so if an author of Picoult’s talent and reputation can make even a few more people truly aware of it, and cause them to honestly examine their own attitude towards it, then this book is worthy of praise. Moving and thought-provoking, Picoult’s latest offering is another brilliant read.

CarolK

Feeling conflicted
Jodi Picoult is well known for not shying away from the tough topics, in this case, that of race in present day America. A black nurse, working on a Labor & Delivery floor at Yale, is “fired”, forbidden to care for the son of a white supremacist. If the ramifications of this are not enough, Picoult offers a lesson in facing one’s own prejudices for consideration. Told in alternating pov, Picoult’s winning formula has proved successful once again.

Small Great Things has stayed with me these past few months. I don’t think I have felt as conflicted about any book as much as this one in a long time. I liked Small Great Things for the questions it presented, its ability to make me think and the conversations with others it has encouraged. Plot wise I did have some issues with the outcome. I could live with that. What kept niggling at my brain is whether or not the voice of the main character, Ruth, rang true. This is a difficult question for me to answer. I’m a white middle-aged woman, living in a predominantly white community who has few African American friends.

In the author’s note, Picoult explains that early in her career she wanted to write a book about racism in the United States. She knew little about what it was like to grow up Black in our country. She gave the thought up. Moving forward twenty years the urge to write about racism came up again. She questioned her right to write an experience she had never lived. And yet she had written about subjects and voices she had not lived before. Why should this be different?

I have often wondered how it must feel for a person of color to walk into a room, into a sea of white faces, to live in a world where most people look different than you. That is just the tip of the iceberg of questions Picoult tried to explore. I honestly wondered if I had the right to like Small Great Things without any real experiences to go by or conversation with anyone other than my own race about perspective on this book

After reading a review of Small Great Things composed by my friend Tracey, a woman of color, I contacted her and we were able to discuss our feelings about the book. What really stood out to me in Tracey’s review was this quote:

”I didn't want Ruth to have to be a teaching moment. I wanted Ruth to be able to have her story without the function being to teach white people something. I believe that if this was written by a person of color, this would have been Ruth's story.”

Many fans of the book feel getting people to talk about the subjects of prejudice and race are enough to make this a winner. A small example of its popularity is illustrated by my suggestion to my daughter to read Small Great Things so we might discuss it. Her library had 300 holds on the book. Amazing and a bit sad.

With consideration to my own mixed feelings I’ve decided that Ms. Picoult’s intentions may have been good but I believe she missed the mark on this one. I will remain open-minded however and am willing to continue the discussion.

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