Book Summary and Reviews of Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

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Patty deBingo

Change of Heart
I especially appreciated discussion on the differing religious ideas. Too much has been hidden from us including many books of the Bible which still remain hidden. We often refuse to consider religious philosophies other than the one in which we were raised. It is good that we look at and even question our beliefs.We should not be afraid to do that. This is another fine book written by Ms. Picoult.

dawn

...
the most amazing and intriguing book i have ever read. the suspense and tension holds every inch of your attention throughout the entire book. It's a very intimate and capturing book, heart touching and just simply amazing. I would certainly recommend this book to anybody.

JHSiess

Another Thought-Provoking Meditation from Jodi Picoult
How do we achieve redemption? What role does forgiveness play in the process? Are some acts simply too abhorrent to be forgiven? Who decides — individuals or society? How expansive might your capacity to forgive be if the life of your child were hanging in the balance? Those are just some of the moral dilemmas Jodi Picoult asks readers to ponder in Change of Heart.

Shay Bourne is not fighting to have his sentence overturned. On the contrary, he has accepted his fate. But he is determined to donate his heart to Clare, ostensibly as a means of atoning for murdering her father and sister. He is adamant that he will be unable to rest in peace unless he is permitted to do so. His seemingly miraculous acts — including bringing a dead bird back to life — lend credence to his sincerity and cause those around him to begin questioning everything they have ever believed about religion, faith, and the path to heaven.

This is especially true of Father Michael whose past history with Shay, coupled with his current role as Shay’s spiritual advisor, brings into question his belief in the teachings of the Catholic Church and the strength of his faith. He was never comfortable with his vote as a juror, so plagued for the past eleven years by guilt and uncertainty that he is willing to violate ethical principles applicable both to the Priesthood and the legal system in order to counsel Shay now. His doubts lead him to search for answers to a variety of questions pertaining to Shay’s behavior, his knowledge of the arcane Gnostic gospels, and whether Shay is truly capable of performing divinely inspired miracles. Gnostic Christians believe that spiritual enlightenment is achieved not by good works, adherence to religious tenets or belief in Jesus as the Savior. Rather, they believe that Jesus serves merely as a guide to spiritual fulfillment because everyone is a divine part of God and must find his/her own path to salvation through questioning rather than obedience. Their secret texts were not included in the Bible because they were deemed heretic by Biblical scholars. For example, the Gospel of Thomas teaches, in part: “If you bring forth what is within you, what is within you will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what is within you will destroy you.” Shay interprets that verse to direct him to donate his heart to Clare.

Maggie Bloom is the professed atheist daughter of a rabbi who also finds herself questioning not just her beliefs, but her motives, as she prepares to present Shay’s case. She argues that his right to the free exercise of his religion deprives the State of New Hampshire from authority to carry out the death sentence by lethal injection, given that Shay would be denied the right to donate his heart. She must not only convince the court that Shay sincerely ascribes to a specific religious ideal. She must also offer the judge a workable alternative method by which the death sentence can be carried out. Picoult’s reputation for meticulously researching her subject is secure as she provides a thoroughly convincing and believable description of Maggie’s quest and findings, including a charming doctor who offers to assist with the case.

In her signature style, Picoult asks readers to contemplate their own feelings about complex subjects ranging from the death penalty, to what it means to be a person of faith, to how one achieves salvation (assuming, of course, that it is even needed or desired), to the lengths to which a parent is willing to go to save his/her child. As is often the case in Picoult’s stories, there is an epic legal battle with a ruling that has enormous implications both for the characters and readers. Also in typical Picoult fashion, the plot twists are not only surprising, they also force her readers to reconsider the events and their factual bases that have transpired up to that point because it seems inconceivable that nothing was actually as it seemed. The characters, their fate, and the issues Picoult probes remain with the reader long after reading the conclusion.

“And if I could ask people to take away one thing from my book it would be this: to stop thinking of beliefs as absolutes . . .and to see them instead as an invitation to have a conversation, and maybe learn something from someone else’s point of view,” Picoult says. Once again, I find myself highly recommending her work. Change of Heart is an absorbing, thought-provoking examination of the criminal justice system, religion, spirituality, parental love and obligation, and the power of forgiveness.

Lungile

Change of Heart - Jodi Picoult
Change of Heart is a very intriguing book about a mother who lost her daughter and her husband-a policeman-in a cold blooded act by a handyman-Shay Bourne-while pregnant with a second baby girl.

vam

Change of Heart
This book was not my normal type of reading. It is a contemporary story and I am a history person. I started reading it because it was a book club choice. With that said, my feelings after reading it is that I am not sorry I read it but I did not like it - sort of like taking nasty medicine because it will be good for me.

The reasons that I did not like it are various:

1 - Jodi Picoult and I apparently stand at opposing poles on religion and politics. I believe firmly in her right to her opinon but that does not mean I cannot feel offended when she seems to champion putting down what I believe. I think it is interesting to keep in touch with the thoughts of those who think differently from me so that is why I am glad I read it.

2 - There was nothing new in the book for me - the plot was too much like other things I have read. I like books that sell me on new ideas or ways of thinking.

3 - I would have like to really find out Shay's thoughts. A friend told me that his thoughts were sprinkled throughout the book - but actually that was just "hearsay" evidence - other people telling us what he said or did. We never did get inside his head - he was not one of the people speaking directly to us in the book.

4 - It offended me that she gave Shay the initials of I.M. - there is only one "I am" for me.

5 - I understood why some people kept thinking of The Green Mile as they read the book. I, however, was more inclined to liken it to The Shack. At times as I was reading The Shack I was startled - but when I got done I was able to stand back and appreciate it as literature. This time I feel the author was not writing to create a story but to advance her beliefs. I believe in our right to have different interpretations and visions of God but I guess I draw a line and Change of Heart stepped over my line. (PS - don't ask me to explain my line - I cannot verbalize it.)

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