Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

I am shocked this one is not already listed. I've just started this one for my first category: A book from the 2016 Goodreads choice awards.

Small Great Things
by Jodi Picoult

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.

With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn't offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game.

Tracy, so people can directly go to the book you're talking about, it is a good thing to complete the "this topic is about" box when you create your topic. I did it for you, but so you know for next time :)

Okay, I had a hard time getting into this book. Not because it wasn't excellent, but just because of what this country is going through currently. I felt kind of strange reading it. I agree with mostly everything the book discusses, however, I am at a loss as to how we can fix it. It did make me think more on the subject, so that is definitely a start. : )

I gave this 5 stars for tackling the topic of racism from different perspectives, even though at times I thought Piccoult was a little too heavy handed. I teach English to refugee students, so I'm pretty biased, but I think it's important for our country to face and address these issues so we can work together to improve our culture and relationships.

I feel the same way Ann, but I also feel that most of the people who might get a wake up call from reading this book will not be reading it. I have discovered in the last 6 months or so just how backwards some peoples thinking is on the subject, and it just floors me. I have had people say to me " the civil rights act was passed in 1964, so discrimination has been illegal for years, people need to get over it" This is not someone from the deep south either, but someone who lives in New Jersey and raised in Massachusetts. I couldn't believe the attitude, (I mean I wondered if he had ever had any kind of discussion with a person from another race at all!). I just don't see people like that changing there opinions very quickly. It makes me sad, to think of just how ignorant I was to how people really felt about these subjects. Some people have very scary view points!

Oh wow just started this book didn't know the topic just know I love Jody picoult! But yikes this book is not going to be an easy one to read!! Looking forward to it but think it's gonna be hard to relate to the characters ... hopefully it will be well done. Definitely not a problem that can be ignored especially in the current political climate.

I just finished this for a book by one of my favourite authors. I have to say I think it's her best for some time.

I just started this for week 19, A New York Times best-seller

I honestly skipped past this one for a really long time because the cover is so boring. For some reason I was thinking it was a Kindle Single or some sort of novella. But I finally read the description and am intrigued. Working in social work, I don't know that the content will be a surprise but it will be interesting to read it in fiction form.

I finished this book last night as my book by a favourite author from ATY 2017. Jodi Picoult is by far my favourite author, and I've been looking forward to reading this for a very long time. I usually buy her books as soon as the paperback is released (the hardcovers are way too expensive!) but this one keeps getting pushed back.

I liked the story, and especially loved the message behind it about privilege and how racism takes different forms. I actually think the previous title for the book (if I recall correctly, it was originally called Living Colour) would have been more fitting. I also thought it might have been interesting to get the story from more perspectives -- Adisa, Edison and Brittany, specifically. I know too many alternating perspectives can be overwhelming, but I think it could have brought such an extra layer of depth.

I really enjoyed the book though, and I think it is a very important one for people to read.

I just finished this book for 2018 Week #2: A book from the first 10 books added to your To Be Read list. I am so glad that I finally got to reading it. It's been on my list for such a long time and I always love Jodi Picoult's twists. I'm wondering what you all thought of Turk's transformation in the end of the novel? I thought it was an interesting contrast to how he was with his friend Raine.

On the recommendation of a good friend, I read this for 2018's Week 23: a medical or legal thriller. This was my first Jodi Picoult read, and although the book was more about race relations than medical thriller, it was riveting and engaging nonetheless.

As for the medical plot, the story did not require you to be a doctor to understand it, but it's intense and emotional, and it should be noted that the book is based on the real life story of a Michigan nurse.

As for the larger theme of racism addressed here, things are so complex. Where do you begin with this? How do we talk honestly about it on both sides? For me, the idea of being white and never thinking about the privileges that affords really hit home. Growing up, I was a minority in my mainly black and Hispanic community. But yet, I never really thought about the "small great things" I take for granted every day: the freedom to go where I want without always having to look over my shoulder, to hail a cab easily, to not being followed by salespeople when I browse a store. Even being able to buy greeting cards, hair and other products geared toward people like me, advertised by people who look like me. For people of color, everything down to the smallest minutiae is a challenge. I can't even imagine "having the talk" about remaining vigilant and staying safe, as African Americans must do with their children everyday. The author really "woke" me to these things. There was one particular story she tells about Christina and Lou, Ruth's mother, that really underscores the differences in how whites and blacks think about race. And in 2018, with a president who is himself bigoted and who incites prejudice and hatred throughout the world...what do we do?

I really enjoyed this novel on many levels. I found Picoult's writing flawless; there's nothing superfluous in her prose. Despite this very difficult topic, she always seemed to spark the right note. If there's any criticism, it's that the ending may have been a little too idealistic. But isn't that how things should be?

This was a good book. I was surprised how relevant it is.

I read this for Week 49 in 2018

I was angry with this book for most of it... I thought Picoult was too liberal with Turk's point of view, and I was angry at the White Savior Complex in Kennedy's story line.

And then.. oh. Right. Of course the author has thought about all of this and confronted it. I'm so glad Ruth gave that speech to Kennedy after her trial (before closing arguments) because I think I would have given this book 2 stars before I read all that.

The Author's Note was a necessary addition for me... I'm glad to see Picoult's process and thinking while she was writing it. I feel like I (and most of my friends) are very similar to Brittany, and I've been working hard to recognize and address my implicit bias and privileges, but it's good to have the reminder.

I didn't like the ending, which is why I gave it 4 stars. I won't spoil it for anyone, but I do think it was a bit idealistic (even though I know she based both Turk and Ruth off of real people).