***Disclaimer: I requested this book through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own***
***Other Disclaimer: Minor spoilers ahead***
Synapsis (taken from Goodreads):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.
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
My Thoughts: Sometimes, you read a book that is so gripping, you keep on turning the pages, wanting to know what is going to happen next. And when you finally tear yourself away from that book, you find yourself wondering about it. Wondering about the characters, about the theme and ideas, and again, what is going to happen next. Small Great Things is that book.
While I wouldn't call Small Great Things political, it does focus deeply on the social issues of today surrounding racism. And that is why I feel every adult needs to read it regardless of your ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation. Every adult needs to read it because unfortunately, it is still an serious issue in today's modern age. Will the story get uncomfortable at times? Yes, it will, but I think it is because the subject itself is uncomfortable.
My favorite thing about this book was the points of view. Small Great Things tells the story from three different points of view: Ruth, Kennedy, and Turk. I loved how the chapters revolved between the three characters because their backgrounds, opinions and characteristics were so polarizing and different from each other and thats what I felt made the story so well-rounded and realistic. There really isn't anything negative that I have to say about this book, except that it is aimed at adults (maybe 17 years and older?), because it does contain violent and uncomfortable language and scenes at times. Other than that, Small Great Things has become one of my favorite books of the year!
My Rating: 5 Stars!!
What I'm currently reading: I just started reading Showboat. It's a biography about Kobe Bryant.
Have you read Small Great Things? What was your favorite part?
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