read this book for a book club of mine and I'm worried, because I have a feeling everyone but me is really going to like this book. But nonetheless I'm going to stick with my star rating (about 2.5). 

Back in the early 2000's I really loved Jodi Picoult. She wrote My Sister's Keeper and Plain Truth, both of which made me consider topics I'd never thought too much about before. She had the knack of showing both sides of an argument and humanizing both sides as well. There was always a court case that showcased the arguments of both sides and there was always a twist. After reading about half a dozen of her books, though, I was used to the formula. Some of her books didn't give me the additional insight I was looking for and I would sometimes get impatient with how long they took to arrive where I knew they would. So I have gone probably 10 years without reading more of her. 

This book takes on racism, and god knows that's a timely topic in 2018. We have 3 POV characters. One is Ruth, a black labor and delivery nurse who is told by her hospital that she is not allowed to care for a certain newborn after the baby's white supremacist parents make their objections. Next is Turk, said white supremacist parent. Finally we have Kennedy, the public defender who ends up representing Ruth when the baby dies and Ruth is sued instead of the hospital after the hospital legal advisor suggests to Turk that Ruth would be easier to go after. 

There are a lot of problems that I have with just the premise of this book. The hospital telling Ruth that she (or any other African American caregivers) are not allowed to touch this baby is opening them wide up for a lawsuit. The hospital would not have a leg to stand on if they did such a blatantly racist thing, and the hospital also would be clearly at fault if a baby died because of such a restriction. Also, a legal representative of the hospital throwing one of its employees under the bus so quickly doesn't get rid of the possibility of the hospital still being sued. No, indeed. The actions of the police also don't feel realistic to me here. Not that doors aren't broken down at 3 in the morning; I just don't see why that would happen in this case. Police like to get the job done during regular business hours just like everyone else. 

I think that Jodi Picoult wanted to write a sort of Allieship 101 book here. A lot of the examples she brings up (like what color of flesh that flesh colored bandaids are, how the hyenas and bad guys in Lion King are coded black both by color and style of speech) are things I read about in my multiculturalism class more than 20 years ago. This is not new stuff by any means, but I suppose that doesn't mean that some people don't need to read it. 

Picoult also seems to want to show how different African Americans are-Ruth's sister, Adisa, is both darker and more angry than Ruth is. Ruth's son is a model student while Adisa's seem to be what some might call trifling. Ruth's mother was a maid (shades of The Help here bigtime) and a single parent, just like both Ruth and Adisa are. This all felt really awkward to me. Ruth seemed to be a personification of an African American who hoped that if they were "good" enough, trouble wouldn't happen to them. Adisa felt very much like a caricature of the angry black woman. Except for Ruth's son, I don't think that any black males other than a preacher whose main goal seemed to be to cause a televisible moment actually spoke in this book.

Turk, meanwhile, manages to tell you his whole life history- how he grew up with a father he despised (who turned out to be gay of course), how he was angry and directionless, got recruited into a white supremacist group and then became a recruiter himself, how he ended up going to jail. He's the textbook case of someone who gets involved with White Power. I know because I've done a research paper on white supremacy (and worked with many when I worked with felony offenders), and Turk hits all the marks. And yet, Picoult wants to save this character. I was also pretty sure early on that the twist in the book would involve his wife Brittany in the way that it did- it was signposted very clearly, and I sighed in disappointment when it happened.

Kennedy, on the other hand, is the stereotypical well-meaning white lady who "doesn't even see color", as she tells Ruth the first time they meet. She learns why this is such a privileged thing to say later in the book; don't worry, because she gets her eyes opened and even gets to school her jury on the fact that racism still exists. Ruth tries to do the same thing, but it takes Kennedy to say it in a way that people can hear (this was also cringe-worthy, although I suppose probably accurate). I speak this way as a well-meaning white lady myself, who would love to know how to let those of color know I want to be an ally to them without making an idiot of myself when I meet them. I don't think there really is a way to do this; I think it has to be learned by relationships forming and getting to know one another. I do wish there was an easier way, but nothing about institutional racism is easy, I guess. 

Anyway, I don't think I'm the target audience for this book. I already am keenly and disgustedly aware of the racism that is currently enjoying being out in the open thanks to our president who loves to "tell it like it is" and the anti-semitic flyers that have already been plastered all over the college campus where I work twice this semester. I have had my eyes opened to the fact that racism has always really been this prevalent because before the last election I had the luxury of believing that it was on a downhill slide. No, it wasn't, I just didn't have to see it. 

I don't need the 101 stuff. I'm sure a lot of people still do, and I'm sure there will be a percentage that are offended by this book because it makes them look at some not-so-nice things about themselves. This book is for them. I was made uncomfortable by the stereotypes that Picoult used to get her point across and felt like she fell uncomfortably into several tropes like White Savior and glossed over how difficult it is to truly understand this issue as a white person. I hope that this book works for those it was written for. It is sad that this very book is the trope of a white person explaining to other white people what it's like to be black, because those of color will be dismissed as angry or unworthy of attention if they try to say the same thing or write a similar book. 

Try reading Ta-Nehisi Coates, Roxane Gay, or Tayari Jones if you'd like a book about this topic written from the perspective of those who must live with racism.

This book literally ripped my heart from my chest in its honest and no-holds-barred depiction of an African-American nurse wrongfully accused of the death of a white infant.  I was truly shaken by the manner in which her reputation, friendships, and professional reputation and skills were all discounted and disregarded because of the emotional and racist accusation of a white supremacist couple. The bottom literally drops out for her. This is probably as close as I, as a white woman, will ever come to personally understanding the cancer of prejudice, hate, and racism in our world today.

This book was a hard one to review. I gave it five stars mostly because I knew it will always stay with me. Racism is so enmeshed in our culture in the US. It's going to take each of us working consciously to move past this hurtful and destructive legacy of ours.

Special thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

What a powerful read.  I couldn’t put this one down once I started it and I am not sure why I put it off so long.  

This book follows Ruth Jefferson who is a labor and delivery nurse for a local hospital.  Ruth has been a nurse for many years.  One day while at work a couple asks for Ruth to be removed from their case because of the color of her skin.  Due to an unfortunate series of events the child does not make it.  Ruth is then blamed for the death of the child and is taken to trial.

The story felt so natural, raw and real that I was hooked once it got going.  The author does an amazing job bringing all the emotions to the surface in this book.  The book gave me a lot to think about personally about my actions and reactions to different situations in my life.  I love when a book is thought provoking.   The author takes us for a journey in this book and it is one I will not forget easily.

This book is told through three POV’s.  We have Ruth who is on trial for the murder, the father of the baby Turk who is a white supremacist and Kennedy the public defender for Ruth.  

Ruth is such a strong and determined main character.  I loved that we got to see flashbacks of the past of how she became to be the person that we know her to be today.  I enjoyed getting to see her relationship with her family as well as how she feels about race in the world today.  It was refreshing look on racisim coming from Ruth’s eyes that people might not even consider.   I enjoyed reading Ruth’s views during the book and seeing her relationship with Kennedy form.    I loved to see the relationship Ruth had with her son as well.

Turk was an interesting character.  The author did a great job staying in character with Turk the entire time.  He was going through the grieving of losing a child, while also trying to justify his white supremacist attitude.  I did like getting a look at what Turk was thinking and getting to see when he had questions about his beliefs arise.   I also did like hearing of how he ended up where he was today.

Kennedy was an outstanding character in this book.  I loved that she thought she had her whole life figured out and then got this case, which brought her a dose of reality. Kennedy in my mind grew leaps and bounds during this book.  I loved that we got to see her mind changing and her thoughts on everything going on in her life.  Kennedy took things into her own hands and tried to step into the shoes of Ruth.   Originally Kennedy’s goal was to get Ruth off on murder, but the story went way beyond that.

The author does a great job with the pacing of the story.  The story keeps moving forward while we learn about each character, but we also get to see tidbits of the past that bring the story further to life.  I loved all the side characters that we got in the book because it helped make the story feel authentic.

I would suggest this as more of a weekend read.  I read it at night and found myself reading late into the night because I didn’t want to put it down and needed to know what was going to happen.   I would have loved to sit down on a weekend and be able to dive into longer reading sessions.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley to provide an honest review.  This does not affect my opinion of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It is so relevant to our culture and we don't even realize some of it is going on. It's definitely an eye opener on how some people refuse to change their ideals. I absolutely love reading all books by Jodi Picoult. They always stir up something inside of me and get me thinking.

I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult, however, this book was not as good as her other works. I really wanted to love it. The concept was amazing, and i thought it would be such a great and moving read. But i had such a difficult time getting into it. It was very slow and it dragged on. I still love Picoult, but this book was not as good as her others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.

Oy vey. It took my over a month to read this title. I kept having to put it down and walk away from it for a day or two at a time. 
Ruth Jefferson, a 20 year L&D nurse, has been removed from a patient's care. She's been removed from care because of her skin color. The baby's parents are White Supremacists and Ruth is not white. But in the perfect storm of situations Ruth is the only nurse available when Davis Bauer codes. She's faced with a choice - fulfill her Nightingale Oath (the Nurse's version of the Hippocratic Oath) or keep hands off per the note in the file? Either way she puts her career, and herself, on the line. 
I don't know how Picoult wrote this story. I don't know how she channeled the White Supremacy movement and in the process exposed some of their strategies for their beliefs in today's world. I don't know how she channeled the feelings and experiences of African Americans and made it seem like she was perhaps a person of color also. I don't know how she wrote this story but she did it and she did it so well that it is hard to imagine it was a fictional tale.

Wow. This book moved me so much. It is a very true look at racism and how it’s something we all deal with, even if you say you aren’t racist. I am completely blown away and speechless.

Picoult is a hell of a writer.  I think anyone who has read her work would agree.  This one is beyond outstanding so if you haven't delved into her work yet, starting here will put you at the tippy top.

Told in various points of view, we see how they all come together.  And yet still hold onto their own unique characteristics.  Picoult really builds each character with some detail that you empathize with them all and imagine them as people that you know.  Dealing with racism in a book is a mighty task.  Ignorance, discrimination, true prejudice compared to outright racism... there are subtle differences and she tries to tackle all of them.  

Basically this book gives you all the feels.  I can see people discussing this book for ages.  I know I'll be looking for those who have ... over cocktails.. a lot of cocktails.

Enjoyable book but not Jodi Picoult's best.  It took me a while to get into this particular book but it was well-written and written with great sensitivity to the subject matter.

This book was hard to read. It was hard to get inside the mind of a white supremacist like Turk, hard to be in Ruth's mind as she feels, for the first time, the full weight of white supremacy come crashing down on her, hard to read a "well-meaning" White character like Kennedy say borderline-offensive things like "I don't see color", and hard to switch back and forth between them all. But I think that was the point.

This book took me a long time to read.  Not because it was not a good book but because it was engaging, thought provoking, anger inducing, sadness rendering, and all together mentally exhausting at times.
This is an especially important read considering the time period in which we currently live.  The climate of society pretty much demands that we read books like this.  Books that will allow us to overcome preconceived notions and long held beliefs.  Confirmation bias can be found through social media, the news organizations, and even our own government.  Perhaps it's high time we opened our minds and our hearts and allowed others' ideologies and beliefs to mingle with our own.  You may just find out things about yourself that you never thought were true or things that you never would have guessed.
Well done, AGAIN, Jodi!

Usually I love how emotional JODI PICOULT books are, but this one wasn't what I expected and didn't play with my heartstrings.....

The title comes from a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.
“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way”
Ruth is an African-American labor and delivery nurse at a small Connecticut hospital. When a white supremacist bars Ruth from touching his baby, Ruth is put in a no win situation. After the baby dies the hospital uses Ruth as their scapegoat.
I absolutely adore Jodi Picoult. One of my top three books of all time is her novel, ‘The Storyteller’. Picoult is also one of my go to authors when I’m in a reading slump. So when I read the synopsis of ‘Small Great Things,’ I knew it would be an engrossing read.
The premise of this book is also very timely.
The story is told from three points of view: Ruth, Turk (the baby’s white supremacist
father), and Kennedy (Ruth’s criminal attorney). Turk’s point of view is filled with such hate and vile behavior that it is very uncomfortable to read. This is done intentionally on Picoult’s part. It gives the reader a no-holds-barred view into Turk’s mind and what he is capable of.  Ruth’s point of view is also potent. It not only highlights how unfair she is treated after the baby’s death but also gives the reader an idea what Ruth goes through everyday .
‘Small Great Things’ is all most 500 pages. It is rare,that  for a book this long, I am not constantly aware of how much of the book I have gotten through. ‘Small Great Things’ is one of those books that I just flew through. As the story develops the reader is drawn deeper and deeper into the story.
As much as I loved this book there were a few things that  were problematic for me. One is that Ruth and her sister Rachel (Adisa) are totally 100% opposite in their ideas, beliefs, work ethic, etc. It just doesn’t seem logical that two sisters who are so close in age and who were raised in the same household could be so incredibly different. The second issue, and this is the bigger on of the two, is the actions of the hospital administration didn’t make any sense. They put a restriction on Ruth because she is African-American. This in turn puts her in a no win situation. The hospital is small. It is likely that Ruth would be the only nurse available to care for the Bauer baby if an emergency would happen.  Then she must either disobey her supervisors orders and care for the baby or break her nursing oath by just standing by. When the Bauer baby dies Ruth is thrown under the bus by the hospital’s attorney. This just didn’t make any sense to me. The attorney for the hospital would have known that race was going to come up as a reason Ruth was suspended. Also, scapegoating Ruth did not free up the hospitals liability in the baby’s death. In fact it would, most likely, add to it.
Despite these hiccups in the storyline ‘Small Great Things’ is definitely my favorite book of the year so far. I will definitely be watching the movie with Viola Davis and Julia Roberts when it comes out.

For Ruth Jefferson, that shift was like any other shift.  She loved her job as a Labor and Delivery nurse and was checking on a newborn like she has every day for the last twenty years.   But then the baby's parents demand to see a supervisor.  Brit and Turk Bauer are White Supremacists and do not want a black woman, no matter what her qualifications, touching their baby. Ruth is furious but does as told by her superior.  Until the baby is in distress and Ruth is the only person there, but her efforts are fruitless and the baby dies.  Ruth is devastated to lose any baby and Davis Brauer is no different.   Before she knows what is happening her world is turned upside down.   Ruth is arrested and charged with murder.  She is at risk of losing everything - the career  she worked so hard to attain, the peaceful existence she shares with her son, and her arrest threatens to jeopardize everything her teenage son has worked for as well.   Will her public defender, a young white woman who is on her first murder case, be able to prove that Ruth did not murder that baby?  Will Ruth ever go back to the life she knew before the Brauers were in her hospital?


It took a lot of balls for Jodi Picoult to write this book.  Not only did she have to write a book from the perspective of a black woman, but also from the perspective of a white supremacist.  As a white woman, that must have been a very difficult thing for her to do. It would be very easy for her critics to tear her apart for trying to do either thing.   As always, Jodi Picoult, tells the story from multiple perspectives.  From Ruth, Turk, and Kennedy.  You get to see all sides and it was a little bit scary at times.  Getting into Turk's head was frightening - bone chilling.  Some of the rhetoric he was spouting is not that different from some rhetoric I see on social media from people that I know.   The racial inequality that happens across our country was front and center in this book. I think the author presented that best when she had Kennedy go shopping with Ruth to buy a birthday gift.  The way the store employees were all over Ruth in fear of her shoplifting and then they demanded to see her ID when she paid with a credit card, and finally when they were leaving the security guard demanded to see Ruth's receipt, but not Kennedy's.  It was a brilliant way to depict just how different their experiences really are in our world.  It was heartbreaking to see this woman work so hard to rise so far above what people expected - no stereotyped- her and her son to be, only to be reduced to nothing.  It was tough to read.   There was a big "revelation" that seemed a bit forced to me, but it tied everything up nicely.  - If only life were really that tidy.  -Click Here For Spoilers -

Bottom line - I am not always impressed with Jodi Picoult's novels, sometimes they even anger me.  However, I think Small Great Things is a book that tackles a relevant hard-hitting topic. I also think that she is the perfect person to generate tough conversations in suburban book clubs all across the country.   Conversations that would never have happened if it were anybody else who had tackled this topic.  I would love to hear your thoughts on the book, be sure to leave a comment.

Details:
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
On Facebook
Pages: 480
Publisher: Random House Publishing
Publication Date: 10/11/2016
Buy it Here!

Ruth is a nurse that has worked many long shifts in the ICU. With that job comes many choices through out the day, choices that impact individuals lives. Ruth hesitates to perform CPR and that choice will impact her life forever. Ruth's "crime" becomes a media sensation and she finds herself with a white public defender who is afraid to bring racism into the courtroom. The two form a relationship built on differences but united in cause.
Jodi Picoult dives headfirst into hurt, racism, privilege with grace and grit. This book is a true gem.

It took me a while to even start reading this book. I'm not certain why, I've had to think hard before posting a review. I read this book in two days but it sure stirred up a lot of emotions. A professional, compassionate, black nurse named Ruth is accused of killing a 3 day old baby of a white supremacist couple. The trial follows.

Even though it was fast reading, it was a hard read. I am aware that these vile hate groups live among us but  reading how they think and how they speak about other human beings is jarring. On the other side of the coin is Ruth. Being a white woman myself, I understood what Ruth's attorney wanted to do and why she wanted to do it.  However, by the end of the book I could physically feel Ruth's pain.

I realize that this is based on actual people the author met but the ending didn't ring true to me. How does one just turn off hate?

Great characters! And a very absorbing book about some of the thorniest dilemmas of our times- justice, prejudice, race, privilege, and how to be compassionate in our world.

Jodi Picoult writes a very thought provoking story about racism in modern America.  The reader sees several different perspectives-skinhead, Afro-American nurse, and her white lawyer.  When Turk and Brittany's baby dies, Ruth is blamed by the parents.  But is she to blame?  Is there anything she could have done to save their baby?  Are they ultimately responsible for the death of their baby due to their prejudice?  There is no easy, pleasant conclusion to the tale, rather a destination  that requires the reader to process several viewpoints, prejudices, and the fact that truth and "the right thing to do" aren't always the winners in life.  This book stayed with me long after I finished the last page.

Jodi Picoult did a wonderful job pulling in the complexities of racial bias and what lengths we will go to protect innocent life. I was sad at how well she captured the white supremacist, making him seem both human and absolutely insane. I wish that she had done as well with his wife. Overall, I wish that the story had ended in the courtroom. The epilogue section was too kind, in my opinion, to the white supremacist, who did little to be redeemed, and absolutely unkind to his wife, who wasn't written with enough character flaws to end that way. Ruth, if anything, deserved to be happy.