The premise of a delivery room nurse being told by a baby's parent's that due to her race, they did not want her touching their baby is one that I'm not sure I would have thought would happen in this day and age, but I guess this type of racism is still alive and kicking. New Haven Connecticut is the place where this hospital is located. Of course the worse happens and the baby is left in Ruth's charge for a few minutes and has a seizure which it does not recover. Should Ruth have touched the baby? (she was instructed not to). There is much to think about in this book, I am hoping that people do think about his subject more than they may like to. It's good to feel a little uncomfortable in order to make progress and figure out what can and should be done about white priviledge and white supremacy in today's society. One is blatant and in your face, one is perception and subtly. I think Jodi Picoult placed this story in a north eastern location to show us that prejudice still exists and it is everywhere. A must read for Picoult fans and anyone else that wants to delve deeper into the world of subtle racism in our society.

This novel is a genuine and authentic view of race relations in America. The novel shows such insight that you question your own beliefs and think deeply about racial issues. It is a powerful novel. You get an inkling of each life perspective and even if it is not your view Picoult opens up that world for you to get a sense of why they feel as they do. Black labor nurse is told not to touch a White Supremacist child but what does she do when she is the only nurse around and the baby goes into distress? Excellent job Mrs. Picoult!

Picoult successfully tackles white supremacy, institutional racism, and implicit biases in this well-written, captivating, heartbreaking novel. I am encouraged by this, hoping that readers who do not have an awareness of these issues in today's society (or those who deny that racism still exists) will have their eyes opened to a discussion that often gets minimized or dismissed. L

This is one of those books that you want everyone you know to read. It is a gripping story that stays with you when you aren't reading and long after you have finished it. Another terrific story by Jodi Picoult.

I highly recommend this book! I started reading this book as an Advance Copy ebook from NetGalley.com and bought the audio as soon as it was available. I had some painting to do and didn't want to put the story to the side. The narrators do a fabulous job! Whichever method you choose, you need to get started. It will make you think and rethink. It will stretch your emotions every which way. Another great Picoult!

I have not heard of a single person who did not like this book. Many of my friends both locally and connected via social media have read it.

As always, Jodi Picoult tackles a difficult topic and handles it with grace and ease. Another best seller!

Good but not life-changing, Picoult's writing is as usual fantastic in its specificity.

Eye opening. Picot tried her best to show how life is as a minority. It opened my eyes and made me think. Are we all inherently racist?

In 2012, best-selling author Jodi Picoult saw a news story about an African-American nurse who was asked be removed from the care of a certain baby due to a request by a white supremacist family. The nurse sued the hospital for discrimination and they settled out of court. Picoult tells in a Time Magazine article that this got her asking a number of "What Ifs" and led to the premise of her new book.

Ruth Walker has been a labor and delivery nurse for over twenty years. When she takes over for the nurse going off shift, she enters the room of the Bauers to take care of their newborn, Davis. When she attempts to help the mother nurse, the father, Turk, asks her to leave the room immediately and eventually Ruth finds out she's been reassigned to another patient and she is not to have any contact with the Bauers or their son because she is an African-American. After a busy afternoon on the labor and delivery floor, Ruth is unexpectedly assigned to monitor Davis after his circumcision because no other nurses are available. Davis goes into respiratory arrest while in Ruth's care. She must decide whether to follow orders and not touch the baby, or follow her oath as a nurse and try to save this baby. When the Code Blue is alerted, the staff are unable to revive Davis and Ruth is eventually charged with his murder. Through the chapters, readers hear from the perspectives of Ruth, Turk, and Kennedy, the lawyer assigned to Ruth's case.

Picoult's novel is timely and causes readers to feel uncomfortable as she talks racism from the perspective of all three main characters. Turk, Brittany, and her father's feelings towards anyone that isn't white were difficult to read. I often felt my stomach churning and disliking the direction the story was going. I had to take breaks after reading Turk's chapters because they were so full of hate and anger. Picoult admits, that type of racism is easy to spot and criticize. But, the racism that many of us ignore and display are more difficult to admit. Some readers will likely feel ashamed as Kennedy talks about her own racial ignorance.

Picoult states "It was the hardest book I've ever written" due to her own evaluation of prejudice and privilege. As the reader moves through the trial, prejudices will be questioned. Of course, Picoult has her signature shake-ups and twists to drop jaws and keep readers guessing what the outcome will be. I felt like the story was realistic except I did have an issue with one piece of the story. Since the Bauers were so against an African-American nurse, I had a hard time understanding their acceptance of an African-American lawyer handling the murder case for their son. But, that character added another level to the racism expressed towards Ruth in the story.

Fans of Jodi Picoult won't be disappointed with her latest page-turner and readers will desperately want to find someone to talk to about the way the novel made them feel and, like with any other book, they'll want to talk about the ending. Picoult chose the title of the book from the quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, "If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way." I hope this novel makes each of us look at the small ways we can make changes in our society.

I only made it through 20% through. No real page numbers on the electronic version from Netgalley.

I loved reading Jodi Picoult before as totally engrossing, new to me topics that are easy to read and connect with the characters. I haven’t read one in so long and was so excited that I just automatically requested it without looking at it.

I really should have.

Small Great Things starts with Ruth, giving her day-to-day as a labor and delivery nurse raising her son and why she picked this career.

Then there’s the “don’t touch my kid” scene with the Nazi couple.

After this, it starts including Turk’s perspective. I do not have the stomach for this sob backstory, how seductive the Nazi movement is, how society has failed these people.

I didn’t think it’d turn into this at all. I couldn’t continue reading it after Nazi Dad waxes poetic about the first kid he recruited and twisted into “his image.” How easy it was. How he planted materials and took advantage of them, like he was preyed upon.

I gave up and wrote this brief rundown of what I got through. Upon going back to Goodreads, I realized I didn’t even get to meet the other main player, the white woman lawyer.

Then I started reading other reviews from people. There’s very clear trends. The first page of community reviews is almost all white women praising the book for being bold, tackling a tough issue, and teaching them about what racism is like for black women.

Except this review by Tracey, a black woman, almost towards the bottom. It’s a generous two stars and is an absolute must read. It spurred me to keep digging.

1 and 2 star reviews fall into two categories:
-People who hate the “leftist” agenda and mad about the white people portrayal. (For the record: Fuck them.)
-People, especially black women, critiquing how problematic Small Great Things is and is another feel-good racism book for white women book clubs.

If you don’t care about spoilers, this review gives a great summary.

Here are some reviews from voices that need to read and listened to.

Tianna, a black nursing student, reviewed it with 1 star.

Janani Vaidya also gave it a 1 star: Maybe you could learn to decenter yourself from these conversations for once. Instead, boost authors and writers from within the community to talk about those experiences, their history, their present- those voices will ring truer.

Max G’s 1 star review: I actually find this book a bit offensive. I get what Jodi Picoult is trying to do here but this story is rife with offensive stereotypes - angry Black sister, long-serving servant mama, flamboyant pastor, sassy transgender prostitute. All the same tired tropes I could find literally anywhere else.

But even worse is the thread of respectability in Ruth's story. She's the classic palatable Black person; light skinned, educated, inoffensive, widow of a veteran, doesn't colour all white people with the same brush. Of course we should feel sorry for her! Of course she's being wrongly persecuted!

The problem is that what happened would be just as wrong if Ruth were a crackhead with a criminal record. That should be the point - that racism is real and it's wrong, period. No matter whom it's happening to.

But in trying to tell a story that would be relatable to her "mainstream" audience, she does the cause a huge disservice. Huge.

I read that she wrote this because it's a story that needed to be told. I agree, but I'm not sure she's the one who should be telling it. If she really wanted to support an oppressed community she should have put her considerable influence behind a writer of colour - God knows there are enough of them - who could have told this story with the complexity and nuance that she missed.

Erhodesi’s 1 star review nails it succinctly: I can't think of a book that has made me as angry and sad as this book. While Picoult feels that she is doing her bit to fight racism, she is doing a disservice to her readers. The middle class white woman demographic this book is written for, will pat themselves on the backs that they now get it. But Picoult's privilege is showing in every turn of this book. It's in the framing and selection of the main character. It's in the sympathetic skinhead. And most painfully, it is showing on the neat bow she wraps around her ending. The chracters are stereotypes. The twist is predictable. Because of this, the social and moral issue of racism is addressed in a way that feels exploitave of people impacted by racism everyday.

And it goes on and on and on. If you can stomach it, the reviews are good reading. A far better use of time than reading Small Great Things.

Great read, very thought provoking. The author discussed difficult issues that should could make every reader question their own beliefs.

A novel with strong bones and the potential to change the world as we know it. I quickly got wrapped up in the story of Ruth Jefferson an African American nurse whose spent her lifetime following the rules and trying to make a better life for her son Edison. Enter one rough night and Ruth finds herself in the middle of a predicament- one that will change her life forever. Brittany & Turk Bauer give birth to a baby boy on Ruth's shift--- oh by the way-- Brit and Turk are white supremacists. Turk even has a swastika tattooed on the back of his head. Ruth suddenly finds herself on trial and fighting for her freedom (in more ways than one). Kennedy is your standard white female attorney determined not to see color and to beat her first trial for her client.

The story moved along, sometimes too slow for my preference, the character development was excellent and the writing was strong- typical for Ms. Picoult. Another book drawn in the courtroom and left fighting the big fight of racism. The book makes an admirable attempt to make this topic relatable and empowering the reader to DO something to fight racism. T

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House | Ballantine for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

One of the best Jodi Picoult's books - and one of the best books published in the past year. She made the reader really feel for the characters - even find the humanity in the most unsympathetic. I can see this book added to summer reading lists or community reads.

Wow....this is an amazing book and I would give it 10 stars without hesitation. Kudos to Jodi Piccoult for taking on such a difficult but important subject, racism. While the story itself reads like a top notch legal thriller, this book has the potential to change lives as it hopefully will increase awareness and bring about positive change. This should be at the top of everyone's TBR list! And I will be shocked if this doesn't become a blockbuster movie. I loved this book and highly recommend it!

Jodi Picoult never fails to rip my heart out and put it back together! I have been a fan for a long, long time and this is another fantastic book. I love you Jodi Picoult! Thank you for the opportunity to read for a fair review.
Five Stars!