A fan of Jodi Picoult but have found one or two of her books a little lacking; this one however is not one of them. A brilliantly written story of an impossible situation and a rather surprising ending. A most intriguing read and definitely worth adding to your reading list. Pulls at the heart strings!

oult always manages to focus on topics critical in today's times, and in 2016/2017 race is front and center. Small Great Things captures the tensions surrounding race and privilege in a way few fictional accounts are able to do. In addition, Picoult addresses her own race and context at the end of the book, acknowledging how her whiteness was a factor when constructing and writing it.

Ruth is a black nurse in present time, who is presented with a no win situation. The baby she has been charged to watch is white, and the parents want her not to be anywhere near him, never mind touch or tend to him. When Ruth is in a no-win situation - noticing that the baby is in dire straits and needing immediate medical attention - she is at a loss. Her decisions and actions from that point on, create the basis for the story, a legal he said, she said. Ruth's attorney Kennedy is white and chooses to not acknowledge how race played a part in the course of events leading up to Ruth's behaviors as well as those of the baby's parents.

Similar to other books by Picoult there are red herrings, derailments that take the reader off course a bit, and a twist or two that shake up the core of the story. It is a little reminiscent of Change of Heart, from 2007, in the way the characters have to examine their moral fiber and beliefs, as preconceived notions are challenged frequently, on many levels.

For those looking for a chance to challenge their own perceptions, to see more than meets the eye, and to open their minds to new possibilities, Small Great Things is an excellent option. It is fictional, but like earlier books, much of her inspiration is from real life circumstances and as such, can have a substantial impact.

I know fans of Jodi Picoult have been disappointed in some of her more recent works, but I’m here to tell you that Jodi is back!  I’ve read a few of Picoult’s books: My Sister’s Keeper, Plain Truth, and Nineteen Minutes, all of which I loved, but Small Great Things is my favorite Picoult book thus far.

I actually read Small Great Things coming off of my shock at reading The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.  In The Underground Railroad, we are really shown the horrific truths about the history of slavery in America.  In contrast, Small Great Things tackles modern day racism and white privilege.  I learned so much from both of these books.

In Small Great Things, Picoult fleshes out three very distinct voices in Ruth, Turk, and Kennedy.  Ruth, a L&D nurse and woman of color; Turk, a white supremist active in “the movement”; Kennedy, a white defense attorney.  The three different perspectives here work so well together.   Honestly, I don’t think this book would have worked as well as it did with only one or two perspectives, they are all needed to get the message across.

Ruth was such an amazing character; she’s hardworking, proud, and smart.  She has worked hard for everything in her life, never receiving a hand out.  Ruth is put into a situation where she really is damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t.  Does she help the baby and go against the parent’s wishes, or does she respect the parents wishes and go against her oath as a nurse?  I really admired her strength and courage throughout the book.

“Comments like this feel like paper cuts…White people don’t mean half the offensive things that come out of their mouths, and so I try not to let myself get rubbed the wrong way.”

Kennedy goes through the most growth in this book, thanks to Ruth of course.  Often I would read a scene from Kennedy’s point of view and no red flags would go up, but once we see the same situation through Ruth’s eyes, I would see how problematic it was.  Kennedy claims that she does not see people in relation to their race, or “color-blindness” as she liked to say, but Ruth really shows her that this is dismissing her experiences as a woman of color.  This is why the multiple perspectives were so important for this book, Picoult uses Kennedy to show white people how ignorant we can be to the privileges we enjoy.

“I don’t think about being white.  I told you the first time we sat down – I don’t see color.”
“Not all of us have that privilege.”

Turk’s perspective was hard to endure, but necessary as well.  Picoult really showed how white supremacy groups are almost cult like.  These people recruit impressionable people who need something to believe in and fill them with hate.  I am not defending him or his actions, but I can understand the circumstances in his life that molded him into what he became.

“There is a hierarchy to hate, and it’s different for everyone.  Personally, I hate spics more than I hate Asians, I hate Jews more than that, and at the very top of the chart, I despise blacks.  But even more than any of these groups, the people you hate the most are antiracist White folks. Because they are turncoats.”

Small Great things really opened up my eyes to the fact that racism is still embedded into our society…  When flipping through a magazine, how did I never notice that the ads (for makeup, shampoo, etc) were all products geared towards white people?  Why didn’t it ever bother me that some of my favorite TV shows growing up had a predominantly white cast?  The simple answer is that I didn’t have to.  Being born white in the United States is like hitting the race jackpot.  I can go to a bookstore and find thousands of books that I can see myself in.  I can flip on the TV and go through channel after channel and see the same.   I can walk into a drug store and see the shelves lined with products that are geared towards me.  Basically, I am living in a country tailored to white people.

“How incredibly easy it is to hide behind white skin…”

I strongly encourage you to read the author’s note at the end of this book.  Picoult shares that she was very intimidated by writing this book (putting it off for 20 years), but that she felt compelled to write this story.  It is clear that she did a tremendous about of research in order to compile this novel.  I am so glad that she wrote this book, not only because I got so much out of it, but because she has such a loyal band of followers that will read this book.  Many of her followers may not typically pick up books that tackle race issues and white privilege, so these issues will get the exposure they deserve.

Picoult really made me think about some of my own words and actions (or lack of) and how I didn’t even realize I have been passively racist in my life.  By not actively participating to put a stop to racism, I am passively racist.  I am a bystander, and this needs to change.

Still fuzzy on what passive racism is?  I’m going to share a personal story with you all.  This is a perfect example of passive racism…

A few months ago, I was standing at the bus stop waiting for my son to get picked up for school.  There was another mother with her daughter, and a grandmother with her grandchildren.  We were chatting about Trick-or-Treating, as Halloween had been the night before, and how thankful we were that the weather had been so nice.  This got us talking about Halloweens in the past that had been terrible because of bad weather.  One year in particular, Beggar’s Night had to be rescheduled due to bad weather.  It was moved to a weekend night that year, and we were talking about how many trick-or-treaters it had brought to our neighborhood that year when we typically do not have many at all.  At this point, the grandmother said something along the lines of “It brought a lot of people here that you don’t want here…darks, if you know what I mean.”  I was shocked at this statement.  I couldn’t believe this woman would say something so horrible.  I was absolutely speechless.  Thankfully the kids were all running around and didn’t hear this blatantly racist comment.  I knew I should say something, but what?  Did I really want to start a confrontation with a woman that I see 5 mornings a week?  Instead I adverted my eyes and ignored the comment. This decision to not act haunted me the rest of the day as I played the scenario over and over in my mind.  I thought about it for the days and weeks the followed.  Why did I feel so guilty?  It isn’t like I made the comment…  “I’m not racist, that woman is!” is how I justified my inaction.  After reading Small Great Things, it made me realize that by not speaking up, I was just as guilty as the woman who made the racist comment.

Why am I sharing this story?  While it is true that I may receive some backlash from this personal story, I feel it is something that needs to be shared.  How else are things going to change if we don’t start talking about these problems?  How are people like me, who enjoy privileges simply because I was born white, going to learn if we don’t have these uncomfortable conversations?

“It is a good question, one that I feel all the way to my own core.  Is it better not knowing the ugly truth, and pretending it doesn’t exist? Or is it better to confront it, even though that knowledge may be a weight you carry around forever?”

This book was not without a few small issues.  Personally, I did not care for how things wrapped up so neatly in the end, particularly for Turk.  I just don’t think it was believable.  Sure, I would like to think this is how things would have panned out, but I just don’t think it was realistic.  Furthermore, I felt like some of the side plots, particularly those that involved Edison, were a tad distracting to the main storyline.  I feel the book could have been simplified, thus making this book less busy.

Bottom line, this is an important book.  I learned so much from it, and it really opened up my eyes to things I have said and done (or not done) that are problematic.  Things that I need to change and improve on.  Most importantly I think this book will get people talking and having conversations that need to be had.

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.

The novel is excellently written and Jodi Picoult fans will love this book ~

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.

I really enjoyed this book and appreciated how Jodi Picoult was able to speak of such a sensitive subject, portrayed by all different characters and point of views. You know there is good character development when you find yourself occassionally rooting for the bad guy. Her characters are multi-demensional and I think that was the take away from the book. Things are not always what they seem. The ending was excellent and I loved the way she tied everything together. This book can speak to a wide audience and it has something for everyone. I have already recommended this book to multiple people (my neighbor, grandmother, mother, little sister and friends). Thank you for such a great storyline, this book will stay with me for a while.

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.

No surprise that this is a fantastic book! I haven't finished it quite yet, but I am obsessed (and horrified and disgusted and appalled) with this book! I can't wait to finish it!

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.