BOOK REVIEW WITH THE BOOK PEOPLE: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

When a newborn baby dies after a routine hospital procedure, there is no doubt about who will be held responsible: the nurse who had been banned from looking after him by his father.
What the nurse, her lawyer and the father of the child cannot know is how the death will irrevocably change all of their lives, in ways both expected and not.
Small Great Things is about prejudice and power; it is about which divides and unites us.
It is about opening your eyes.

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Pages: 503

The Book People got in touch to ask if I would like to pick a book from their 'hand-picked favourites' range to review on my blog. To be honest, when I think of The Book People I always think of childrens books or box sets of books etc. So I was pleasantly surprised to look on their website and see that they have a huge selection of fiction novels to choose from. Small Great Things was already on my book wish list so I chose that; they sent me a beautiful hardback edition and I can honestly say that it is one of the best books I have ever read.
My experience of Jodi Picoult is limited to her earlier books such as My Sister's Keeper and Vanishing Acts which I really enjoyed. Small Great Things, published in 2016 garnered huge attention; it was a New York Times bestseller and was chosen as a Richard and Judy Book Club choice in 2017.
We follow the story of Ruth Walker who is accused of killing a newborn baby. Davis Bauer died after a routine procedure, his father Turk Bauer had requested that Ruth did not not touch his son, simply because Ruth is black. Turk now holds Ruth responsible for his son's death. Her world is turned upside down, the racism and prejudice she has experienced her whole life comes together in this charge against her. Kennedy McQaurrie is Ruth's defence attorney, despite Ruth's protestations, Kennedy does not want this case to be about racism, she wants to ensure that Ruth walks free and justice is served. Ruth, Turk and Kennedy are used by Picoult as separate narrators which is a fantastic technique as it gives the reader an insight into their feelings, doubts and emotions.
Jodi Picoult is very brave to tackle such a huge subject but she does it so well. She must have done so much research in order to bring everything together. I myself am of mixed race and I could identify with points that Picoult made, sometimes the things we don't question are more important than the ones we do.
There's a lot to take in when reading this book but the process of the trial keeps it all on track and centres the reader to the here and now.
Small Great Things is a fantastic read, I really cannot recommend it enough. Jodi Picoult delivers a powerful story with complex characters and a highly thought-provoking plot.

Many thanks to The Book People for sending me a copy of the book to review, have a click on the link in my review to see the fabulous books they have!