Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsIncredible...
Reviewed in Australia on 11 October 2016
I make no secret of the fact I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult books because she really does get into controversial story lines that make a reader think. She also brings to life lots of things and keep a reader engrossed and fascinated on 'what would you do' or 'how would you handle this' kind of thing. Once again, she has created something profound and thought provoking - this is a gripping and very interesting novel, which deals with the tricky issue of race relations in modern day America. Much of this novel is, I have to say, profoundly depressing in the portrait it paints of a divided country, where there is so much misunderstanding and suspicion on both sides.
Ruth is a nurse in the neonatal unit in a Connecticut hospital. She is great at her job and has been there for over twenty years. Ruth is doing an exam on a newborn, when the father orders her out of the room and demands a different nurse. Her boss agrees to his wishes. Ruth is not to touch the baby. When Ruth is the only nurse on the floor and the baby starts having trouble breathing, what is she to do? It sounds like an easy answer, but the truth is when you are a black woman living in a white world, you learn fast that every decision you make is never easy.
This book is told by three POVs. That of Ruth, the black nurse; Turk, the white supremacist father; and Kennedy, the white defense attorney. This book was hard to read. Not because of the writing, it was beautifully written, but because of the subject matter. There is so much that is unjust in the book that it leaves you angry that we live in such a hateful world. As such, this is an important novel and would be a great choice for book clubs, with much to discuss. Like all Jodi Picoult books its a 'do not miss this one' because its one that will Move you.
