Small Great Things: A Novel

Loved this book. Also delivered in great condition

Such a beautiful book—I really felt Ruth’s pain. I even cried while reading it.

I read, cried, smiled and read some more. I savored reading this book and was sad to finish it last night. This is a special story, unlike anything I’ve read before… it deserves to be read thoughtfully. I found parts of it difficult to read for different reasons. It’s a powerful story, told from different perspectives. One perspective is that of a white supremacist and it briefly includes spontaneous violence that, had it been televised, I surely would have held my hands up to block the view more than once. But the compelling story is so much more than that, so I’m glad I didn’t let those parts deter me from reading through – and in fact, I think those bits are important to the whole story and belong there regardless of how difficult they might be to read. I found myself pausing throughout this novel to allow what I was reading to soak in, and to recess for a little self-reflection. Reading this book my eyes are opened wide to just how pervasive racism and biases are – they permeate so many aspects of our daily lives. My own realization that I have not been sensitive enough to recognize just how ubiquitous racism is, and how privileged I am, has left me feeling disappointed and embarrassed at my own naivety around these subjects. Despite that embarrassment, I’m thankful this book afforded the opportunity to learn more about these issues and I appreciated the careful and thoughtful manner the author approached challenging topics. I enjoy Jodi Picoult’s writing style, and especially admire how she quietly and expertly weaves examples of veiled racism into a storyline dealing with flagrant racism. I found myself often raising my eyebrows and thinking ‘I never realized or even considered that…’ when encountering so many examples of the injustices minorities can face in every day living. I was deeply moved by Ruth’s unyielding bravery in the face of great adversity, by her relationships with her family, and by Kennedy’s journey to self-awareness too. Discussing this book with my husband last night, I found myself choked up even just talking about the author’s notes at the end. I don’t feel like I can do this book any justice in trying to capture its importance with my own review. I’ll just say that I expect each person’s experience reading it may be different, but it is so worth reading. I feel enriched for having read it and I can’t wait for my husband to finish it so we can discuss it more fully. I highly recommend this book, especially for book clubs, because this is one you're going to want to discuss after reading.

Ruth lavora da vent'anni come infermeria del reparto maternità di un ospedale del Connecticut, apprezzata e stimata per la sua competenza e professionalità da superiori e colleghe. Durante uno dei suoi turni, Ruth inizia un check-up di routine su di un neonato, ma dopo pochi minuti le viene detto che i genitori sono suprematisti bianchi e che non vogliono che Ruth, che è afro-americana, tocchi il bambino. L'ospedale accetta la richiesta ( pur sapendo trattarsi di atteggiamento razzista nei suoi confronti) ed assegna Ruth ad un altro paziente. Il giorno dopo però, il neonato va in arresto cardiaco mentre leì è l'unica infermiera presente nella nursery, in quanto la collega è stata chiamata per un'emergenza e le ha chiesto di sostituirla. Che fare? Ruth deve obbedire agli ordini ricevuti o deve intervenire? Non voglio svelare oltre della trama di questo romanzo, avvincente come tutti i romanzi della Picoult, la quale, con incredibile empatia ed intelligenza, affronta temi delicatissimi come la razza, i privilegi dell'essere "bianchi", il pregiudizio, la compassione e non offre risposte facili. Un libro per riflettere e, magari,perchè no, uscirne migliori. Assolutamente consigliato, ovviamente in lingua originale, per apprezzare la scrittura dell'autrice.

I found this book trite, not particularly well written, and with surprisingly bad grammar.

A riveting courtroom drama with three characters at its centre. Ruth Jefferson, a black labour and delivery nurse with 20 years’ experience is shocked when she is instructed not to care for a white baby, the child of white supremacists. Subsequently, the baby dies and Ruth is blamed for his death and accused of murder. Enter Kennedy McQuarrie, a white lawyer who insists that race has no place in the courtroom. Will Ruth see justice, or will she be wrongly convicted due to the colour of her skin? Alternating in perspective between Ruth, Kennedy, and Turk Bauer, the dead baby’s skinhead father, Small Great Things is a gem of a novel that forces white readers to question our place of privilege and our beliefs about race and colour. Do not miss the Author’s Note, interview, or short story following the end of the novel in the paperback edition. Jodi Picoult’s novel will leave you riveted right up to its unexpected end.