Review: Small Great Things

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ruth is doing what she has always wanted to do … helping bring newborn babies into the world. She has been doing this daunting task for over 20 years and still loves it. That is until she starts a newborn checkup and is told a few minutes later that she has been taken off the case. The parents have requested that no African American medical personnel touch their child. Unfortunately, the next day the child goes into cardiac distress and Ruth must decide if she should do CPR (and touch the baby) or follow her orders to stay away. The baby is now dead and Ruth is charged with murder. Faced with legal proceedings and a public outcry, Ruth must deal with the race issue head on.

Small Great Things is a timely story that presents events from three points of view. Ruth tells readers the story from the stand point of an African American woman that knows the difficulties experienced every day. Turk is a white supremacist who wants nothing more than to have the white race back in its dominating position. Kennedy is a white defense lawyer that truly believes that race is no longer an issue and should not have a part in this case. These three characters bring depth and insight into the pages and readers will reach the end feeling that they have understood everyone’s viewpoint, even if they don’t agree with it. This story is a monumental achievement and those who take the time to make it to the end will not be disappointed.



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