Just as an opening here, I will probably spoil the ending in this review. I also highly recommend this book. So-if you want to read and don't want to know the ending, don't read this review. I will say, however, that I read the last page long before the end of the book and it didn't ruin the story for me in any way. So . . . .to each their own.
Well then. Part of the reason I have two book reviews so close together is what I like to call "travel time". I went to Colorado last week and had plenty of airport and plane time to read a book. That and I stayed up until 2 AM last night finishing this story.
The Jodi Picoult pick of the week is called Plain Truth. In this story, a young Amish girl gets pregnant out of wedlock and the baby is found killed a few hours after it's birth. The girl is accused of murder and her attorney end up having to move in with the Amish family whilst she prepares the case.
There is just something about this book. I think part of it has to do with the fact that I knew someone, many years ago who was pregnant and hid it from her friends and her family. No one knew! She even had the baby and hid it with her boyfriend's mother and still no one knew! They didn't find out until someone (OK it was me) told her family the truth. Of course there are a few differences. For example, the girl I knew wasn't Amish. She also didn't have a mother or sisters-someone who might recognize the signs. Katie (the girl in this book) had a mother whom has gone through many pregnancies and as we come to find out, DID know her daughter was pregnant.
The real touching thing, for me, wasn't the story in itself, but was learning about the Amish way of life. How truly forgiving they are. It was so touching to me. Too often in the "English" world (as the Amish call it) do we NOT forgive (even when we say we do). We hold grudges and judgment against people for months and for years. Despite the strong religious background most Americans seem to have-not many of us can truly forgive. Forgive the way that word is meant to mean.
Make no mistake-I know, being such a city girl, I could never survive the Amish way of life. But I can take things I learned in this story. Forgiveness being the biggest and best lesson.
I am not sure how I rank this against Picoult's other books. As always, she give a controversial issue-teens killing their babies-and makes it real. So real. Something in this story touched me deeply. I am not sure if it's the story itself, the insight into the Amish or something else, but it is sitting in me.
This is definitely a book I recommend. At the same time, I wouldn't make it the first Picoult book to read-maybe the third or fourth. Build a bit of rapport with the author and how she writes. It will make this book all the more pleasant.
