Thursday, April 23, 2009

Jodi Picoult -- Recommended by Amy


Plain Truth:
YA-Philadelphia defense lawyer Ellie Hathaway retreats to her great Aunt Leda's home in Paradise, PA, to get a break from her high-pressure job. Almost at the same time that she arrives, a dead baby is discovered in the barn of an Amish farmer. A police investigation reveals that the mother is an 18-year-old unmarried Amish girl, Katie Fisher, and that the infant apparently did not die of natural causes. Even in the face of medical proof that she recently gave birth, Katie denies the murder charge. Ellie reluctantly agrees to defend her, even though she does not want to be defended. To better understand her client, Ellie moves into the farmhouse with the Fisher family where she begins to see firsthand the pressures and sacrifices of those who live "plain." As she searches for evidence in this case, she calls upon a friend from her past, Dr. John Cooper, a psychiatrist. As Coop and Ellie work together to unravel fact and fiction, they also work to resolve issues in their relationship. Readers will experience a psychological drama as well as a suspenseful courtroom trial. The contrast between the Amish culture and the "English" provides an interesting tension. This study of opposites details much information about a way of life based on faith, humility, duty, and hon-esty.Carol Clark, formerly at Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The Tenth Circle:
Bestselling author Jodi Picoult's The Tenth Circle is a metaphorical journey through Dante's Inferno, told through the eyes of a small Maine family whose hidden demons haunt every aspect of their seemingly peaceful existence. Woven throughout the novel are a series of dramatic illustrations that pay homage to the family's patriarch (comic book artist Daniel Stone), and add a unique twist to this gripping, yet somewhat rhetorical tale.
Trixie Stone is an imaginative, perceptive 14 year old whose life begins to unravel when Jason Underhill, Bethel High's star hockey player, breaks up with her, leaving a void that can only be filled by the blood spilled during shameful self-mutilations in the girls' bathroom. While Trixie's dad Daniel notices his daughter's recent change in demeanor, he turns a blind eye, just as he does to the obvious affair his wife Laura, a college professor, is barely trying to conceal. When Trixie gets raped at a friend's party, Daniel and Laura are forced to deal not only with the consequences of their daughter's physical and emotional trauma, but with their own transgressions as well. For Daniel, that means reflecting on a childhood spent as the only white kid in a native Alaskan village, where isolation and loneliness turned him into a recluse, only to be born again after falling in love with his wife. Laura, who blames her family's unraveling on her selfish affair, must decide how to reconcile her personal desires with her loved ones' needs.
The Tenth Circle is chock full of symbolism and allegory that at times can seem oppresive. Still, Picoult's fans will welcome this skillfully told story of betrayal and its many negative, and positive consequences. --Gisele Toueg
Amy Says:
In anticipation of the book club, book of the month, I have been reading more books by Jodi Picoult, because I am a fast reader and finished the book way to fast and didn't know of another book to pick up.
I have read The Tenth Circle and Plain Truth along with our book of the month, and I still cannot get enough. I cannot even go into details of the book(s) because it will give away valuable and shocking plot twists! All I can say though is Jodi does not disappoint the reader. The characters are well thought out with depth. They each have a past, a present, and a future that they are all unsure of. Just when you think you got things figured out, Jodi always throws in another twists, which makes your jaw drop. Just like our book of the month, you think the book is all wrapped up nice and neat, then the "bombshell" hits and makes you say out loud.... no way!! I am going to continue to read Jodi Picoult's pieces because they are amazing peices of literature and you should check them out too!!

4 comments:

  1. My first ever Picoult book was Harvesting the Heart. I really enjoyed it. It was her second published novel. Picoult is full of ethical and moral dilemmas and I think that's why her books draw so much attention. You always have to ask yourself "What would you do?" It makes you really take a look and reflect on yourself. I then read Mercy and loved that one too. I am anxious to read any or all of her other novels.

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  2. I, too, am a Picoult fan. And I have read Harvesting the Heart and Plain Truth, besides My Sister's Keeper. As Amy said, she throws curve balls at you and I love it. There is no predictablity about her novels, and I love it. There are deep questions she poses that I know I cannot answer, and I love it. She almost dares you to go to a place in your mind you never thought you'd have to go. Very entertaining and I highly recommend the titles I have mentioned.

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  3. I just picked up "Keeping Faith" ....

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  4. I just picked up Harvesting the Heart.....cant wait to talk about it later at one point!

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