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Genre:Fiction, Contemporary

Description: Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?

Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy's counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other's trust, and come to see that what they've been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.

With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn't offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game.

1. What was your initial reaction to the book? Did it hook you immediately, or take some time to get into?

2. Do you think the story was plot-based or character driven?

3. What was your favorite quote/passage?

4. What made the setting unique or important? Could the story have taken place anywhere?

5. Did you pick out any themes throughout the book?

6. How credible/believable did you find the narrator to be? Did you feel like you got the 'true' story?

7. How did the characters change throughout the story? How did your opinion of them change?

8. Which character did you relate to the most, and what was it about them that you connected with?

9. How did you feel about the ending? What did you like, what did you not like, and what do you wish had been different?

10. If the book were being adapted into a movie, who would you want to see play what parts?

I just finished this. It was a great book...true Jodi Picoult style. Anyone else read it? I'd love to discuss.

I loved Ruth. She had to work hard for everything her entire life and tried to not care what others thought of her.

Here's the only thing I didn't like about the story, but it was huge, enough to drop my rating from 5 to 4 stars...(view spoiler)[Everything was great until the epilogue. Yes, having the bad character change his mind and become good is the happily ever after, but it's just not realistic. I would have loved to see him stay true to character at the end. (hide spoiler)]

Sheri wrote: "I just finished this. It was a great book...true Jodi Picoult style. Anyone else read it? I'd love to discuss.

I loved Ruth. She had to work hard for everything her entire life and tried to not ca..."

I need to check this out from the library.

Congratulations Sheri! Here is your badge.

I agree I knocked a star due to length. And I disagree I think that people can change. Lots of Turk's beliefs were an outlet to his rage. If he had a psych assessment and proper treatment his rage would have been minimized and there would be no need to fixate on hating people that are not like him.

Congratulations Kayla! Here is your badge.

I have so many to read, but have heard good things on this book. Wish I had more hours in the day.

Elsa wrote: "I have so many to read, but have heard good things on this book. Wish I had more hours in the day."

Me, too.