If the name Jodi Picoult rings a bell, it might be because of her novel My Sister’s Keeper, which was later made into a movie. Not surprisingly, the book is even better. I read My Sister’s Keeper after seeing the movie and have been hooked on her novels ever since. Picoult really knows her stuff; her novels are brilliantly researched and allow the reader to learn about a wide range of topics from elephant conservation to our country’s legal system. Most of her novels delve into rather controversial topics including gun violence and medical ethics, yet they are discussed incredibly tastefully and are sure to keep you interested with their fantastic plot lines. Perhaps my favorite thing about Picoult’s novels is that she tells the story from everyone’s perspective: from the sister of a child dying of cancer to the mother of a teenage boy who has committed a massacre. Picoult has written 23 best selling novels, but here are brief summaries of the eight I have read.
The Pact (1998)
The Pact reminds us that no matter someone’s life may appear on the outside, we all have secrets. When 17 year old Chris is put on trial for girlfriend and childhood friend Emily’s death, he pleads his innocence by insisting that the two had made a suicide pact, and that he had failed. The novel follows the families of Chris and Emily, alternating between flashbacks from as the children were growing up, until the anguish of the present day as Chris faces a murder charge.
Keeping Faith (1999)
Keeping Faith is about a seven-year-old named Faith who begins having religious visions after her parents’ divorce. The family gains attention from the media when her visions become so intense that she develops a stigmata and performs miraculous healing. Faith’s sudden changes, brought on by her friend that she calls “Guard” (hmm, which religious deity does this sound like?) lead some to believe that Faith’s mother is behind it all, and the novel builds up to a heated custody battle for Faith.
Salem Falls (2001)
Salem Falls is about a man unjustly accused of a crime trying to start over. However, the small town of Salem Falls keeps no secrets hidden. When Jack is again suspected of sexual assault, the reader begins to question the promise of “innocent until proven guilty," and if anyone can really have a second chance.
My Sister’s Keeper (2004)
Even if you’ve seen the movie, you should read the book, and forget everything you thought you knew about the story. My Sister’s Keeper looks at genetic engineering through the life of Anna, a teenage girl who was conceived for the purpose of being a perfect donor for her sister’s aggressive cancer. When Anna sues her family for the right to her body, we see the moral dilemmas that arise when a family has a sick child.
Nineteen Minutes (2007)
Nineteen Minutes tells a riveting story from several character’s perspectives, including the boy who shot and killed several students at his high school. Like Picoult’s other novels, Nineteen Minutes is not an easy read, but is incredibly eye-opening. The novel not only discusses the horrors of school shootings, but shows how the psychological trauma of bullying can bring someone to that point, along with its effects on everyone involved, including the loved ones of the shooter.
Handle With Care (2009)
Handle With Care gives an in-depth look at the life of a family with a disabled child. In a desperate attempt to bring in enough money to cover her daughter’s medical expenses, Charlotte files a wrongful birth lawsuit. In order to do so, she must testify that had she known her daughter Willow would have been born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a severe disease whose effects include hundreds to thousands of broken bones throughout Willow’s lifetime, she would have terminated the pregnancy. The novel discusses the quality and value of life of a person with a disability, and whether a mother can go too far to provide for her child.
House Rules (2010)
House Rules also looks at a family that has a child with a disability, but this time, that child is an 18-year-old boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. When his tutor is found dead, Jacob becomes a prime subject because of his obsession with crime scenes, violent outbursts, and inability to look anyone in the eye; all symptoms of Asperger’s. The novel looks at the challenges of living with an autistic young adult, the possible link between vaccines and autism, and how our legal system handles people with disabilities, all while keeping us on our toes about whether or not Jacob has committed murder.
Leaving Time (2014)
Elephants, supernatural interaction, and a missing person’s case? Must be a Picoult novel. When Jenna was three years old, her mother, Alice, disappeared, and now, ten years later, Jenna enlists the help of a psychic, a former detective who originally worked on Jenna’s mother’s case, and Alice’s extensive research on grieving elephants. With her apparent extensive research on elephant conservation, Picoult had me falling in love with animals from the pages of a book. Leaving Time is full of surprising twists and is a must-read.
