This book was hard to put down. It illustrated racism effectively, but allowed the reader to examine their own beliefs about it while seeing things from differing perspectives. The author appears to have researched well as she laid out the balance the attorney had to strike while handling this case by allowing race to enter the courtroom or not. Would it help or hurt her client? Considering how her moves or those of her client could forever alter their respective lives. And as things played out, it seemed that the many characters had to confront their own long-held beliefs and re-examine them. A reader can help but do the same while entrenched in this story.

Midwife story.

Rating for black people/POC: 2 stars
Rating for white people: 4 stars.

PLEASE READ & let me explain why I had to separate this by race..

I saw black ratings saying how stereotypical the black people were in the book. This is true. I found myself so angry with Ruth and her indifference to race when she provided so many life examples where she noticed race in her everyday life. Then she was surprised and in denial that a case come onto her because of race... like come on girl... you cant be that stupid to make those connections.. and this goes on for a long time too. Black people know. That was not realistic even for the black people who are assimilated into white culture or daily life easily, especially when you had the life that Ruth had (with her mom—a maid working for a rich, white family, another stereotype—and growing up and actively noticing the difference at every stage) and then acknowledging her sister and her neighborhood and life—which is another reason I didn’t like this. Her sister is portrayed as ghetto with no sense, yet is pro black and ‘woke’. I hate that the pro black, woke woman couldn’t be successful or looked upon positively other than helping Ruth get government assistance and taking in Ruth’s son when she went to jail... that annoyed me.

My white rating is rated higher because if white people read this book, I feel as if this book speaks more of their language and through their perspectives. I could have just rated this book 2 stars and said that it was stereotypical and made me angry at the representation and be done, but I thought... the white people in this book are also stereotypical. A naive public defender who has never even thought about race because it doesn’t directly affect her life (altho I believe that white people like this are what is hurting the fight for racial rights as they say they know there is a problem but they don’t /know/) and then a radical skin head. I mean.. these two white people do not categorize all white people either.. Hopefully white people think like this when feeling like those 2 characters didn’t represent their race and think about us.. (did that fly over your head?) This book raises awareness for white people and black struggle even for the ones who ‘assimilate’ well (aka the accepted black people). It’s a great eye opener on the differences, even in stereotypical forms, but it’s a great first step—especially if you are white and do not have many people of color around you.

Even for my white rating I didn’t put 5 stars because I thought the book had too much detail for things that didn’t matter. Like the McDonalds shifts and what she had to do. Things that just put waaaaay too much detail that was unnecessary. I also felt that if I didn’t listen to this on audio, I probably would have DNF’d the physical book.

All in all, great book for white people for awareness and thought processes about race and black people. Black people... go ahead and pass.

I was crying by the end of the first chapter...so was my husband

I checked this book out on a whim, because I liked another of the author's work. I was not even aware of the plot -- oddly enough, I started reading it shortly after the murder of George Floyd, and completed it while the Black Lives Matter protests raged in the weeks that followed. It felt like an appropriate fictional compliment to the hunger for racial awareness/equality on everyone's mind & pain in their hearts right now.

This author is white, and also I am a white reader, so perhaps there is room for interpretation, but my understanding is that the author researched her characters by sitting down & listening to the stories of real life folks who have lived the character's stories.

Highly recommended, if only for the amazing ending.

I found this book to be disturbing, but in a good way. I have never thought of myself as being racist, but this book made me very aware of how much I take for granted. It is hard for me to understand how some people are so prejudiced, but this novel showed me that it is definitely real. The author did an excellent job portraying the different characters.

Stunningly written. The time and research put into this story was worth it! I felt Picoult portrayed the characters accurately and was captivated by this book. I would recommend to everyone I know.

What I love about Jodi Picoult's novels is that you become intimately entwined with each character as they work through a controversial or life shattering experience. Small great things put me right there with Ruth Jefferson. When she lost her mother, I cried and when she came out on top after the trial I celebrated!

Jodi Picoult tackles another social issue. This time its race. Ruth the only black nurse on a neo-natal ward is not allowed to take care of a new baby at the request of the mother. Short-staffed she ends up watching the baby in the nursery. The baby stops breathing and Ruth ends up being charged for murder. Like all of Picoult’s works it is impossible to read without getting emotionally involved. The story is told from three points of view—Ruth’s, her public defender and the white supremacist father of the baby.

Excellent, thoughtful book about racism and moral choices. Kristi & Abby Tabby