Small Great Things

A Novel

De: Jodi Picoult

Narrado por: Audra McDonald, Cassandra Campbell, Ari Fliakos

2017 Audie Awards, Winner

Number-one New York Times Best Seller

With richly layered characters and a gripping moral dilemma that will lead listeners to question everything they know about privilege, power, and race, Small Great Things is the stunning new pause-resister from Jodi Picoult.

Soon to be a major motion picture

“[Picoult] offers a thought-provoking examination of racism in America today, both overt and subtle. Her many readers will find much to discuss in the pages of this topical, moving book.” (Booklist [starred review])

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than 20 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.

Praise for Small Great Things

“Small Great Things is the most important novel Jodi Picoult has ever written.... It will challenge her readers...[and] expand our cultural conversation about race and prejudice.” (The Washington Post)

“A novel that puts its finger on the very pulse of the nation that we live in today...a fantastic read from beginning to end, as can always be expected from Picoult, this novel maintains a steady, page-turning pace that makes it hard for readers to put down.” (San Francisco Book Review)

©2016 Jodi Picoult (P)2016 Random House Audio

Marvelous narration of an excellent novel

The title, Small Great Things, is from a quote of Dr. Martin Luther King. This only my sixth Jodi Picoult novel and it is by far the best. The story is riveting and the focus on racism is certainly appropriate in today's climate. The setting is New Haven CT. I classify the genre as legal thriller rather than contemporary fiction. The story deserves 5 stars rather than 4, but I have down rated it because of specific comments in the novel that I believe are untrue and unfair political cheap shots. The most important is a statement that Tea Party members are racist like skinheads and neo-Nazis. That statement is simply untrue; hate them or love them Tea Party members are about government financial responsibility rather than race. That and some other cheap shots demonstrates the author is ignorant of some of the matters on which she comments.

This novel deals with the overt and open racism of the antagonist couple as well as the more subtle unintended racial insensitivity of protagonist Ruth Jefferson's co-workers and even her lawyer. The point is that in the US those of us born Caucasian often do not show adequate sensitivity toward those of color. I agree we need to be more sensitive. In his August 1963 speech on Washington DC mall Dr. King looked forward to the day that all people would be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. That is still the goal. We have made great progress as a nation, but we are not yet there.

Ruth Jefferson, a very caring long time nurse who lost her soldier husband to war and is raising a 17 year old star pupil son, makes a wonderful protagonist. She is the type of honest and ethical person who evokes strong empathy. I doubt that in our legal system she would have been charged with murder or any crime. As such this novel is not realistic, but reading fiction requires a significant level of suspension of disbelief. I look forward to the second novel in the Ruth Jefferson series.

I highly recommend Small Great Things.

I needed to hear this

Just from a literary standpoint, this book is well written, entertaining and intelligently narrated. It's worth a listen if it didn't offer anything else. But from a social justice standpoint, it's one of the most powerful books I've had the pleasure of listening to. As a middle-aged white southerner, born and raised (and still residing) in Mississippi, I've seen first-hand some of the injustices suffered by people of color. I was "proud" that I never thought of myself as racist. I have very close black friends, and I raised my children to not see color... but this book, along with a few others I've read, is opening my eyes to the fact I still have a long way to go. I'm learning to realize that I owe a tremendous debt to those on whose backs I ignorantly stood that afforded me the privileges I enjoy. So for me, this book was not only provocative and stimulating, but vitally important to race reconciliation. My prayer is that others will see it through the same lens that I did.

Incredible!

I never felt I had a racist bone in my body, but this book was so eye opening that I was able to see myself and hear my own thoughts at times and it helped me realize that my behavior at times is laced with racism. Feeling what it's like on the other side was humbling.

Thank you!

A Black woman late 50"s. She wrote what I've felt tried to say on so many levels.

Not just your parent's racism anymore!

This book will stay with me the rest of my life. Thank u for opening my eyes to a part of my life I never realized was there.

Amazing book

Could not stop listening!!
Amazing and loved everything about it
I'm excited already for another read

Excellent!

I've read all of JP's book. This book is the very best of them all!

Talk about an eye opener.

I overlooked this book for a couple months, even though the reviews were very good. I was not in the mood for a book about racism. But... I am so glad I decided to listen to this book. It was gripping from start to finish. Not at all what I expected. It is the story of a women with a decent job, doing what she loves, raising her son to be a level headed decent kid (like many of us do) and something unimaginable happens to her. As the story digs deeper, I see that this women is not like me, she seems like she is, but I soon realize how much I have taken for granted. This book will not disappoint. I could not get it out of my head. It has really opened my eyes and made me see things differently. The narration is wonderful. Definitely a book that will get to you.

Timely Truth

Well, Jodi Picoult did it again. She took a timely topic bereft with strong contraversial viewpoints and I'll be damned made me see the "others" point of view!!

I can't recommend this book highly enough. A black labor and delivery nurse is asked to not care for a white supremacist's infant. I can think of a hundred different emotional storylines. The author doesn't once use the standard or easy to imagine "pulling on heartstrings". As usual, she goes deep. I didn't see any of it coming. I have recommended it to hundreds in one of my online reading groups. I waited till they were done to point out it was based on a true story! I can't tell you how many went back to re-read it with fresh eyes. No matter what you think you know - this book will open your heart after it breaks it.

If you love this nation at all and want to begin to heal this long standing rift I beg you to read this book.

Small Great Things - Unable to stop listening.

I enjoyed the suspense, reality and rapid flow of action in Small Great Things. Ms. Picoult has pulled back the cover on an issue that our country finds difficult to confront - RACISM - and all of the Ism's connected to it. Small Great Things is a riveting read for anyone or any group willing to acknowledge and or discuss the impact race has on our society.

The 5 star rating I gave the book was because Picoult answered the who, where, when and why in a crystal clear manner. In addition I was able to connect to each character because each narrator gave captivating performances.