If you haven’t gotten your hands on a copy of this book, it’s time to hop on Amazon or head to your local bookstore and buy small great things. Right this minute.
You are probably familiar with some of Jodi Picoult’s work like My Sister’s Keeper or Leaving Time, but in my opinion this is her best work yet. Small Great Things is told from the perspective of three very different people: an African-American nurse, a KKK member and a privileged attorney/mother. This book addresses racial biases in a way we probably would never think about in our every day lives.
Small Great Things will break your heart and mend it back together within its 458 pages. It’s a difficult read. Not because of unfamiliar vocabulary but because this book pushes you to think about racism, privilege, prejudice and compassion in a very real and raw way. I think your heart may be changed after soaking in all the pages in Small Great Things.
Rating: 5/5 very shiny gold stars.
Summary: Ruth Jefferson has been a labor and delivery nurse for the past 20+ years when she crosses paths with KKK supremacists that have recently become parents at the hospital. These parents ask Ruth to be removed from caring for their child because she is African American, but the next day the baby enters cardiac distress and has to decide whether to obey the orders of her superiors or save the baby’s life. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, enters the storyline after Ruth hesitates performing CPR and is charged with a very serious crime. Kennedy does not believe bringing up race in the courtroom will be their winning strategy, but Ruth sees it no other way. Kennedy and Ruth must work together in order to overcome the trial — and the way they have each viewed each other and themselves throughout their lives may not be true after all.
Where to Order: Parnassus has a few paperback copies for $17. Click here to order your copy today.
Word on the street is Small Great Things is in the process of becoming a movie, with Julia Roberts starring as Kennedy McQuarrie and Viola Davis as Ruth Jefferson. Read it before it hits the big screen.
Mary Spencer Veazey 