Book Review: Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult (no spoilers)

Book: Plain Truth
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publication: May 1st, 2000
Source: Local Library
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Summary (from Goodreads):

Jodi Picoult has touched readers deeply with her acclaimed novels, such as "Keeping Faith" and "The Pact." Gifted with "a remarkable ability to make us share her characters' feelings" "(People)," Picoult now explores the complex choices of the heart for a young Amish woman -- the compelling journey of discovery for an urban lawyer who befriends and protects her. The small town of Paradise, Pennsylvania, is a jewel in Lancaster County -- known for its picture-postcard landscapes and bucolic lifestyle. But that peace is shattered by the discovery of a dead infant in the barn of an Amish farmer. A police investigation quickly leads to two startling disclosures: the newborn's mother is an unmarried Amish woman, eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher. And the infant did not die of natural causes. Although Katie denies the medical proof that she gave birth to the child, circumstantial evidence leads to her arrest for the murder of her baby.

 One hundred miles away, Philadelphia defense attorney Ellie Hathaway has achieved an enviable, high-profile career. But her latest court "victory" has set the sands shifting beneath her. Single at thirty-nine and unsatisfied with her relationship, Ellie doesn't look back when she turns down her chance to make partner and takes off for an open-ended stay at her great-aunt's home in Paradise.

 Fate brings her to Katie Fisher. Suddenly, Ellie sees the chance to defend a client who truly needs her, not just one who can afford her. But taking on this case challenges Ellie in more ways than one. She finds herself not only in a clash of wills with a client who does not want to be defended but also in a clash of cultures with a people whose channels of justice are markedly different from her own.

 Immersing herself in Katie Fisher's life -- and in a world founded on faith, humility, duty, and honesty -- Ellie begins to understand the pressures and sacrifices of those who to live "plain." As she peels away the layers of fact and fantasy, Ellie calls on an old friend for guidance. Now, just as this man from Ellie's past reenters her life, she must uncover the truth about a complex case, a tragic loss, the bonds of love -- and her own deepest fears and desires.


 Moving seamlessly from psychological drama to courtroom suspense, "Plain Truth" is a triumph of contemporary storytelling. Jodi Picoult presents a fascinating portrait of Amish life rarely witnessed by those outside the faith -- and discovers a place where circumstances are not always what they seem, where love meets falsehood, and where relationships grow strong enough to span two worlds.

My Thoughts:

Plain Truth was another winner by Picoult. I haven't read a book by Jodi Picoult yet that I haven't fully and completely enjoyed. I read Plain Truth with a friend this week and I had a lot of fun discussing the story every night. There is so much controversy in Plain Truth that it is a really easy book to discuss. It is also a really hard book to put down. This book was a page turner.

Without reading the summary all you really need to know that it is about an Amish girl, Katie, and a baby who is assumed to be murdered. Plain Truth was a very character driven novel. The characters were always the main focus of this wonderful adventure. Ellie was Katie's defense lawyer. She was a little rough on the edges and she had some trust issues, but I really loved Ellie as a character. My favorite thing about her was that she cared about Katie. She was willing to tell Katie how it was to get her off when Katie had no idea how the American Justice System works. Katie was naive that was for sure. Picoult was able to make me feel sympathy for Katie when she was accused of committing such a horrible crime. I went back and forth in my mind if I wanted Katie to be guilty and go to prison or if I wanted her to be not guilty.

Besides the two main characters of Ellie and Katie there were many supporting characters such as Aaron the dad which was a very tough guy and didn't bend any Amish rules. I never really liked him. Sarah, Katie's mother who I liked at parts and questioned at others. Jacob, Katie's brother, who was probably my favorite character of this novel. He was all the things that were missing in Katie. He made me understand her more and I understood his decision completely. Then there was Samuel, Katie's Amish boyfriend, which I think was lacking a little character development. Obviously we could see he cared about Katie, but there wasn't much else to Samuel. The last character would be Jacob's roommate, Adam. He was such an interesting character and mysterious too. You never quite knew what was going to happen with him.

I learned so much about Amish life while reading Plain Truth. I learned I couldn't imagine a life with out electricity. There are a lot of things about the Amish life I strongly disagree with especially their treatment of women. I'm always willing to learn and I found the Amish aspect of this book intriguing.

Plain Truth has a twist at the end as I have come to expect with any Jodi Picoult book. The end left me shocked and thinking. Although the end gave me peace with some characters it left me questioning and wondering about other characters. I think it was a perfect ending for Plain Truth. A book that was full of so many curve balls I never knew what was coming next. Plain Truth is an amazing novel that kept me on my toes and helped me learn a lot. Plain Truth was an amazing, quick read.


Thanks for reading


Rachael