Review: ‘Small Great Things’

In 2012, best-selling author Jodi Picoult saw a news story about an African-American nurse who was asked to be removed from the care of a certain baby due to a request by a white supremacist family. The nurse sued the hospital for discrimination, and they settled out of court. Picoult said in a Time Magazine interview that this got her asking a number of 'what ifs” and led to the premise of her new book, 'Small Great Things.”

Ruth Walker has been a labor and delivery nurse for more than 20 years. When she takes over for the nurse going off shift, she enters the room of the Bauers to take care of their newborn, Davis. But when she attempts to help the mother nurse, the father, Turk, asks her to leave. Later, Ruth finds out she's been reassigned to another patient and is not to have any contact with the Bauers or their son because she is African-American.

After a busy afternoon on the labor and delivery floor, Ruth is unexpectedly assigned to monitor Davis after his circumcision because no other nurses are available. Davis goes into respiratory arrest while in Ruth's care and she must decide whether to follow orders and not touch the baby, or follow her oath as a nurse and try to save him. When the Code Blue is alerted, staff is unable to revive Davis, and Ruth is charged with his murder.

Through the chapters, readers hear from the perspectives of Ruth, Turk, and Kennedy, the lawyer assigned to Ruth's case.

Picoult's novel is timely and makes you uncomfortable as she discusses racism from the perspective of all three main characters. My stomach churned, and I disliking the direction the story was going. I had to take breaks after reading Turk's chapters because they were so full of hate and anger.

Picoult said that overt type of racism is easy to spot and criticize. But, the racism that many of us ignore and display is more difficult to admit. Some readers will likely feel ashamed as Kennedy talks about her own racial ignorance.

Picoult said, 'It was the hardest book I've ever written” due to her own evaluation of prejudice and privilege.

Throughout the trial, prejudices will be questioned. Of course, Picoult offers her signature shake-ups and twists to keep readers guessing what the outcome will be.

I felt the story was realistic, but I took issue with one piece of the story. Since the Bauers were so against an African-American nurse, I had a hard time understanding their acceptance of an African-American lawyer handling the murder case for their son. But, that character added another level to the racism expressed towards Ruth in the story.

Fans of Jodi Picoult won't be disappointed with her latest page-turner. Readers will want someone to talk to about the way the novel made them feel, especially the ending.

Picoult said she chose the title of the book from the quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, 'If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” I hope this novel makes each of us look at the small ways we can make changes in our society.

Picoult also has written a short prequel, 'Shine,” that shares Ruth's story growing up in Harlem and beginning third grade in a private school. Being the only African-American in class and going to school with the daughter of the family her mother works for leads Ruth to realize that no matter how smart she is or hard she works, she will always be different from the white kids. Reading 'Shine” isn't necessary, but it does offer insight into Ruth's childhood and reasons behind her decisions in the novel.