Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult (2016)
An examination of race, privilege, and perspective.
Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Plot: Ruth Jefferson, an experienced African American nurse, is ordered not to provide care to the newborn child of white supremacists. When the baby goes into distress and Ruth hesitates to help, she is blamed for the child’s death.
Opinion: The characters in this book are all sympathetic, but flawed, just like real people. Their backgrounds and experiences shape their views and behaviors. Yet, Ruth’s current situation seems contrary to her choices. And that’s the point. Despite Ruth’s attempts to avoid negative stereotypes associated with people of color, she still falls victim to prejudice. Though her life may appear privileged, she cannot fully escape the racism experienced by her black peers. This message is difficult and uncomfortable, but important to recognize.
One other lesson that I took from the book: find out who your true friends are. Some people may seem to be on your side, but it’s the people that show up when things get difficult that truly matter.
The book is a bit long and I felt like certain scenes were repetitive or drawn out. There’s also some hypocrisy about stereotypes and assumptions. For example, the author seems to tie certain general political beliefs to the hateful white supremacists in the novel. I don’t think that’s much different than the unjust conclusions made about people of color that the book is trying to speak out against. Understanding the perspectives of people different from you rather than making assumptions about them is the key to respecting one another.
Small Great Things is thoughtful and impactful. At times, it verged on preachy and I didn’t love every part of it, but it certainly made me think. If you’re looking for a read to challenge you, you may want to give this a try.
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