I cannot stop thinking about this book. Seriously. It has totally engulfed my mind since picking it up. I read it for my book club at work. I haven’t read a Jodi Picoult book in years and WOW this is why. They absolutely wreck me and leave me thinking about them for years after I finish them. I read this whole book in maybe a week (which is a big deal for me). It’s been a really long time since a book has left me feeling like this. I found this book to be really thought provoking and especially important in this day and age. Here’s my review!
The story is about Ruth Jefferson, who is a labor and delivery nurse. On a busy morning, she is called into a hospital room to do a routine check-up on a newborn. But the parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth touching their baby because she’s black. Later when Ruth is left alone with the baby and he goes into cardiac arrest. She does her job, but is charged with a serious crime.
The book takes place in present day Connecticut from the perspectives of Ruth, the African-American nurse; Turk, the white supremacist; and Kennedy the white public defender who is presenting Ruth. This book mentions so many current events and provides such different perspectives of everything that’s going on.
Ruth’s point of view broke my heart and made me so frustrated that she continuously can’t catch a break and is treated so awfully by the community. I was so disgusted and uncomfortable with Turk’s thoughts and learned way more than I ever wanted to about White Supremacist Rallies and alliances. But what really struck me was the change in mindset of Kennedy. She started off the book by saying to Ruth “I don’t see color” (which is something you should never say) but ended with a much different perspective, that I don’t want to spoil. I think it’s easy for white people to compare themselves and say “see I’m not racist, I’m nothing like that white supremacist character”, but reading this book from the perspectives of Ruth and Kennedy emphasizes that there are a lot of micro-aggressions and actions that can still be pretty harmful and racist.
The author’s note really resonated with me. Obviously a white woman writing about racism can come across really poorly if not done right. (I’m even hesitant to write this book review in case it comes across in a way I don’t want it to). But I think Picoult did a lot of important research and talked to a lot of people to try to make this book as accurate and real as possible. She also does a really good job of explaining why she wanted to write this book, why we need to talk about these issues and how to be a white ally.
“The role of the white ally is not to be a savior or a fixer. Instead, the role of the ally is to find other white people and talk to make them see that many of the benefits they’ve enjoyed in life are direct results of the fact that someone else did not have the same benefits”
-Jodi Picoult
I can try to empathize with Ruth as much as I want, but I’ll never understand what it’s like to be a black person and to be discriminated against because of the color of my skin. And I try my best to be a good white ally especially in recent years now that I’ve become more aware of the racial injustices happening in our country. But sometimes I feel like “it’s not my place to interject or share my thoughts on something I can’t relate to” or “I’m not doing enough because I don’t know what to do”. So while I was already cognizant of racism and my own white privilege, reading about this story from the perspective of a black character was eye-opening. I definitely learned some new things. I’m still learning and I’m still trying to be better, and I think that starts with having this conversation.
This book is so good. Even when you think you know how it ends, you continue reading and then you’re like AHHHH NO WAYYY. There is such a good twist at the end and Jodi Picoult just has a way with words that stick in your mind like a tattoo. I was crying so hard by the end of it. I even have mixed feelings about the epilogue just because its both happy and sad, but also wraps up the book really well. I am so happy I read this book.
Racism isn’t an easy thing to talk about and this certainly isn’t the end-all, be-all book to understand it. But I think it’s a good start for anyone who doesn’t really understand the concept of “white privilege” or why you really really shouldn’t say the n-word if you’re not black. I recommend this book to anyone, but especially to my white friends and readers.
Thanks for reading! xx