Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

Summary:

The discovery of a dead infant in an Amish barn shakes Lancaster County to its core. But the police investigation leads to a more shocking disclosure: circumstantial evidence suggests that eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher, an unmarried Amish woman believed to be the newborn's mother, took the child's life. When Ellie Hathaway, a disillusioned big-city attorney, comes to Paradise, Pennsylvania, to defend Katie, two cultures collide -- and, for the first time in her high-profile career, Ellie faces a system of justice very different from her own. Delving deep inside the world of those who live "plain," Ellie must find a way to reach Katie on her terms. And as she unravels a tangled murder case, Ellie also looks deep within -- to confront her own fears and desires when a man from her past reenters her life.

Moving seamlessly from psychological drama to courtroom suspense, Plain Truth is a fascinating portrait of Amish life -- and a moving exploration of the bonds of love, friendship, and the heart's most complex choices. (from Amazon)

Review:

I don't read many adult novels, but Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors in that genre, and in general. And what I like about her novels is that they cross boundaries: they read like YA and since they switch point-of-view so much, there's often a teenager who has a voice in the story. In Plain Truth we get the perspective of Ellie, the powerful Philadelphia lawyer and Katie, the 18-year-old who is accused of murder. Since Katie is still pretty young, it's practically half YA.

Regardless of its genre, I loved Plain Truth. For me, it was really interesting because I live near Lancaster, which is where all the Amish live. My aunt lives in Lancaster and she's even had some Amish (well, they might have been Mennonite) over during a family party. Even though I live so close, I still didn't know that much about their culture and lifestyle, and I learned so much from Plain Truth. The fact that the accused was Amish made the book a different type of legal drama, because Katie has no idea how our system works and it just makes the story that much more interesting. A lot of the novel takes place in the courtroom or is about the trial, which is why I picked it up because I love these types of books.

One thing I love about all Jodi Picoult's book are that they have these amazingly complex stories. There's different POVs, flashbacks, and then the main plot and somehow everything is intricately weaved together so you're not confused at all, just engaged in this completely rich story. Honestly, read one of her books, and you will see how complicated the story is but at the same time not difficult to read at all. I could not put Plain Truth down because it was so honest and true and was filled with all these great characters, relationships, details, and themes. The ending was very satisfying and I would recommend this book to all ages, to fans of all genres.

9 out of 10.

FTC: I borrowed this book from my library.

2001/Washington Square Press/432 pages