⇒ Read Free Plain Truth Jodi Picoult 9780743275019 Books

Plain Truth Jodi Picoult 9780743275019 Books

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Plain Truth Jodi Picoult 9780743275019 Books

Note: This review was previously posted on my blog, The Baking Bookworm ([...])

My Thoughts: Even after living near a Mennonite community for more than 20 years I honestly have never researched a lot about them. I see and interact with them on a regular basis, but sadly and embarassingly, I did not truly know what the differences were between Amish and Mennonite ... until today when I began to research it more in depth.

From what I have been able to discover, both Amish and Mennonite believe in similar Christian doctrine but interpret that doctrine differently. Amish tend to follow the doctrine verbatim, separating themselves from the English community and may go as far as having untrimmed beards, hooks and pins instead of buttons, no electricity, horse-drawn transportation etc etc.

Mennonites branched off from this doctrine and can vary from 'old-order' (who use horse-drawn buggies, have no electricity etc) to more modern Mennonites who dress as you or I would, use modern conveniences but still attend a Mennonite church.
Ok now that we've had a meagre crash course in Amish/Mennonite differences let's chat about "Plain Truth". I enjoyed this book and found it interesting looking into the lives of an Amish family and see how they live as well as how this particular family and community dealt with the murder and forgiveness. She also brings to light the false notion that the Amish are unforgiving, saintly and live above reproach - something that the Amish are too humble to attempt and don't strive for. This erroneous view comes from the beliefs of English people.

The story itself was good but predictable. There were a couple of storylines in the book that I wasn't sure why they were included. For example, Katie's sister, Hannah's ghost and the whole ghostbuster theme. Katie's loss could have still been shown without a supernatural element. A supernatural element and Amish just didn't work for me in the same book.

Some of the book was a little unresearched or unrealistic. When one of Katie's friends visits the farm she's wearing in-line skates. Ok, fine. But from what I've witnessed on local farms the laneways aren't paved and Picoult has this girl rollerblading down the lane. Hmmm. Little things like that bug me.

Overall a good book with interesting lessons. I found it interesting to see how the belief systems we're raised with influences how we perceive and interact with the world around us. If you're looking for a good weekend read this is a good pick. If you're looking for something a little deeper and more suspenseful take a pass on this one.

My Rating: 3.5/5 stars


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Plain Truth Jodi Picoult 9780743275019 Books Reviews

As a Jodi Picoult fan, I enjoyed reading Plain Truth and found the writing style, once more, to be highly masterful. The theme of this novel has to do with protecting someone, and its concern is specifically on mothers and children. The plot hovers around several mothers, although one of its main characters is Elly, the lawyer who has longed for a child for a long time.

Katie Fisher, an Amish teenager has a baby out of wedlock, a fact too difficult for her to handle, as she doesn’t admit her situation until she goes into labor and bears a premature baby. When the baby is found dead in the barn, Katie is charged with murder, and Ellie Hathaway, the hotshot lawyer with boyfriend issues who is on a visit to her aunt in the area, accepts to defend her. The court case is highly complicated and Ellie’s defense of Katie, as to finding evidence, takes many forms and faces complications, until the plot presents a surprise twist at its end.

The story is intricate and, despite its calm Amish town setting, full of tension and suspense, as its author reveals the story in tiny pieces, with every twist and turn undoing a revelation or taking it to a new direction. Any summary, therefore, cannot do justice to this multi-dimensional work full of mystery and rich, dramatic characterization.

Some of this excellence comes from the point of view shifts, as each chapter provides a different first person or limited third person point of view by each important character, with several chapters using the omniscient POV. Through this change in POVs, the readers get to know the characters inside out.
I like Jodi Picoult as a general rule, but sometimes the conflicts in her books are a bit contrived. This book about a dead newborn found on an Amish farm was a novel idea, combining the social issues perspective that Picoult specializes in, with the fictionalized accounts of Amish lives that are popular now. It was a great read most of the way through and I enjoyed it very much, until the end. The author seems to have started this tale with no end in mind and was grabbing at straws to conclude the story. This was especially annoying as I was propelled through the book by my interest in finding out if the baby was murdered or died of natural causes, and who murdered the baby if it was murder. The end simply did not ring true to the story. The ending put forth did not agree with many of the details that came before, and did not really make sense. This was sad, as it was a great story up until this point, and it deserved an ending that fit.
Note This review was previously posted on my blog, The Baking Bookworm ([...])

My Thoughts Even after living near a Mennonite community for more than 20 years I honestly have never researched a lot about them. I see and interact with them on a regular basis, but sadly and embarassingly, I did not truly know what the differences were between Amish and Mennonite ... until today when I began to research it more in depth.

From what I have been able to discover, both Amish and Mennonite believe in similar Christian doctrine but interpret that doctrine differently. Amish tend to follow the doctrine verbatim, separating themselves from the English community and may go as far as having untrimmed beards, hooks and pins instead of buttons, no electricity, horse-drawn transportation etc etc.

Mennonites branched off from this doctrine and can vary from 'old-order' (who use horse-drawn buggies, have no electricity etc) to more modern Mennonites who dress as you or I would, use modern conveniences but still attend a Mennonite church.
Ok now that we've had a meagre crash course in Amish/Mennonite differences let's chat about "Plain Truth". I enjoyed this book and found it interesting looking into the lives of an Amish family and see how they live as well as how this particular family and community dealt with the murder and forgiveness. She also brings to light the false notion that the Amish are unforgiving, saintly and live above reproach - something that the Amish are too humble to attempt and don't strive for. This erroneous view comes from the beliefs of English people.

The story itself was good but predictable. There were a couple of storylines in the book that I wasn't sure why they were included. For example, Katie's sister, Hannah's ghost and the whole ghostbuster theme. Katie's loss could have still been shown without a supernatural element. A supernatural element and Amish just didn't work for me in the same book.

Some of the book was a little unresearched or unrealistic. When one of Katie's friends visits the farm she's wearing in-line skates. Ok, fine. But from what I've witnessed on local farms the laneways aren't paved and Picoult has this girl rollerblading down the lane. Hmmm. Little things like that bug me.

Overall a good book with interesting lessons. I found it interesting to see how the belief systems we're raised with influences how we perceive and interact with the world around us. If you're looking for a good weekend read this is a good pick. If you're looking for something a little deeper and more suspenseful take a pass on this one.

My Rating 3.5/5 stars