Plain Truth is about one Amish family's struggle when a stillborn baby is discovered dead in the barn. Aaron and Sarah Fisher own the farm with two young boys helping out, Samuel and his cousin. Aaron and Sarah had three kids, Jacob(eldest sibling) got shunned because he wanted to study, Hannah(youngest) died when she was seven years, and Katia who is possibly pregnant. Ellie is katie's attorney so Ellie has to go and live with the Fisher's and tries to find out everything about Katie. Katie keeps admitting that she never had a baby, but how long is this lie going to end? If she says she never had a baby, then why is she proven to be pregnant? To find out, read Plain Truth. ( )

2005

In an Amish setting, it is intriguing to learn of their cultural differences. This book will keep you in suspense until the very end. ( )

Excellent

I did not enjoy this book as much as the couple of other Jodi Picoult books I have read. The other books seemed to have heartwrenching moral issues that this one didn't have for me. It was more like the sort of whodunits that fill out the majority of my reading material. I like the Picoult's for a change of pace, which it was, and while I still enjoyed it - it was not my favorite. I may have actually liked it more before the last two pages - I think I would have preferred to come to my own conclusion in this story. I have 2 more Picoults waiting for me on my TBR shelve - and still looking forward to them. ( )

A newborn baby is found, dead, in a barn located on an Amish dairy farm. After a brief investigation, 18-year-old Katie Fisher is arrested and charged with murder. Even in the face of mounting evidence, Katie denies not only the murder, but also that she had a baby in the first place.

Katie's story is intertwined with that of Ellie Hathaway, the hard-as-nails defense attorney who takes on Katie's case as a favor to her Aunt Leda.

As in other Picoult novels, the topic is pulled from the headlines and much of the story centers around Katie's trial and the inevitable twist at the end.

Well developed characters and a detailed and realistic peek into Amish life. ( )

My first book by this author and I can totally understand why she is so popular.

This addicting mystery takes place in Lancaster, PA as an 18 year Amish girl (Katie Fisher) is accused of murdering her newborn infant. A distant cousin, Ellie Hathaway, defends her and due to the bail needs to live with her for the months prior to her trail.

Very well written, tight story, wonderful language and descriptions of the often unknown sector in our society. ( )

As I like the way Piccoult writes, I enjoyed this book as I have all her others. Her take on the Plain People was educated and informative. ( )

I have read every one of Jodi Picoult's books, and consider her one of my favorite authors. That being said, I will admit that her older books, such as this one, tend to be my favorites, rather than the later books she has published. I love them all, but Plain Truth, My Sister's Keeper, Harvesting the Heart, and Picture Perfect are my go-to's when I need a good re-read!
Her books tend to contain court scenes and quite a lot of medical jargon; you will come across rare medical conditions, as well as very "hot button" topics in today's world.
Plain Truth is set in Amish country, which in itself is interesting because of what we as a society don't know. For the research of this book the author has said she actually stayed with an Amish family for a bit, and gathered information about routines and such from the "inside". I love this book for many reasons, one being that the characters are so solid you can imagine them easily. It is easy to jump right in, there is not a lot of background that you have to get through to begin the story- it flows well, as all her books do.
Definitely a book to try if you've never read any of her books- this one is a great place to start!

What an excellent book...the way Jodi Picoult dealt with the problem in this story was outstanding..the Amish way of life is a difficult one for those of us who don't live it, but everyone has his/her own beliefs. Jodi Picoult sure did her research.

I loved the book and the story and felt sorry for the main character...the ending was one I never would have guessed...the book was a mystery as well as a great story. ( )

first Jodi Picoult book I have read. Will definitely be reading more books by author. ( )

Readability Factor: Easy and very engaging. Some scenes were hard to stomach as a new mother.
Predictability Factor: Either I'm too smart, or Picoult was too obvious. So well-written, however, that I invested myself in 400 pages hoping that I was wrong about "whodunnit," and the author would surprise me. Alas.
Couldn't Put it Down Factor: Five stars. (See why the ending was so disappointing?)
Recommend it? Sure. Just know this. Your first guess as to who did it is wrong. Your second guess is right.
Overall Rating: Four stars. Smart, intriguing, suspenseful and rich. ( )

Only Jodi PIcoult book I really liked.

Not my usual sort of book, essentially a whodunit plus courtroom drama. I thought the culprit was a different family member right up to the denouement , but I was close , and the rationale was reasonable. (and for once I managed not to peek).
Good read - undemanding but interesting. ( )

I thought this was one of her better titles that kind of threw me for a loop. I had no idea the person who had done it till the very end, so I was shocked! Jodi becomes very familiar with the topics that she writes about and does it again with the amish culture. ( )

She's definitely an accomplished writer, very adept at switching perspectives between characters. She has an identifiable style, but I was left with a who cares kind of feeling when I finished in Plain Truth. I'll try one of her other pieces though. ( )

Excellent

This was my first Jodi Picoult, and to be quite honest, I could not put it down!
Loved it. ( )

This book had a little bit of suspense, a little bit of love relationships, a little bit of court room drama but it was an excellant book - it was the first Jodi picoult book that I had written and enjoyed every word of it. ( )

Another fabulous and thoughtful tale of ethics from Jodi Picoult. ( )

Was very interested by her descriptions of the Amish community. Enjoyed the basic plot; however, thought it moved along too slowly. Got bored about half-way through and flipped to the back to see how it was going to end. ( )

My first read for 2009.

Picked it up in the oversized paperback section of the library because there were multiple copies (a good sign of a popular title) and the back jacket description.

Great read, to the point where I'm having trouble putting it down. First book I've read by Jodi Picoult but it won't be the last. ( )

This was the first Jodi Picoult book I've read, and I really enjoyed it! I like reading and learning about different ways of living. This is the second book featuring the Amish I've read in a month, and I feel like I understand the culture a little better than I did. ( )

I enjoyed reading this book right up until the last page. The final twist and resolution ruined it for me. Jodi Picoult built up a very believable portrait of the Amish people then on the last page asks me to believe that two characters with great integrity are not as principled as I thought. I could not swallow the way she justifies a murder.It left a very bad taste in my mouth. ( )

This was another Picoult novel that gives an inside look at the challenges that can occur with the American justice system. This is the story of Katie Fisher, a young Amish woman, living in rural Pennsylvania. She is accused of murdering her newborn baby boy - a birth and death that she cannot recollect. In fact, she completely denies the idea that she had been pregnant in the first place.

As usual, Picoult gives us such complex characters - even though one may find individual acts reprehensible and completely against one's moral code, there's usually something so compelling in so many of the characters that they're hard not to like. In this case, we are presented with the accusation of the purposeful death of a newborn child, and are meanwhile presented with the fascinating way of life the Amish live and how murder is so totally out of tune with the ethics of that community. It was truly delightful to learn a little bit about a way of life so foreign to mine (even as a nonreligious person).

So what did happen to Baby Fisher? As usual with Picoult, there are many twists and turns that keep the pages turning. As soon as you think the mystery is solved, we're presented with a new piece of evidence that throws every theory out the window. This was another great page turner from Picoult! ( )