Plain Truth

Most of the books I read are classics. Most of my reviews include detailed plot summaries. But this book is not a classic and because it is a mystery a summary would undermine its ability to surprise the reader. So to avoid that issue I’m not going to include a detailed plot summary.

This is the first book I’ve read by Jodi Picoult and I’m impressed. I had mixed expectations that this would be just a commercial success and not much of a challenge. I was wrong. It’s much better written than what I had been expecting. It’s definitely a page turner and I read it quickly as I kept on wanting to know what was going to happen. The basic story is about a young Amish girl, Katie, who has a premature baby out of wedlock, the newborn show more dies. The question quickly becomes did she kill it. The narrator is a high powered Philadelphia lawyer, Ellie, who discovers that Katie is her cousin. There’s also a parallel subplot throughout the story. Ellie hires a psychiatrist to evaluate Katie who denies being pregnant. The psychiatrist she turns to was in love with Ellie twenty years ago when they were in college. That’s the setup.

What stands out about this book is its breadth. The author gives us an in depth understanding of Amish life. Even the book’s title, Plain Truth, plays on the double meaning of the word plain. I only understood that when I learned that Amish are considered “the plain people”. We also learn much about their relationship with others, whom they call “English”; their farm customs; their communal justice system; their restricted use of modern technology especially electricity; the role of deacon and the bishop; the importance of family; their courting process; how individuality always defers to the community and standing out is frowned upon; their avoidance of the English judicial system; how individuals cope with all of this; how females defer to males; how the rest of the world adjusts to them; why they can not lie; the role of confession and forgiveness; how shunning and excommunication work; and much more.

Then there are all the medical details. The changes to the body during pregnancy; what causes premature delivery; what happens during birth and immediately after; the role of the umbilical cord; what medical examiners look at; what pathologists look at; what psychiatrists look at; how different foods impact the body; how females are different; the role of emotions; the role of social expectations; what Pasteurization achieves; and much more.

Then there are the legal details. The expectations of all lawyers; the role of judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, police, expert witnesses for each side; when clients can overrule their lawyers; when lawyers can overrule their clients; how a trial proceeds; the role of doubt; the role of all witnesses; the role of forensics; how punishment options factor into the picture; how bargaining over pleas work; and much more.

Beyond breadth the author has also mastered storytelling. While this is quite detailed it keeps us entertained. There are events early on that make sense only later. There are plot twists that keep us wondering where this will end. The subplot enriches our insight into the main plot. The story is complex. There are issues that never get thoroughly resolved, allowing the reader to make their own decisions about pieces of the plot. Bravo. show less

Ich muss zugeben, als ich anfing dieses Buch zu lesen bezweifelte ich, ob das unerklärliche Verschwinden eines Neugeborenen (und der damit aufzuklärende Zeitraum von zwei Stunden) ausreicht, um bei einem Buch mit 460 Seiten am Ball zu bleiben. Meine Zweifel schwanden, ich blieb dran.
Der Tod des Neugeborenen ist der Anlass, dass zwei Welten aufeinanderprallen, die unterschiedlicher kaum sein könnten: Die der Amischen und der 'Englischen' (moderne westliche Gesellschaft). Die 'englische' Anwältin verteidigt ihre unbekannte amische Cousine und zieht aus diesem Grund für eine längere Zeit bei ihr und ihrer Familie ein. Der Zusammenstoss dieser zweier Welten ist für beide Seiten nicht einfach.
Picoult beschreibt eindrücklich nicht show more nur die für uns recht unbekannte Lebensweise der Amischen, sondern vermittelt auf einfühlsame Art und Weise auch einen Einblick in die Gefühls- und Gedankenwelt dieser Menschen, die der unseren sehr fremd ist. Durch die wechselnde Erzählperspektive (ein Kapitel erzählt Elli, die Anwältin, das andere ein 'allwissender' Erzähler) werden immer wieder Denkanstöße im Hinblick auf unseren eigenen Lebensstil geliefert, ohne jedoch mit dem erhobenen Zeigefinger zu winken.
Diese unterschiedliche Perspektive liefert auch die Spannung: Durch den 'allwissenden' Erzähler weiss man immer ein bisschen mehr als die Anwältin, aber nie genug, um alle Fragen zu klären.
Vier Sterne gibt es 'nur', weil so einige Ungereimtheiten auftauchen: Die am Tatort verschwundene Schere interessiert keinen Menschen (ok, hätte man sie gesucht und gefunden, wäre der Schluss ohne Aha-Effekt. Aber trotzdem.), Katie, die amische junge Frau, macht ein Geständnis und Elli, die sie mittlerweile schon Monate sehr gut kennt, merkt nicht wie es gemeint war (sogar ich hab's gemerkt :-)), Und ein wirklich übler Fehler: S. 311, Katie hat acht Monate die Schwangerschaft verborgen, S. 312, die Geburt war 2 1/2 Monate zu früh (also 6 1/2 Monate), S. 316, die Schwangerschaft wurde sieben Monate geheimgehalten. Ja was denn nun?
Ansonsten aber ein guter Roman mit einem guten und (so hoffe ich) realistischen Einblick in eine recht unbekannte Welt (nicht auf den Klappentext achten, es ist kein Thriller, auch kein psychologischer; eine mitreißende Freundschaft zweier...Frauen - stark übertrieben). show less

I'm not sure what to rate this book. I figured out the big surprise pretty early on but was hoping I was wrong. I thought maybe I was and was pretty angry when it was confirmed at the very end. It was a well crafted story and I appreciate that she didn't take the easy way out with the characters. It was much more emotionally griping than I had anticipated.

Loved this book! The writing of the Amish way of life meeting up with the "English" justice system is superbly written. The way the story intertwines is great and I loved the way it ended. Took my breath away!

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 is a review I wrote in 2007:

I approached this novel like a blank canvas, as it's the first of Picoult's novels that I've read. I was totally captivated from the start by the author's obvious depth of understanding and involvement with the "Plain" people she writes about, The Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Having visited an Amish town only once (as a tourist), I'm no expert on Amish culture and have been mystified by it in the past, but I do now feel as though Picoult has given me some insights into their beliefs and way of life.

The discovery of a dead newborn baby on an Amish farm shocks the community, and as it turns into a murder investigation draws in renowned lawyer, Ellie, caught up in the drama as she visits her aunt show more nearby. Ellie soon finds herself agreeing to represent the young girl accused, Katie.

Picoult soon draws the reader into an empathy with both Ellie and Katie, and the twisting plot which slowly and cleverly unravels held my attention right the way through the novel. I found my attention slipped only when the case came to trial and there was a lot of repetition of detail already covered. However, I was really just impatient to reach the end and the outcome of the trial! The twist at the end of the book is clever and thought provoking, but in a way it's a shame it wasn't left open....

A great read. Couldn't put it down. Highly recommended! show less

A mystery revolving around the murder of an infant in an Amish community that brings together seemingly opposite characters in a young Amish woman struggling with her progression into adulthood and a big city lawyer feeling disillusioned with her work and lifestyle. An engaging story line with captivating characters, but there were a few too many subplots that distracted from the author's purpose followed by an abrupt plot twist in the final few pages that came across as clumsy.