About the Book
When a newborn baby dies after a routine hospital procedure, there is no doubt about who will be held responsible: the nurse who had been banned from looking after him by his father.
What the nurse, her lawyer and the father of the child cannot know is how this death will irrevocably change all of their lives, in ways both expected and not.
Small Great Things is about prejudice and power; it is about that which divides and unites us.
It is about opening your eyes.
My thoughts
Firstly, I have to say that I read this back when it was still being sent out as the #ReadWithoutPrejudice novel and I loved having the chance to read a novel with no preconceptions. I had no idea who wrote it, what it was about or even what the cover design was when I received it! It was so refreshing and it has made me think a bit more about perhaps not paying such close attention to the synopsis when choosing a book in the future!
Small Great Things grabbed me within the first few pages and I found that when I wasn’t reading it I was looking forward to getting back to it. I read this novel without knowing who had written it but I am a fan of Jodi Picoult and I soon began to wonder if it was her new novel.
This novel isn’t perfect but it confronts race issues head on and references very recent high profile racially motivated killings in America. It’s hard to read at times but the thing that Jodi Picoult does so well in her novels is that she always makes you think without it feeling forced.
The ending is a little bit too neat but then this is what we want from Jodi Picoult’s novels, some kind of resolution and justice to a degree. There are issues with some of the characters being a little one-dimensional but I have to say that for the most part none of this took away from my enjoyment of the novel. I love getting completely lost in a book, and I love books that are great to read but that also give me pause for thought. This novel stayed in my head for quite a while after I’d finished reading it, which is always the sign of an enjoyable read.
This is a thought-provoking novel about race, prejudice and power – I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves fiction that is easy to get wrapped up in but that also gives you something to think about.
I received this novel from Hodder and Stoughton via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
RatherTooFondofBooks 
A very powerful book.
I still haven’t read anything from Jodie Picoult despite Picture Perfect being on my shelf, but I have only heard good things about this book. I am glad you were able to enjoy it even if it contains a few flaws.
I used to love Jodi Picoult’s novels years ago but I think I read too many too close together and they began to feel a bit same-y. It was great to read this one without knowing it was her as it got me back into enjoying her writing again. It’s definitely a novel worth reading and I hope you enjoy it if you decide to read it. I can’t remember if I’ve read Picture Perfect, I’ll have to go look it up to see if it rings a bell.
I loved this book, and I had the same feelings when reading it. I wanted to keep reading, and when I wasn’t, I was eager to return to it. Thanks for sharing.
Ooh you all make me want to read it now!
Great review! I really want to read this, I love Jodi Picoult!
Thank you. I hope you enjoy the book if you decide to read it.
Me too! You’re so welcome 🙂
I agree with Hayley: if you read too many Jodi Picoult books one after the other, they end up a bit same-y. Despite that, Picoult is a marvellous author.
I hadn’t read Picoult for a while and enjoyed this as well although it felt a tad preachy at times.