Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

As an avid reader of Jodi Picoult, I cannot say that I am surprised at how much I enjoyed my latest read, Plain Truth. For each of her novels that I have read (which is fourteen, if you must know), I am usually genuinely pleased and moved by the ending, and Picoult did not disappoint this time around. After finishing the book on Friday afternoon, I immediately picked up another of her books that I have not read, and I immediately felt that pang I always feel when I know I will truly miss the story, and the characters. I’m sure this story will stay with me for some time.

Plain Truth tells the story of Katie Fisher, an eighteen year old girl, who secretly births a child out of wedlock. The child disappears only to be found later on, dead. Katie is accused of the murder, and Ellie Hathaway, an attorney from Philadelphia, takes on her case. What makes the book all the more interesting is that Katie isn’t like other girls in society, who find their peers to be pregnant all the time. Katie is Amish, so not only does she think differently, but convicting someone who is Amish is extremely different than convicting someone of the English world, as their faith must be taken into consideration. The Amish, after all, are not known to be violent. They are raised to always put themselves after everyone else.

Picoult does a brilliant job of painting a picture, even for those who are unfamiliar, of the Amish life. The characters are not only believable, but as a reader, I fell in love with them. They became a part of my life over the past two weeks. Page by page, you get to know them; you learn their stories, and are allowed room to speculate before Picoult finally reveals the truth. It is the realistic characters, three-dimensional storyline, and the honesty seen in the storytelling that has pushed this book to the top of my favorite’s list. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read: Anyone who is willing to explore the depths of intimacy, death, love and the life’s of those different than us.