Play Book Tag discussion

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
4 out of 5 Stars
Audiobook

“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

It had been quite some time since I had returned to the writings of Jodi Picoult. I always appreciate her ability to take a social issue and explore it through extremely well written fiction. This book was no different and as such presented the opportunity for great insight.

I have long enjoyed works that explore the difference between reality and perception. In Small Great Things Picoult explores the idea that we can believe we are standing up for justice and equality while in reality we are not seeing the world as it truly exist. This work should create a conversation about how the blatant acts of some are not nearly as dangerous as the "good intentions" of others.

I also really appreciate the beauty of the writing that Picoult employs. I listened to this book with my wife as we traveled, but there were so many times that I wanted to underline a sentence. The language is so well employed that it is truly moving at times.

“Babies are such blank slates. They don’t come into this world with the assumptions their parents have made, or the promises their church will give, or the ability to sort people into groups they like and don’t like. They don’t come into this world with anything, really, except a need for comfort. And they will take it from anyone, without judging the giver. I wonder how long it takes before the polish given by nature gets worn off by nurture.”

“It is amazing how you can look in a mirror your whole life and think you are seeing yourself clearly. And then one day, you peel off a filmy gray layer of hypocrisy, and you realize you’ve never truly seen yourself at all."

Overall, an excellent work of fiction that brings the ugly nature of our world into full focus.