The discovery of a dead infant in an Amish barn shakes Lancaster County to its core. But the police investigation leads to a more shocking disclosure: circumstantial evidence suggests that that eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher, an unmarried Amish woman believed to be the newborn's mother, took the child's life. When Ellie Hathaway, a disillusioned big city attorney, comes to Paradise, Pennsylvania, to defend Katie, two cultures collide - and, for the first time in her high profile career, Ellie faces a system of justice very different from her own. Delving deep into the world of those who live 'plain', Ellie must find a way to reach Katie on her terms. As she unravels a tangled murder case, Ellie also looks deep within - to confront her own fears and desires when a man from her past comes back into her life.
Jodi Picoult grew up in Nesconset, New York. She received an A.B. in creative writing from Princeton and a master's degree in education from Harvard. Her previous novels include Keeping Faith, The Pact, and Mercy. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children.
Title: Plain Truth
Author: Jodi Picoult
ISBN: 9780340835470
Binding:
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication Date: 2004-10-25
Number of Pages: 480
Weight: 0.3221 kg
'A new author over here with around 9 titles behind her in the US. She is quite a find, in Anita Shreve territory, an author tackling gritty problems. This involves the supposed murder of a premature baby in an Amish community, and was give high marks by my reader. But I'm told better is to come. Hodder is launching her quietly now, hoping for word-of-mouth support and will splash out with a big campaign for the next in Spring 2005. So watch out, she's worth supporting.' -- Bookseller - Sarah Broadhurst - ONES TO WATCH 'Speaking of Anne Tyler, Hodder's recent US acquisition Jodi Picoult seems to be aimed at a similar market. Plain Truth is the second novel I've read by this author and it was highly enjoyable. A young lawyer attempts to defend an Amish teenager who denies murdering her newborn son, despite compelling evidence to the contrary. The characterisation is perhaps less complex than in Tyler's novels, but Picout has an eye for detail and is a dab hand with plot twists.' -- Bookseller - Suzie Doore - Booksellers Choice 'Jodi Picoult's two UK debut titles are thought-provoking, fascinating and tense. Plain Truth features hard-bitten Ellie Hathaway, a city attorney whose belief are challenged when she defends an Amish teenage mother accused of murdering her baby. Picoult's choice of subject matter is causing a stir in the press, and she is guaranteed to become a bestseller.' -- Bookseller - Lisa Milton - Booksellers Choice 'Reads like a cross between the Harrison Ford movie WITNESS and Scott Turow's novel PRESUMED INNOCENT' -- Arizona Republic 'Elegant, flowing prose - totally addictive and gripping' -- Western Mail Series 'It's fabulously written - the reader gets great insight into the Amish way of life. A great holiday read.' -- You Magazine, South Africa 'this is a gripping and entertaining story, a combination of murder mystery and courtroom drama... a solid story, with several layers and a fascinating setting... in Picoult's handling, the Amish community and way of life achieves a sympathetic reality.' -- The Witness, South Africa 'Picoult's characters leap off the page, and her plot building is crisp, which results in a most enjoyable read. Pack it into your beach bag right away!' -- You Magazine, South Africa 'Picoult ably explores a complex subject with bravado and clarity, and comes up with a heart-wrenching, unexpected plot twist at the book's conclusion. ' -- Publishers Weekly on MY SISTER'S KEEPER 'Absorbing and affecting' -- Entertainment Weekly 'Picoult has become a master - almost a clairvoyant - at targeting hot issues and writing highly readable page-turners about them ... [[I]t is impossible not to be held spellbound by the way she forces us to think, hard, about right and wrong.' -- Washington Post on MY SISTER'S KEEPER 'A suspenseful, richly layered drama, Picoult's novel never loses its grip' -- People
