From the bestselling author of My Sister's Keeper comes the riveting story of a murder that shatters the picturesque calm of Amish country -- and tests the heart and soul of the lawyer defending the woman at the center of the storm.
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 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 inside the world of those who live "plain," Ellie must find a way to reach Katie on her terms. And 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 reenters her life.
Plain Truth This is the first book I read of Jodi's. I loved it it was a page turner from the start. I liked the reserch she did with the amish religion and community. she really makes you think and her books are real life reading. I can't wait to read another.
Interesting and Enjoyable Despite Some Literary Faux Pas The story had some really original components, including an accurate but simple depiction of Amish life. Piccoult didn't spend more time than she had to with novelty details, or romanticizing the Amish. She gave us a balanced glimpse of both the pros and cons of the Plain Lifestyle, and how different Amish individuals interpret and respond to their unified beliefs and what's expected of them. This was really the most important point for me, since I was reading the novel as part of my research for a nonfiction article on the Amish. I believed, correctly, that I would find subtle characteristics in a novel that might be absent from text books, or even short stories by the Amish themselves. Things only an "Englisher" would notice. (And, as it turns out, Piccoult did spend a week on an Amish farm, which I had guessed from the writing, so that's a definite boon).
The storyline kept me guessing as well. Despite being reasonably good at guessing endings, I floundered a few times during the book in terms of what I thought had happened and what would become of the main characters.
The title "The Plain Truth" sounds like a superficial play on words about courtroom truth, but is actually a complex, fitting title, because much of the book is, in fact, about what the Amish hold to be true, vs. what the general U.S. population thinks "truth" is. Those distinct differences create a lot of tension, confusion and mystery, inside the courtroom, and out.
The ending I only enjoyed because it took me by surprise. I don't think it was the right one, if I take it literally, as most readers have. I chose to interpret this revelation with Amish ethics in mind, assuming that it was not the drastic situation it's made out to be, but more of an acceptance and aid to what was already transpiring. (I'd like to be more clear on that, but don't want to toss out any spoilers here!)
While a lot of this novel is subtle and original, there are some cliches that could have been played down a little, and not announced so blatantly, as if by a narrator who thinks the audience is a tad slow. Ellie's relationship fears, for instance. That courtroom scene where they are really talking to each other personally, and not about the case, or the scene where Coop explains how some people leave before they can be left. These were short snipets compared to the whole book, but the manuscript could have been all the better if those issues had been presented through actions and dialogue that wasn't so glaring.
The final of my few complaints is a big one. I may be a lot more sensitive to this than other readers are. It's kind of a pet peeve of mine. But... how many times in the same book can the entire cast of characters narrow their eyes and snort? It literally seemed that every few pages, "he narrowed his eyes," or "Katie narrowed her eyes," or "The judge narrowed her eyes slightly," or "she narrowed her eyes." It was so prevalent that I pictured all these bad actors in a film version of Plain Truth, all working very hard to narrow their eyes. There are so many different ways a face can look when its owner is wondering whether or not something sounds odd or suspicious. And such a variety of ways to describe that facial expression. The same goes for "snorting." Most every time in the book that anyone laughs, they "snort." The shy Amish girl snorts. The savvy tough-as-nail lawyer snorts, the prosecutor snorts, the good Amish wife snorts, the hopeless romantic psychologist snorts. All this snorting isn't terribly appealing and seems inconsistent with most of their personalities. Sure, once in a while, we all laugh a little too loudly and end up sounding like a hungry hog, but would this not distract you terribly if, in a two-hour movie, someone snorted every five minutes? I wish they could just simply "laugh." If the words used excessively were simpler, more common words, I wouldn't have noticed their high frequency as much, if at all. Sometimes a writer has written and rewritten and read and reread her own material so often, that the pages all blend together. That's why there are editors. These really minor fixes are things that an editor should have caught. Doing so would have made a good book great.
Loved it Just like all the others, this Jodi Piccoult novel kept me hooked til the end!
Pulled from the headlines... A newborn baby is found, dead, in a barn located on an Amish dairy farm. After a brief investigation, 18-year-old Katie Fisher is arrested and charged with murder. Even in the face of mounting evidence, Katie denies not only the murder, but also that she had a baby in the first place.
Katie's story is intertwined with that of Ellie Hathaway, the hard-as-nails defense attorney who takes on Katie's case as a favor to her Aunt Leda.
As in other Picoult novels, the topic is pulled from the headlines and much of the story centers around Katie's trial and the inevitable twist at the end.
Well developed characters and a detailed and realistic peek into Amish life.
Not an accurate depiction of Lancaster County I grew up in Lancaster County so after reading My Sister's Keeper I was very interested in reading this novel. I give it two stars simply because I managed to finish it. I was very disappointed with this book. First of all, as other reviewers have mentioned, the two main characters are extremely unlikable. Secondly, I got the feeling that the author did a lot of research on the Amish, but never actually stepped foot in Lancaster County. There are far too many "writer's privileges" to make me trust anything else the author is trying to sell. (Like that you have to travel to Philadelphia to get a non Pennsylvania Dutch meal) I realize that this is fiction but I feel that many people are probably going to read this hoping to learn about the Amish culture I just want to make it clear that this is based on the stereotypes. If you are hoping to have a mildly interesting read then by all means... If you have any hope of learning something new about Amish life, please, read an encyclopedia. Or better yet spend one day in Paradise, PA.
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