Registration now closed

West Branch Fiction Book Discussion

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

West Branch's monthly book discussion. July: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult.

Join us for West Branch's monthly book discussion group! We read a variety of contemporary fiction and non-fiction and meet once a month for a thought-provoking conversation.

Please register for in-person, as seating is limited. Contact discussion facilitator Dani Linn at dtlinn@aurorapubliclibrary.org for more information or for a Zoom link to join us virtually if you're new to the group.

Ask at the West Branch Circulation Desk for print copies; your copy will be on the hold shelf if you're registered.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?

Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.

With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn’t offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game.

Upcoming events