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Plain Truth

by Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author)

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 81,204 ratings · 4,628 reviews

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 Para...more

Paperback, 405 pages

Published August 2007 by Washington Square Press (first published May 1st 2000)

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Nov 18, 2007 Jami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I could hardly put it down from the minute I started reading it. I think Picoult has a genuine talent for writing and coming up with unique story ideas.

SPOILER AHEAD!

There were a couple of things that bothered me at the end, though. I had pretty much figured out halfway through the book that Sarah had been aware of her daughter's pregnancy and was the one who had hidden the dead infant. I really felt, though, that it was inconsistent of Sarah to have both kil...more

49 likes · like · see review

Jan 16, 2008 Anemone rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this book was pretty crummy even though it was a page-turner. I really wanted to know what happens to Katie, and what happened to the baby so I kept reading, but I didn't really enjoy the experience--I won't be reading again. Too much filler, not enough book.

Specifically:
* It's set among the Amish. However, I get the feeling the author doesn't really understand them, she just thought it'd be a cool setting. That irritates me.
* It's full of overused elements, such "city girl goes to far...more

22 likes · like · see review

Aug 06, 2008 Jann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jann by: Jill Stewart

Far be it for me to ruin anything for anyone who has yet to read this, but I really hated the end. I really, really hated it. This book had five stars in my head until I read the ending, if that gives you any indication how much I hated the ending.

Now, that being said: the rest of this book was great. The characters, for the most part, had depth and were questioning various aspects of their own morality. I have to admit that the main character, Ellie, fell a little flat. Okay, a lot flat. What...more Far be it for me to ruin anything for anyone who has yet to read this, but I really hated the end. I really, really hated it. This book had five stars in my head until I read the ending, if that gives you any indication how much I hated the ending.

Now, that being said: the rest of this book was great. The characters, for the most part, had depth and were questioning various aspects of their own morality. I have to admit that the main character, Ellie, fell a little flat. Okay, a lot flat. What is it with Jodi Picoult and these emotionally incompentent ambitious female attorneys who meet a kind, gentle male and then question their career plans and fear of commitment? It's getting a little old and it's only the second book of hers I've read. I'm kind of hoping it isn't a theme, because I've had several friends promise that other stories of hers are worth reading. I'm not sure I can stand one more two-dimensional character with a brash personality.

The rest of the characters were much better. From the simple and adoring farmboy-suitor, Samuel, who is the Plain match for Katie (our accused) all the way through the stoic and suffering father who is racked with guilt at how his family's lives have turned out, the Amish characters are engrossing. But they seem truly Amish in this: not a single one is more likeable or unlikeable as the next. There isn't a single one who stands out. Even Katie, as a central character, really blends in with those around her.

The underlying themes of disassociation with painful subjects, how to be true to yourself and your beliefs when no one believes you, accepting responsiblity for both appearances and your actions, and ultimately how a lie is okay as long as it makes everything better for those around you (that might be snide, because I don't think that's what the author was trying to convey--did I mention I hated the ending?) will resonate with readers for a long time after the book is closed. I'm not sure it's enough to keep me going back for more, though.(less)

11 likes · like · see review

Apr 06, 2011 MJ Nicholls rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, merkins, the-art-of-loathing, distaff

My interview with the fêted author, taken from Real Bewks Magazine (June 2010):

Tell us about your latest book, My Crazy Family.

It is a tale of families, I suppose. Families and how they screw us up! Ha-ha-ha! In my last book, Auntie Janet’s Gallstone, I drew heavily from my experiences with my Auntie Janet. She is such a brave woman and I felt I had to tell her story, you know? I didn’t even think about it, I just wrote it down. In this book, I took a different approach. I looked at my family an...more

12 likes · like · see review

Jun 13, 2008 Angeld01 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was so good - but as I have come to expect from Jodi Picoult.

I have ready reviews that classify her a pulp, or in the same class as a John Grisham novel...and I think that's really unfair. Jodi is always good...even when she's just okay (as in Sister's Keeper). And while a lot of her themes come from headlines (she's like the novel versions of Law and Order) they always have a different twist that takes a lot of sensitivity and creativity.

The Plain Truth was no exception. Although most...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2008 Kipi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kipi by: Haylee

Shelves: fiction

My daughter mentioned to me that she had read several of Jodi Picoult's books and said that she thought I should read one. I have to admit that I had seen the books before, but they just didn't appeal to me; however, on Haylee's recommendation I gave this one a try. Wow. I literally could not put it down. I read until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning several days in a row, only stopping when I could not keep my eyes open any longer. Ms. Picoult is a brilliant writer who can draw her reader into the l...more

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Jul 30, 2007 Khaya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteriesthrillers, bookclub

Well, I have to say this -- Jodi Picoult writes a gripping story. The book had its flaws -- there were aspects which were difficult to believe and/or could have been better written, and I wasn't 100% sure she got the Amish thing right, even though she claims to have received affirmation to that effect from formerly Amish individuals. However, I give her credit for selecting an original topic and setting, and maintaining my consistently high level of interest for 400-some pages (even though I did...more

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Apr 23, 2008 Maria rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one.

I have read many of Jodi Picoult's books and I have to say this one sucked. I was not intrigued by Katie, I was annoyed and exasperated with her.

The dialogue was cheesy in many areas, and the whole thing with Hannah’s ghost was just stupid. I mean, it really does seem that the only reason the ghost was added was so that the author could explain Katie’s attraction to Adam. Oh look, he’s a ghost hunter and I see a ghost—hmmm, it must be meant to be: we should have sex. Blah.

I’m really disappointe...more

18 likes · like · see review

Feb 22, 2009 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a beautifully written story with twists and turns and an engaging plot throughout! The writing was clever, the organization was fun, and the multi-character points of view were rewarding. The story, the case, and the mystery were all so very well presented. I enjoyed being in on some secrets and guessing on others.

I liked how the book dealt with and showed many sides to a sensitive, ethical issue. It made me think about what I would do or how I would react in those situations. I felt like...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 21, 2008 Annette rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow. I think I just found a new favorite contemporary author. I'll have to read more of Picoult.

6 likes · like · see review

Mar 21, 2009 Dannika rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had resisted reading a book by this author for a long time, without any valid reason, just because I saw her all over on the shelves at Target, or something. Boy am I sorry I did. I really liked listening to this book even though the voices of the narrators bothered me. The characters and the story were compelling even though they were mildly predictable, but not in a take your intelligence for granted kind of way. I now look forward to reading other books by Jodi Picoult and am glad that I jo...more

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May 24, 2010 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fiction

This was a great book, rich in detail and drama. Katie Fisher, a young unmarried Amish woman, gives birth in secret and the infant's body is found dead in her family's barn. Her distant cousin, Ellie Hathaway becomes involved and ends up representing Katie in a controversial court-room drama. In preparation for the trial, Ellie lives with the Fishers on their farm and learns the customs of the Amish.

Picoult delivers a very emotional story narrated alternately in third person and first person fr...more

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Jul 09, 2009 Terri Ann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

This is a difficult book to rate in a similar, though less extreme, fashion as was The DaVinci Code. Compelling story, poor writing. I selected this book from the paperback table in Maui because of Ms. Picoult's pedigree, Yale and Princeton, an interest in the story line, and an attraction to her, that should we crosspaths we'd become quick coffee friends.

She's also written 14 novels and been given awards for her entire body of work. Thus, I was shocked by the writing style, which was overly ex...more This is a difficult book to rate in a similar, though less extreme, fashion as was The DaVinci Code. Compelling story, poor writing. I selected this book from the paperback table in Maui because of Ms. Picoult's pedigree, Yale and Princeton, an interest in the story line, and an attraction to her, that should we crosspaths we'd become quick coffee friends.

She's also written 14 novels and been given awards for her entire body of work. Thus, I was shocked by the writing style, which was overly expository and suggested to me a screenplay, rather than a novel. Rather than generating ideas of what the main characters would look like, I rather quickly cast Laura Linney and Oliver Platt in my mind's eye. So many of the passages suggested stage direction rather than supporting the storyline.

The writing also suggested Ms. Picoult was very proud of her research into the Amish (Plain people), and neonatricide. The material wasn't well integrated into the story. It felt as though a narrator would occasionally step out on stage and read from a written page, some notes on one of Ms. Picoult's research topics. Having some knowledge of the Amish, which I assume is an average amount for a relatively well-read America, I found the Amishness of the book far too elementary, so much as to explain that there are Amish people in Pennsylvania, they drive buggies, and wear plain clothing. Rumspringa seems even to have entered into common cultural understanding. The constant use of some Dietsch (Amish German dialect) words, noted in italics, in the midst of "translated" Dietch conversations was trite and annoying.

On the other hand, the story of neonatricide (murdering one's own newly born child) was novel, and I enjoy any fiction to do with the Amish.

Oh, and the resolution of court case was dissappointing.

On a side note, we should have all realized how atrocious the writing in The DaVinci Code was going to be from the title. Properly, it should be The Leonardo Code. The selected title means "The From Vinci Code". Da Vinci is not a last name.

So, great beach read, somewhat of a page turner, not nearly as cloying as The From Vinci Code, but it was no Tom Robbins.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Terri Ann Holly,

It is disappointing that your response overlooks the critical nature of my review and you've made assumptions regarding my writing ability. I w...more
Jul 09, 2009 09:36am

Niki Forgive me for my rudeness...and my disgraceful start of a response with the word 'um.' Perhaps I assumed that Picoult was a better novelist than you...more Forgive me for my rudeness...and my disgraceful start of a response with the word 'um.' Perhaps I assumed that Picoult was a better novelist than you and bristled at your criticism of her. (The assumption is an easy one to make, seeing as she is at the top of bestseller lists and you are not. Is it not natural to assume that Picoult is a better writer than any random, nonpublished person on Goodreads? I shouln't, you are right, have stated it so crudely in my previous response.) I am from the school of thought that if you can't do it better, keep your thoughts to yourself. I realize that I was unnecessarily cruel and I apologize profusely.

Regarding the 'critical nature of your review,' I do have a few things to say. I find Picoult's prose beautiful, and not at all in the category of 'screenplay.' I wish you had given examples of passages that you found lacking so that I could further understand your reasoning. I am a writer, though a young, unpublished, ignorant one. As a writer reading Picoult's novels, I found that there were phrases that almost brought me to tears with their almost poetic grace. I also enjoyed learning more about the Amish culture. I went in with no knowledge of the Plain people, other than the fact that they didn't watch TV. Although I am fifteen and perhaps more ignorant than most about the ways of the Amish, you must consider the fact that Picoult is writing for the general American, not an Amish expert. Is it not understandable for her to then provide us with a rudimentary description of the Amish culture? I, personally, would not have understood nearly as much about the book without that courtesy.

Again, I apologize for my previous rudeness and hope that you can find it in you to forgive my previous lapse in kindness. You seem like a very intelligent person (sorry, making another assumption ;) and I would actually enjoy getting to know you, despite the less than cordial nature of our meeting. The fault of that is all mine, of course. I enjoy a healthy debate, so if you are in need of a heated argument regarding literary works, let me know!

Again, I am VERY sorry.

Holly(less)
Jul 09, 2009 10:04pm

Terri Ann Holly,

I think it's great that as a young writer you're exploring a variety of writing styles and practicing your critical discourse in forums such as...more
Jul 10, 2009 10:11am

Dec 16, 2007 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone interested in good character development

Shelves: 2008

I finished this at about 1 am this morning! That and the excessive amount of snow outside are why I am not at church. Well, that and the fact that I am going to a Christmas party this afternoon as well as grocery shopping and that’s enough time to leave Peggy Sue at home alone. But I digress.

I loved this book. One of Picoult’s strengths is her character development and cd was outstanding in this book. She clearly does good research too. I’ve read quite a lot of fiction about the Amish and she ca...more

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Feb 04, 2008 L rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Picoult fans and those always meaning to try one

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Nov 01, 2007 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dear Miss Richard,
The book I’m currently reading is called Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult. It’s about an Amish baby that’s found dead in a barn who might have been killed by its own mother, an eighteen-year-old Amish girl named Katie Fisher. Ellie Hathaway ends up becoming Katie’s attorney for the case after she arrives at her aunt’s house for a visit. There’s one huge snag in this case: Katie won’t admit she had the baby. She denies giving birth over and over and OVER! This is just making the cas...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 29, 2008 Dawn Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who is interested in Amish life and isn't bothered by language

Recommended to Dawn Michelle by: Kelly Maister

This was an interesting book. Having read "My Sister's Keeper" (and loving it), I was excited to get into another Jodi Picoult book (and to get away from Jane Eyre for awhile).
I was somewhat surprised at the language, but otherwise, the book was really good.
This is the story of Katie, an Amish girl who wakes up one morning and finds that she is standing accused of murdering her newborn son. Trouble is, she doesn't remember being pregnant and doesn't remember giving birth. It is also the story of...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 13, 2008 Carol rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 25, 2007 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second Jodi Picoult book I have read and there seems to be a common theme...the twist at the end. I will not give it away, but there definately was one in here. The twist might make you a little mad, just like it did in the other Picoult book, My Sister's Keeper.

I thought I knew about the Amish before reading this book, but really I had no clue. Much of their culture is explained in the book and it's very interesting. The author did a ton of research on the "plain".

The beginning of...more

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May 02, 2009 Leslie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 13, 2009 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first Jodi Picoult novel that I've read and I have got to be honest- I'm not too impressed.
"Plain Truth" is about an Amish girl who secretly had a baby and is being accused of killing it and a big shot girl-power lawyer who tries to defend her. The story line itself is interesting and is what compelled me to finish. I like the court setting, the mystery, and I also liked learning a bit about the Amish- but this book should have been much shorter than it was. There were a lot of word...more

4 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2013 Ana Janžekovič rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. It's intriguing and well-researched. I learnt a lot of things about Amish culture. I couldn't wait to finish it, and I somehow expected this ending, but wasn't sure till the end.

1 like · like · see review

May 04, 2007 Becca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: conversation-starters

I have always been fascinated with the Amish, so this was a fascinating read. For all I know, it is a very realistic portrayal of how a conservative Amish family would react to a serious crime in their neighborhood. I had no idea that the ending would turn out the way it did-a huge surprise! This book is a little more uplifting than some of the others, because Picoult shows you so much of the peace and love that the Amish share.

The What-If:
What if a terrible crime occurred in Amish country, and...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 18, 2011 Ife added it · review of another edition

To be honest this is a great book to read, just for readings sake it's not something that brings up any raw emotions in me, maybe it's because I'm not a mother or the book is just incapable of inflicting any emotion on it's reader. Halfway through the book I stopped caring about how killed the baby and more about Ellie and Coop, Samuel, Katie and Adam
SPOLIER ALERT!!!

I didn't really get the ending bit about Sarah hiding the scissors because that doesn't show that she killed the baby and plus sar...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I really liked the idea of this book, I wanted it to be better than it was.... but the writing was so formulaic. My criticisms are as follows (spoilers included):

* it seems that poor editing or unfinished writing left awkward, unfinished, or contradictory elements throughout the book. For example: in the initial pages Ellie gets into a fight with Stephen about having a child and she tells him although he would not get vasectomy reversal there are other ways they could have had a baby. Yet later...more I really liked the idea of this book, I wanted it to be better than it was.... but the writing was so formulaic. My criticisms are as follows (spoilers included):

* it seems that poor editing or unfinished writing left awkward, unfinished, or contradictory elements throughout the book. For example: in the initial pages Ellie gets into a fight with Stephen about having a child and she tells him although he would not get vasectomy reversal there are other ways they could have had a baby. Yet later in the book, Ellie says in wanting a baby at one point she "wore Stephen down" and they tried for 6 months, but she did not get pregnant because the relationship was rotten. When I saw this discrepancy it really sank the author's credibility for me. QUALITY, Ms. Picoult, not QUANTITY should be the goal in writing. If I noticed this in one casual reading, surely you or one of your editing team should have taken more care.
Another awkward element was the whole storyline of Ellie's "problem" with wanting a baby. The writing around Ellie's yearning for a child is very choppy and confusing - it reads as if the story was going one way initially and then changed course but wasn't fully corrected.
* Ellie's character was all over the place. It seemed the character changed awkwardly in each chapter. The only "set" points regarding the characters in this novel were the very trite bytes written about them... Ellie had short "man hair", Ellie was afraid of relationships, Ellie was a hotshot lawyer. In particular Ellie's history with Coop was very choppy and unclear.
* Katie literally changes overnight in one chapter. The author spends so much time building her meekness in temperament and then with only weeks before the trial the character is written about VERY differently. For example, Katie goes from barely understanding English and deferring to everything said to her, to using sarcasm against Ellie. The author wants to throw a wrench in the defense plans and I guess in the relationship between client and lawyer, but it is very poorly executed and not believable.
* The ghost stuff.... REALLY? WHY? STUPID!!!! Unnecessary! CUT!!! So much wasted time is spent on this in the beginning and it is a DEAD END. Really, it's just a huge wasted dead end. It seems like the author intended to do more and needed to wrap the book up and just bailed on it. Editing should have cut the ghost crap and spent more attention on developing the gaining of a "voice" or some moment where Katie grows (IF the author wanted her to do an about face in her personality).
* In the beginning, the author takes the trouble to point out some character that lives in apartments attached to the barn. Elam? Is that his name? This is stated and then drops from the story, if this character is central enough that he lives with the family then keep him in the storyline or cut him. I suppose he was intended as a diversion - someone else who could have hidden the baby since he lived attached to the barn - but the fact dropped at the beginning was very random in the overall novel.
* The whole Katie going on the train to visit her bother in college once a moth for YEARS.... um... stupid. Not believable. No way. It would have been more realistic to have sent her for one weekend or two weekends as she was older, but not every month for years while she was still a young minor. No way! Even Englishter parents would not let a minor child go weekends away to stay with her brother in college, much less a Plain family with an excommunicated son.
* The paranormal-studies part for the babies father was stupid as well. The whole ghost stuff, again, got nowhere.
* The letters that the brother held.... inconsistent!! The author writes on one page the brother had NO idea and was shocked at the suggestion that the landlord would have had a relationship with Katie. Turn the chapter and suddenly he has a huge stack of letters that he never delivered. The undelivered letters was hackeneyed, by the way. Most of all, it was unbelievable and rough in he storyline.
* the author spent more time describing the farm routines and chores than she did keeping her characters clear and consistent
* it was not believable that Ellie was staying there to watch over Katie for bail and the family EXPECTED her to do all these chores! even at the detriment of the legal preparations.
* you can't base a novel around the fact that "these people are xxxxx" and then in one page at the end throw in "oh, this woman is actually Y!" The end. That is not a curveball. That is a foul ball. Or a dropped ball - which this novel has plenty of.
I could write for days with specific passages cited, but I read this for "pleasure" - not as an editor. This could have been a GREAT book. Books like this make me wish I was an editor, because this could have easily been pulled into shape. I don't know why more attention to the basics wasn't given.(less)

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Dec 07, 2010 Kirsty Darbyshire added it · review of another edition

[these comments are taken from a mailing list discussion and contain spoilers]

[about the amish]

Ellie's two problems were charging her laptop battery and her mobile phone battery. Mine would be identical. My computer and internet connection are the two biggest things I rely on electricity for and I'd be there running a generator to charge them up too.

I think the fridge is probably my next favourite electric item and the Amish had those running on gas so there would be no problem there. I like re

...more [these comments are taken from a mailing list discussion and contain spoilers]

[about the amish]

I think the fridge is probably my next favourite electric item and the Amish had those running on gas so there would be no problem there. I like reading by candlelight, much prefer gas for cooking and heating (my current residence is all electric and having no gas is pretty annoying) and lived without a tv for years and rarely watch it now.

I think the restriction on learning would hit me a lot harder than the lack of electricity. I can see why they do this in the interests of equality but I could understand Jacob's dilemma well.

I'd known beforehand that the Amish didn't use electricity but I hadn't realised that they were happy to use gas. I just looked up what the rationale behind this is and it's apparently about not wanting to be "connected to the world" via wires rather than about denouncing technology. It looks like they use bottled rather than piped gas to get around this desire. I guess they would use batteries too? Also I found out that they sometimes use windmills to provide electric power and put communal phone boxes in the middle of fields to keep them in their proper place.

[Sources:1, 2,3,4]

[about aaron and other characters]Aaron was the backbone of the book because if he hadn't have been such an immovable character then this would have been a very different story and probably not such a dramatic one. Everyone else was forced to work around him.

He was a very black and white person with no concept of shades of grey in beliefs and adherence to them. Putting abstract religious beliefs above the well being of other people is a concept I find it difficult to wrap my head round and especially so when those people are the closest to you.

I found the way in which he hung onto his position even in the face of advice from his church really frightening. He was saying he knew better than the church and in a society where community is everything that seems to be totally bizarre. By holding to the rules by himself he was going against them anyway. Somewhat illogical.

I think he was a poor father and a worse husband and I can't really see how he thought his attitude was for the best. At the end of the day if he'd been more sympathetic and his daughter had been able to reveal her pregnancy either directly or via her mother then the result would have been the same; the baby would still have died.

My favourite character is hard to choose. I had both sympathy for, and bones to pick with, most of the major characters. I think Katie was the most interesting character and the one whose actions I could understand most. Ellie annoyed me too much when she was writing in the first person to be my favourite.

[about hannah and "woo woo" stuff]

I'm not a big fan of ghosts or ghost stories but the type of "woo woo" in this book was the sort I could deal with for the most part. I like ghosts to either confine themselves to being seem by one person or to have non ethereal explanations. When Katie was the only person who saw Hannah's ghost I was quite happy. I though using Hannah as a device to bring Katie and Adam together was clever. Katie was a good Amish girl with no desire to leave the community or do things that were non Amish so falling in love with an outsider wasn't something she was at all likely to do. To make it believable the author gave Katie this experience of seeing ghosts which, as well as being an odd thing to do in the Amish community, is also an odd thing to do in the outside community. Because both Katie and Adam were outside the norm in this respect they had something in common. It worked for me anyway.

Also the fact that Sarah had already 'lost' two children and didn't want to lose the third was an important point though one which I thought got confused. The degree to which Sarah is shown to have wanted more children makes her an odd person to have killed the baby. I could have seen her passing off Katie's baby as her own (hysterectomy or not) or smuggling it away elsewhere or something like that, but I couldn't see her as having killed it.

People have mentioned that Ellie also saw the ghost. I missed that bit and am glad I did ;-)

[about the police investigation]

Everybody seemed to close their eyes, not just the police. Whilst Katie did admittedly lie her little cotton socks off I was surprised that no one ever thought there was any merit in her claims that she really hadn't killed the baby, that it had just vanished from her arms.

I was very glad this didn't turn into a police investigation book though. This book evoked a really strong reaction in me near the beginning when one of the police officers says that the murder of a new born baby by its mother is exactly the same as any other homicide. I disagree strongly with that statement and didn't think I wanted to go on reading a book that featured main characters who thought in that way. I was glad they didn't turn out to be the main characters.

[about shunning]

I think the power of shunning comes from the fact that it's practised in such a tight knit community. It's the change from the regular behaviour that makes it so terrible. In the world I live in I'm so stubbornly self reliant and independent that I probably wouldn't notice but there are other intangible assets that could be taken away from me that would affect me badly.

[rating]

I gave this book 4 out of 5 in the poll. To be honest I think I probably rated it too high. I didn't like the book that much but I did think it was a strong story that made a big impression upon me and I'm really rating it for its ability to make me think rather than for it's actual contents which probably isn't a very good way to rate fiction.

(less)

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Mar 06, 2010 Stacy added it · review of another edition

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult starts off on that note of simple sadness, that occurs, once in everyone's life. Ellie Hathaway, leave her big city life, her big city job as a attorney and visits her favorite Aunt in Paradise, PA. Ellie desperately wants to find her old self, before she lost hope in the good...

While staying with her aunt, she learns that her cousin, Katie, has been convicted of murdering her newborn child. Katie, is Amish. Ellie falls into the process of defending Katie, 18 and unwe...more

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Jan 01, 2009 Angel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 50-in-2009-challenge

To me, a good work of fiction is one that informs, entertains, and makes you learn something about yourself along the way. This book did all of these things for me. I was invested in this book, and felt for the characters, both anger and sadness.

Plain Truth is set in Amish country in Pennsylvania. Like most readers, I have limited experience with the Amish. This book fascinated me with the tidbits it gave me about day to day life. I am intrigued, and it left me desiring to know more about the l...more

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May 08, 2013 Stacy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Plain Truth is about a teenaged Amish girl, Katie, who lives with her very Amish family in a small township called Paradise in Pennsylvania. Katie gets pregnant, then has the baby in secret, and later flatly denies ever having the baby and every being pregnant, which leads to an unclaimed dead infant. Her attorney, Ellie, decides to defend her, but she has to live with Katie and her family on their Amish farm until the trial is finished. Ellie discovers secrets about the family members, along wi...more Plain Truth is about a teenaged Amish girl, Katie, who lives with her very Amish family in a small township called Paradise in Pennsylvania. Katie gets pregnant, then has the baby in secret, and later flatly denies ever having the baby and every being pregnant, which leads to an unclaimed dead infant. Her attorney, Ellie, decides to defend her, but she has to live with Katie and her family on their Amish farm until the trial is finished. Ellie discovers secrets about the family members, along with certain information about Katie. Picoult takes the reader through a roller coaster of events and shows that circumstances are not always what they seem.

I have read quite a few Jodi Picoult books so far and I have to say this one did not disappoint in comparison to past books I have read from her. In Plain Truth, Picoult uses her original technique of giving view points from important characters instead of just one character. You can get into the minds of the characters through her use of details and specific word choice. I really enjoy the twists Picoult uses in her books and Plain Truth also had its fair share of twits to keep the reader on his or her toes. I will admit, though, the beginning took me a while to get in to. I had to force myself to get through about the first 60 pages, but after that, I didn't want to put the book down! Some points of the book that really kept me interested were the growing relationships between the characters. Sarah and Aaron, Katie's mother and father, grow to accept Ellie living in their home, even though she is not Amish. Katie and Ellie become extremely close to one another, almost mother/daughter close, through out the time Ellie has to live with the family. When Elli reunites with her old boyfriend from college, Coop, she starts to have old feelings again. The reader gets to watch as Ellie goes from a hard defense attorney, to the soft loving woman she actually is.

Plain Truth has immense detail and a wonderful use of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. Picoult also does an amazing job at showing who each character really is. She makes the reader feel as if they know who the characters are personally. This book is a definite read to anyone who is interested in law, love, and heartbreak all in one book. You will not be bored while reading it, so read Plain Truth!(less)

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Mar 01, 2013 Deborah Felder rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: jodi-picoult

This one made me mad at the father, rather than the mother. However, I realize that I know nothing about Amish culture, so he could very well have been within the bounds of Amish expectations. Still made me mad. But I finished this one, which is more than I can say for some other Picoult books that made me mad.

Again, Picoult takes a subject I don't know and uses the book as a tiny education. I'm not saying I'm an expert now. But I do have a minor appreciation for the Amish ways now. Sort of. I'm...more

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About Jodi Picoult

Picoult was born and raised in Nesconset on Long Island, New York. Her first story, at age 5 was "The Lobster Which Misunderstood." She studied writing at Princeton University, graduating in 1987, and had two short stories published by Seventeen magazine while still in college. Immediately after graduation, she took on a series of miscellaneous jobs, from editing at a textbook publishing company t...more

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Quotes from Plain Truth

“Things had a way of working out for the best when you let them run their course.” — 262 people liked it

“If you're afraid of everyone leaving you, what do you do?"
Make them stay."
And if you can't do that, or don't know how to?"
Ellie shrugged. "I don't know."
Yes, you do. In fact, you've done it. You leave first," Coop said, "so you don't have to watch them walk away.” — 157 people liked it

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