Jodi Picoult is a white author who writes a story that protrays the social injustice, racism and discrimination in America against Black Americans. The book starts off with a very obvious racist premise. A white supremacist family refusing care from a black nurse, Ruth and after their child dies, blames the nurse. Ruth ends up as a defendant in a criminal case in which she was not protected by her hospital and her white colleagues who she called friends and even felt let down by her lawyer. This story launches into the backstory of each character but really within the stories shows that racism is deeply rooted and systematic. It's not just the blalant racism but the much less obvious actions or inactions as well. Jodi has wanted to write about racism in America for decades and finally with research and speaking with many BIPOC and former white supremacists, Jodi writes her book which mostly speaks to a white audience. Her intention was not to tell a black person their story. They already know their story.
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I highly recommend this book to read alone or as part of a book club. We started off with certain connotations but many of us changed our thoughts by the end. It coincided with what what's going on in the States right now. I highly, highly recommend reading the authors note at the end. One part resounded with me, Jodi asked how many white mothers talk to their children about racism? Not often or at all. There's just no need. It can be put off completely or until later. But black mothers talk about it every single day. They have to. As a POC but is not black, I realize my privilege as well. While I've encountered racism towards myself countless times, I am not black and I do not face systematic racism for centuries the way a black person does. Ignorance is a privilege and we must start the conversation, listen and act