Small Great Things: A Novel


Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
925
Narrator
210
Release Date
October 2016
Duration
16 hours 15 minutes
Summary
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • With richly layered characters and a gripping moral dilemma that will lead readers to question everything they know about privilege, power, and race, Small Great Things is the stunning new page-turner from Jodi Picoult.

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

“[Picoult] offers a thought-provoking examination of racism in America today, both overt and subtle. Her many readers will find much to discuss in the pages of this topical, moving book.”—Booklist (starred review)

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.

Praise for Small Great Things

“Small Great Things is the most important novel Jodi Picoult has ever written. . . . It will challenge her readers . . . [and] expand our cultural conversation about race and prejudice.”—The Washington Post

“A novel that puts its finger on the very pulse of the nation that we live in today . . . a fantastic read from beginning to end, as can always be expected from Picoult, this novel maintains a steady, page-turning pace that makes it hard for readers to put down.”—San Francisco Book Review
Reviews
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Roz G

Great book. Made you think about race relations in our country.

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Karyn Benchoff

A very thought provoking book. It makes you think about the world. Great story with twists at the end. Highly recommend

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Judith Malek E.

Once again, Jodi Picoult did not disappoint. Her ability to deal with social issues in a fair and balanced way is truly remarkable, her presentation riveting. It was hard to put this book down, and I always looked forward to getting back to it. Loved the three person narrative,

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Amy J.

Good book. As a African American physician with 20 years of training, I have faced racism starting from very early in my training. This made it hard to believe the storyline, but this book was very well written and it is an important topic. Very good read.

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Marni G.

This book was truly eye opening. Racism, hatred, compassion, respect, family and love are all meaningful themes. So many lessons for all. A remarkable story. I could not put it down.

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Katherine Carter

This book should be read by everyone. FANTASTIC!!

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Angela M.

I really liked this book!

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Molly G.

I enjoyed this book. It opened my eyes to see what other people go through on a daily basis. I would highly recommend reading this book.

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Savannah S.

This book was very well done, and was eye opening and humbling for a white person like myself! I'm glad I read it.

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Anonymous

A very thought-provoking tender well written book. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the narrators did a fabulous job

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Fran E.

Fabulous listen! The narrator was , hands down, the best for this book.

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Patty J.

Perfect story for these times!

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Anonymous

Everything you want and need in a great book. This one should become a classic. Perfect for book clubs, but needs to be a required read for High School students.

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Canyon J.

Eye opening!

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Aundrea D.

what an amazing and mentally/emotionally moving novel- start to finish, I am left captivated.

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Anonymous

Liked the book more than I thought I would! Definitely made me think of my own attitudes about race relations and complacency.

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Carol S.

Tough book to read in many ways

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Yanick M.

Wow! This book is amazing! The best book I’ve listened to thus far; and there have been some good ones! It made me think, got me chocked up, educated me... Just absolutely loved it! Author is well informed, narrators are effective! What a great movie this could be!

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Andrea A.

I loved this important book. It was intense, eye-opening, educational, and deeply moving. I feel grateful that this book was written. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Shannon W.

Loved the three person narrative. Very well done. Picoult has a lovely phrasing to f metaphors and honest presentation of her characters

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Anonymous

I loved this book. I have been a fan of Jodi Picoult for many years, and will continue to be after this book. Wonderful twist, and kept me listening for 16 hours (not that easy to do)! Very typical of Jodi Picoult’s fascinating fictional stories, that certainly could be very real. I appreciate what the book is trying to do with different narrators for each character in the story, but the voice used for Kennedy’s character is hard to listen to, especially when she does her daughter’s voice. The rest are tolerable. Still giving four stars to the narrator because the story telling is good.

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Neal R.

A thought provoking and relevant book that delves into racism, hatred and subjects that are frankly hard to talk about and need to be. Ms. Picoult hit a home run with small great things!

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Kaitlyn G.

Everything about this book was so well done. It was extremely eye opening for me and all I wanted to do was talk to others who had read it when I was done. I also loved listening to the end to hear all of what Jodi did to prep and educate herself on writing this book.

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Joan S.

It was a great story, felt the emotions. I really enjoyed listening.

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Anonymous

This was an amazing story. Really grabbed me from beginning to end.

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Brandi S.

AMAZING!

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Amanda W.

Amazing! I’ve thought about it for months.

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Deanne G

This is by far my favorite book by Jody Picoult. I started reading because of her but I was always somewhat unsatisfied by the endings of some of her books. This book kept me interested the whole time and I love the beginning middle and end.

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Jazz S

Really enjoyed this listen, very relevant to events today and for one person Jodi Picoult (as usual) does a great job in bringing so many perspectives to the mix

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Maria E

I loved this book, the characters and the 3 narrators did an excellent job!

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Angie H

Excellent!!!

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Nancy C

Excellent book- written and narrated!!! Would highly recommend!

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Jody M

Very relevant for today’s events

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jordan b

The book was well written from various perspectives and it kept me engaged, and the audio was really well done. I found some of the characters to be a little unrealistic or reaching. It's my first read by this author and I will definitely give her another try, but this wasn't my favorite.

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Melanie H

Excellent narration and insightful perspective of different characters. Great book!

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Stephanie R

Great listen, well-narrated, very thought provoking. I thought on the whole it tied up too nicely at the end; in real life I'm not sure I'd expect the accused to get off and the white supremacist to see the error of his ways, but I'd like to think that would happen. Overall I like it a lot better than My Sister's Keeper, where I thought the ending ruined the point of the rest of the book.

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Page H

Loved this book. I want another one just like it that can capture my attention!

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Andrea N

This was my first audiobook and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The book held my attention the whole time.

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Catherine A

Great so far. Can't wait to hear the rest! Jodi Piccoult has always been one of my favorite authors.

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Crysta M

Amazing! Well written. Well read. I couldn't stop listening.

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Erin T

One of the best books I have heard in a long time. A modern-day Mockingbird in terms of the emotional attachment to characters and racial themes. I think it reveals a great deal about the subversive prejudices in our society. Very thought-provoking!

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Amy K

Great read! I felt every emotion possible

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Valerie G

Excellent story! Had a difficult time to turn it off. Very thought provoking and insightful.

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Kari H

This book was amazing! Great readers and a great story for a great lesson. It's an eye opener.

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kylin f

Great book. Great narration. Really made me think of how I view the world.

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Robin C

One of my favorite Jodi Picoult books ever. Especially in today's climate this book shows us perspectives we normally wouldn't see in life.

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cynthia c

LOVE THIS BOOK!!! Love the Narrator! Jodi Picoult is FANTASTIC!

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Maureen O

Enjoyed everything about this audiobook! I especially liked the voices of the characters.

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Emily W

One of the best books I've read/listened to in awhile. What Ruth went through is what a lot of people of color go through everyday. People of color feel silenced when all they want to do is scream!

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Babbie Jaco

I don't usually enjoy "chick books" but this was a powerful book. Well read!

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Babara Perlman

I agree with all the wonderful reviews written before me. Great book.

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Charles Heffley

Fantastic read! Great narration of a great story.

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Kara Fedie

Interesting, but I found it predictable.

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Aminata Sheriff

Amazing book by an incredibly gifted author! I was drawn in from the very beginning and finished the entire book in under one week. This story brings the reality of current-day race relations in America to the forefront. It also forces readers to tackle difficult beliefs and complex ideologies from various perspectives. The twists and turns are methodically placed and the character development is phenomenal! I have recommended "Small Great Things" to all my close friends and family. An absolute must read!!

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Marjorie Behm

An incredible novel--I could not stop listening. Finished in 1 week and I'm still thinking about it. Each character pushes conventional boundaries and pull you in. Must read!!!

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Amber Watkins

Great book!!! I couldn't stop listening!! Second book I have read of Jodi's - I can't put her books down! Highly recommended!!

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Breanna Wilkins

Fantastic! Picoult is an incredible author and does a tremendous job of giving you all the feels. The surprises towards the end were unexpected. I feel that sometimes I can figure a book out but these surprises I didn't see coming. The narrators did a great job as well of painting a picture of the characters.

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nicole kuntz

Wow! Jodi Picoult has done it again. She has taken me to places within myself that I didn't know existed. My jaw hit the floor on more than one occasion. If they ever make this a movie, please don't change the ending. She gets better and better with each book.

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Dianne Rice

Most of Jodi Picoult's books provide you with topics that make you think and look inwardly. The narrators in this book were excellent and through their voices one could get a very good sense of the intense feelings each character was experiencing. I would highly recommend this read. I particularly liked Jodi Picoult's personal commentary at the end, providing you with so much food for thought and personal growth!

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Donna O\'Neil

For some reason, I have difficulty reading Jodi Picoult's work. However, as an audio book, I am hooked. The book is all it says it is, the narration is superb and brings the narrative to life. It's a long novel, so good value for your audio credit. Do listen to the author's notes, as they add a deeper connection to the book.

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Nancy Krehlik

Great book! At times difficult to listen to. The narrators were all great. A timely read given the current state of race relations and political changes facing our country.

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Mira Migliore-Petty

A powerful book that kept my interest. It was hard at times to digest the pain of the characters in the book. Quote from the book that I remembered....People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love. - Nelson Mandela

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Cheryl Jordan

Jodi Picoult's novel "Small Great Things" is very thought provoking and causes the reader to evaluate their morals and values. Experiencing the novel through Audiobooks is convenient because I spend several hours in my car each week. The sound quality is good, but at times the voice appears robotic.

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Amber Upton

This was unlike any novel I've read before. I knew little about it before listening to it. I had no idea it was about racism. I found it fascinating and I think it did give a good view of all sides involved. As a white woman, it made me stop and think how I'm treated. I never realized how difficult it is for others to be treated fairly. This novel will make you think and long after it is finished. I recommend this novel to anyone who wants a unique look at everyday racism and prejudice in America.

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Toby Cleary

Great book. I have been working on my understanding of racism in exactly the same way for years. I think that all of us white folks should read this book to understand better how we can be good, progressive allies to the minority people in our communities and our lives.

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mancila mohan

My second read by Jodi and was not disappointed! My friends and I read it together and it was a great read!

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Robyn Grantham

One of the best books I've ever listened to, thank you for making it so real! Amazing reading! Great lesson for anyone! Highly recommend!

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Kelley Adams

My first Jodi Picoult book...and it did not disappoint. I appreciated the narrative perspective from all sides. It was hard to stop listening, and I had the book on wherever I went. Enjoy!

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Chee Kiang Ewe

Amazing read!

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Michelle Basman

Was riveted to this book. Making everybody I know read it - it's so important we get it!

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Sonja Maroni

This is a very thought provoking, moving and beautifully told story. Jodi Piccoult took on a very difficult topic and handled it with intelligence, honesty and humanity.

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Shayna Turner

This book is emotionally intriguing, and beautifully written and read by the narrators. I love Ms. Picoult, and her art!!

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Eva Valdez

This was such a compelling story! It's very well written with so much empathy. All the narrators made me feel so close to the characters. This is a must listen!!!!!

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Paula Fulford

Great book!

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Susan Hill

This was emotional. I'm a mixed woman, so light skinned. Mother was white so a little different circumstances- but fitting in a "white world" for whatever reason gave Ruth and I something in common. I can relate completely and felt like I understood where she was going before other readers may have because there's only one way to truly understand what she was thinking- being there. The research done for this book was thorough, no doubt. I cried, I panicked, I worried, I felt sick to my stomach, I felt pride, I felt fear. That's a real book. Bravo! Something EVERYONE should read to better understand others. *All 3 narrators did a great job too!*

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Sherri Bass

Amazing book. I want to read it again. I'm so happy the author found a way to tell this story.

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James Gurule

Thought provoking and entertaining. I loved it and all three narrators did a good. I highly recommend.

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Erica Udall

Excellent narration- and the book is so topical now- what a great read. Very engaging and thought provoking.

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Jingcan Li

Cannot stop listening...so I think it's a good sign.

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Sheila Distel

Wonderful book, fantastic characters and rings true to what is going on today all around us! Well done!!! Highly recommend!!!

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jessica cucka

I love this app and book!

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Donna Mik

Very good book but very difficult subject. Well done. Kudos to Jodi Picoult. She does a great job on research.

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Leah Dahlquist

Amazing book. Couldn't stop listening!

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Brenda Cole

Excellent!! A fantastic story line. It was well researched with amazing character narration! I LOVED IT!!

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Crystal Vick

Excellent story. Picoult never disappoints. Another thought provoking read.

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Kelly Bignell

Excellent book. I could not stop listening.

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Kate Her

Every minute of this book was extremely powerful. Perfectly narrated as well. Couldn't stop listening to the book. Highly recommend it.

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Melissa Fuller

Great book. It had a powerful message. The narration was good.

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gerald puschel

Excellent book. Well written and entertaining.

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Tonya Wills

I love Jodi Picoult!! I can't wait for her next book. She has NEVER disappointed me. She delves into the most important topics of our times!

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Melissa Stewart

This is the first Jodi Picoult book I have ever read, and it was amazing. I found it a little difficult to listen to in the beginning, but that was just due to what the book was dealing with, and the anger I felt towards one of the characters. A book that I'm sure I won't ever forget, and will most definitely recommend. This is the fastest I have ever listened to an audio book, and it was the longest one I have listened to so far. I was up many nights later than I should have been because I just couldn't shut it off. Now I'm sad it's over!

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Molly Taylor

I loved, loved, loved this book. It's o relevant today. It's sad and uplifting. I wish I could start it again!

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Jill Goates

Absolutely the most beautiful story I have listened to in a very long time. Simply the most raw look at the hate that grips our world. However, the author shows us that love overcomes hate. The audio book is read with amazing diction; you can hear in their voice the emotions. I highly recommend.

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Sabrina Smith

A great book!! It should be a mandatory read for everyone.

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