At Mercy-West Haven Hospital, we meet Ruth, a labor and delivery nurse who loves her job.
She experiences discrimination when a family decides they do not want her touching their newborn son. She has been doing her job for 20 years and loves caring for these small humans, so it is not a surprise when Ruth becomes angry after learning her employer has followed the family’s request and places a note in his file saying no African American should have contact with baby Davis.
As fate would have it, during a moment when Ruth is the only nurse available to stay with the baby, he has a medical event. For a moment Ruth is torn. To help the baby, she will have to go against her supervisor and the baby’s family. Her next few steps will change her life and the lives of baby Davis’s family forever.
This event starts the deeper dive into the characters’ pasts, all leading up to the dramatic courtroom battle. For this reader, the book was a page turner.
“Small Great Things” explores how prejudice and racism, no matter how big or small, affect everyone on various levels. A mix of emotions runs through this story as Picoult tackles difficult topics.
The ending was something I did not expect. If you like legal dramas, this story might be for you. This book is available at wcls.org in a variety of formats.
Friends of Birch Bay Library Book Club will discuss “Small Great Things” 4-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 21 at the Bookmobile stop. The book club is open to all.
Dianne Marrs-Smith is the Lynden library manager and Friends of Birch Bay president. She reads and listens to a variety of different books, loves getting book recommendations and her favorite genre is horror.
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