Picoult, Jodi. Plain Truth: A Novel

This is a literate and arresting novel surrounding the struggles of a cracker-jack female lawyer's quest to successfully defend her eighteen-year-old client against murder charges. The complications are huge--Katie, the defendant--is Amish and is accused of killing her newborn baby. Ellie, the lawyer, finds herself immersed in "Plain" culture as she develops her strategies, searches for the complicated truth, and tries to also figure her own life choices out.

Picoult has a wonderful way of weaving all the information the reader needs about the Amish way of life as well as the nuances of character and plot device. This compelling novel has a surprise ending that makes perfect sense upon reflection and is only one of the many reasons for reading this excellent courtroom drama and novel about family conflicts. The author illustrates a very different way of life in both a sympathetic and complete way, skirmishes with the occult in a plausible manner, and gives us complex and attractive characters. It is a novel about defining faith, as well as a love story, and a gripping legal drama.

Other novels by Picoult are Keeping Faith, The Pact, Mercy, Picture Perfect, Harvesting the Heart, and Songs of the Humpback Whale.

Leane M. Ellis, August 10, 2000.