'You know how a mother would do anything, if it meant saving her child,' Sarah tells Ellie. What does motherhood finally mean to Sarah Fisher?ĩ. Does this assessment bear out in the end? Looking back through the novel, identify the subtle clues and telling bits of dialogue which Picoult lays out to lead us toward Sarah's astonishing revelation at the end of the novel. On the face of things, Sarah Fisher appears to be a woman willing to submit wholly to her husband's word and will. What kind of man is Aaron Fisher? As you were reading, what were your reactions to his choices? What motivates him? If we had to, how could we make a case for defending Aaron's code of life, his propensity to put the community above the individual? What compels him to adhere so strictly to the laws and traditions of the Amish faith, even when it means severing all ties with his only son?Ĩ. How accurate is it to say that, as readers, we approach this novel in much the same way Ellie approaches Katie's case: as aliens to the Amish lifestyle, and as onlookers painfully unsettled by the horrendous crime with which Katie is charged?ħ. Why do we care so much about her? How does her specific situation come to touch upon such timeless and universal issues as community estrangement and forbidden love?Ħ.

Identify the narrative techniques Picoult employs to draw you into Katie Fisher's plight. How would you describe this novel to a friend? Is it a suspense novel? A love story? A legal thriller? An exploration of modern culture and morality? A study of human psychology and character motivation? What makes Plain Truth stand out among contemporary novels? To what degree does Picoult refresh or even redefine the various fictional genres with which this novel might be associated?ĥ. What aspects of this novel particularly resonated with you?Ĥ. And that is a rare moment, indeed, in modern fiction.' Could the same be said of Plain Truth? Explain. In fact, USA Today observed that what makes Keeping Faith especially remarkable is the way it 'makes you wonder about God. Furthermore, like precious few novels today, Picoult's books thoughtfully contend with the significance and mechanics of spirituality in an increasingly secular culture. How is this quality particularly apparent in Plain Truth?ģ. Critics have suggested that what makes Picoult such a unique and effective novelist among contemporary writers is her firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships. What techniques does she use to establish the novel's tone, to develop her characters' oft-concealed motives, and to achieve this overall 'quilt'-like effect?Ģ.

Must 'like the patches that make up a quilt,' Picoult deliberately brings together in a single narrative two starkly different and often clashing cultures and ideologies she highlights the tensions between them, and also underscores their inherent similarities.

Plain truth novel