Jodi Picoult - Author
About the Author
Jodi Picoult was our Guest Editor in January 2014 - click here - to see the books that inspired her writing.
Jodi Picoult is the author of twenty-one internationally bestselling novels, including My Sister's Keeper, House Rules and The Storyteller, and has also co-written two YA books with her daughter Samantha van Leer, Between the Lines and Off the Page. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children.
Author Photograph © Deborah Feingold
Featured books by Jodi Picoult
The Book of Two Ways
Who would you be, if you hadn't turned out to be the person you are now? Dawn is a death doula, and spends her life helping people make the final transition peacefully. But when the plane she's on plummets, she finds herself thinking not of the perfect life she has, but the life she was forced to abandon fifteen years ago - when she left behind a career in Egyptology, and a man she loved. Against the odds, she survives, and the airline offers her a ticket to wherever she needs to get to - but the answer to that question suddenly seems uncertain. As the path of her life forks in two very different directions, Dawn must confront questions she's never truly asked: What does a well-lived life look like? What do we leave behind when we go? And do we make our choices, or do our choices make us? Two possible futures. One impossible choice.
A Spark of Light from the author everyone should be reading
A lone gunman takes the women and doctors at a controversial abortion clinic hostage. Nobody has ended up there by choice. As the tense negotiation for their release unfolds, hour by crucial hour, back in time through the day that brought the hostages and their captor to this moment, every certainty is questioned, every judgement thrown into sharp relief. Because matters of life and death look very different when you, or the ones you love, are staring down the barrel of a gun . . . Powerful, thought-provoking and deeply involving, Jodi Picoult's new novel is told in reverse, propelling the reader through intertwining characters and uncovering motives in this unflinching exploration of what makes a life.
A Spark of Light the fearless new novel from the Number One bestselling author
The Center for women's reproductive health offers a last chance at hope - but nobody ends up there by choice. Its very existence is controversial, and to the demonstrators who barricade the building every day, the service it offers is no different from legalised murder. Now life and death decisions are being made horrifyingly real: a lone protester with a gun has taken the staff, patients and visitors hostage. Starting at the tensest moment in the negotiations for their release, A Spark of Light unravels backwards, revealing hour by urgent hour what brought each of these people - the gunman, the negotiator, the doctors, nurses and women who have come to them for treatment - to this point. And certainties unwind as truths and secrets are peeled away, revealing the complexity of balancing the right to life with the right to choose.
Small Great Things
Just incredible… this punchy, beautiful, readable story vibrates with a powerful energy. After Turk Bauer accuses nurse Ruth Jefferson of murdering his new born son, Kennedy McQuarrie defends Ruth in court. Each of the three main characters, in their own distinct and unique voice, tell us their story, we live side by side with them, and also delve into their past. This is a book that made me think, but also deep down in the centre of my innermost core it made me feel. Within a few pages I was crying, then in the next chapter I was burning with disbelief, a short while later still, I was reflecting, contemplating, questioning. This isn't about good and evil, it isn't as simple, or even as complicated as that, this is a book that shines a light on racism, on prejudice, and then invites you to examine your own thoughts and feelings. I was desperate to know the ending, and yet didn't want it to finish, and when I turned the last page I sat back and just felt myself float free. At the centre of ‘Small Great Things’ is an open, welcoming, loving heart that beats with a vibrant intensity, and it is quite simply, a must read. ~ Liz Robinson
Leaving Time
To tell you much about this might give away the surprise and shocking ending, suffice to say it is written from the point of view of a daughter, Jenna, desperate to find the truth about the disappearance of her mother ten years earlier, and by that mother, Alice, who fills us in on Jenna’s childhood up to the fateful night when tragedy struck. To learn what happens from then on you have got to read this terrific tale. ~ Sarah Broadhurst One of our Books of the Year 2014. A 'Piece of Passion' from the publisher... 'Leaving Time does all the usual Jodi Picoult things: tells a rattling good story that means you can’t turn the pages fast enough; creates characters so real and vivid you expect to meet them walking down the street; teaches you something you didn’t know – and didn’t know you wanted to know! In this case what we learn about is elephants; the characters are a 13-year-old whose mother has vanished, a discredited psychic and a washed-up PI; and the question that keeps you going is ‘What could have happened to Jenna’s mother?’ But there are extra dimensions to this book that make it truly special: an extraordinary understanding of loss and grief and the relationship between mothers and children, and a humdinger of a conclusion.' - Carolyn Mays, Editor, Hodder & Stoughton
Vanishing Acts
I cannot recommend this author highly enough. She always tackles nutty social issues, high emotional topics but refrains from being overly sentimental. She lets the power of the plot speak for itself. This involves the kidnapping of a daughter from her mother by her father 28 years previously. The police have just caught up with him. The story unfolds in sections with each having a chapter from the view point of a different character. The result is remarkable.Similar this month: Elizabeth Berg, Rachel Hore.Comparison: Anita Shreve, Jane Hamilton.
The Storyteller
A strong tale of an unlikely friendship between a young woman and an old man. He has a secret that is so dark he does finally want to end his life. This author is first-rate and here tackles perhaps her most difficult of issues so far … the Holocaust. Full of different stories which intertwine, twists which leave you stunned and an unexpected climax, this is a must read.
Perfect Match
This American author takes gritty, social issues as the themes of her hard-hitting tales and keeps you turning the pages in astonishment through twists, misunderstandings and injustices. Here we have a mother’s fury and pain spilling out of control with truly alarming consequences. It couldn’t happen in the same way in the UK but as a piece of emotional drama it’s terrific. She was one of the Richard and Judy Book Club picks and has an impressive backlist, all of which I also highly recommend.Similar this month: None but try Nicholas Evans.Comparison: Anita Shreve, Joshilyn Jackson.
Perfect Match
This American author takes gritty, social issues as the themes of her hard-hitting tales and keeps you turning the pages in astonishment through twists, misunderstandings and injustices. Here we have a mother’s fury and pain spilling out of control with truly alarming consequences. It couldn’t happen in the same way in the UK but as a piece of emotional drama it’s terrific. She was one of the Richard and Judy Book Club picks and has an impressive backlist, all of which I also highly recommend.Similar this month: None but try Nicholas Evans.Comparison: Anita Shreve, Joshilyn Jackson.
The Tenth Circle
She has done it again. I keep waiting for this lady to produce a mediocre book for, with some seven published over here in quick succession, one expects at least one to be poor ....... but no. Each tackles a nutty social problem, some perhaps a bit American, but nonetheless, all powerful human dramas. This one has the addition of a graphic novel within its pages, the father's relationship with his daughter the central theme. It adds an interesting dimension to a tale of date-rape, false, or not, accusations, suicide or murder ..... I'm not telling you. I just want to recommend yet another very successful Jodi Picoult. She is quite a find.Comparisons: Anita Shreve, Jane Hamilton, Andre Dubus.
Lone Wolf
When Luke Warren is involved in a car accident which leaves him in a coma, his family are gathered together against the odds; they face an impossible dilemma. His daughter Cara is praying for a miracle: she will fight everything and everyone to save her father's life. His son Edward can't imagine that a man who once ran with wolves could ever be happy with a different life. But Edward hasn't spoken to Luke for six years. How can he dare to speak on his father's behalf? Somehow, they must choose: Do they keep Luke alive? Or do they let him go?
Salem Falls
Loosely based on The Crucible, this is a frightening tale of persecution, injustice and hysteria within a small community made worse by being set in a town haunted by its history. Jodi always tackles big issues in her highly compulsive tales and this is no exception. I find her hard to put down. Her My Sister’s Keeper was one of Richard and Judy’s Book Club choices.Comparison: Joshilyn Jackson, Jane Hamilton, Anita Shreve.Similar this month: None but try Nicholas Sparks or Robert Goddard.
Harvesting the Heart
Jodi Picoult’s latest offering, Harvesting the Heart, sees new mother Paige struggling with being a parent. Doubting her ability to cope and haunted by the fact that her own mother left her when she was only five, she wonders whether her baby would be better off without her. As always, Picoult tackles this moral dilemma with honest conviction and beautifully written prose.
Sing You Home
You can't choose who you love ... Number One bestselling author Jodi Picoult's new novel asks what it takes to make a family in today's world. Click here to see her latest book, Between The Lines, which was written with her teenage daughter, Samantha Van Leer.
Pact
A teenage suicide pact, one dies, the other does not and the families fall apart. I cannot believe the power of this author, her My Sister’s Keeper was about bringing a child into the world to keep another alive and her Plain Truth was about an Amish mother accused of murdering her baby. Each book tackles profoundly tough, sensitive issues putting them in the context of real life. She’s extraordinary and although new over here, she has been writing for years. Her British publishers have bought eleven of her books and are bringing one out every four months. I’ve no idea if she can keep the spellbinding power up but so far I have been bowled over.Comparison: Anita Shreve, Joanna Trollope, Alice Hoffman.Similar this month: None, but try Rosie Thomas or Jenny Eclair.
Handle with Care: Unabridged Audiobook
This is an unabridged audiobook title. Another thought provoking read from Jodi Picoult. Family bonds and friendships are tested as a mother fights to protect her family although what start out as best intentions can sometimes have the opposite effect. Fans will enjoy and new readers will discover the sensitive and moving writing Picoult is famous for.
Perfect Match
This American author takes gritty, social issues as the themes of her hard-hitting tales and keeps you turning the pages in astonishment through twists, misunderstandings and injustices. Here we have a mother’s fury and pain spilling out of control with truly alarming consequences. It couldn’t happen in the same way in the UK but as a piece of emotional drama it’s terrific. She was one of the Richard and Judy Book Club picks and has an impressive backlist, all of which I also highly recommend.Similar this month: None but try Nicholas Evans.Comparison: Anita Shreve, Joshilyn Jackson.
Perfect Match
This American author takes gritty, social issues as the themes of her hard-hitting tales and keeps you turning the pages in astonishment through twists, misunderstandings and injustices. Here we have a mother’s fury and pain spilling out of control with truly alarming consequences. It couldn’t happen in the same way in the UK but as a piece of emotional drama it’s terrific. She was one of the Richard and Judy Book Club picks and has an impressive backlist, all of which I also highly recommend.Similar this month: None but try Nicholas Evans.Comparison: Anita Shreve, Joshilyn Jackson.
Keeping Faith
THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER When Mariah White catches her husband with another woman, her life starts to fall apart. And when her daughter, Faith, begins to confide in an imaginary friend, Mariah's own brush with insanity starts to take on a darker meaning. Then Faith appears to start performing miracles, and all at once the situation is spiralling beyond Mariah's control. Is Faith truly seeing God? Or is she just a troubled young girl seeking refuge from her parents' divorce? When it comes to matters of faith, it's hard to know who to believe . . . THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS, Jodi's stunning new novel about life, death and missed opportunities is available to pre-order now.
Other books by Jodi Picoult
The Book of Two Ways
A fascinating, and uniquely spellbinding tale that examines life and death, choices and decisions, and encourages thoughts to both reflect and soar. Dawn survives a plane crash and is offered a ticket to wherever she needs to go, that choice sparks two possible futures. I obviously adored this book as it joins my Liz Picks of the month, if you go in unprepared though you may have mixed feelings. Before you start, please note that if you enter just expecting a relationship tale, then you should be prepared to discover, and learn, much much more. This gorgeous read comes with a healthy helping of Egyptology, you’ll learn about hieroglyphs, spells, and translations, all of which I gobbled up. This information does almost dissect the main two stories, occasionally creating a jagged edge, but I found it allowed me time to slow down, to think, to really examine the thoughts that this story was sparking in me. This is a tale that looks at death, and speaks of death in a connected way that perhaps we don’t allow ourselves to do. The Book of Two Ways is both provocative and reflective, joyous and sad, and it’s one that I certainly won’t forget in a hurry.
House Rules
The astonishing novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult about a young boy with autism falsely accused of murder. When your son can't look you in the eye...does that mean he's guilty? Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger's Syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subjectforensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he's always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he's usually right. But when Jacob's small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob's behaviors are hallmark Asperger's, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob's mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?
Mermaid
Theres always more beneath the surface.Once, Hope Payne was a mermaid, performing at the local theme park and captivating audiences young and old.Today, shes married to a pragmatic marine biologist who has filled the pool in their backyard with flounder for a special study. Before he begins, the fish vanishechoing a loss Hope alone can understand. She senses theres something underwater, something alive and hungry for more, but is she in too deep to ever resurface?New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoults Mermaid is a spellbinding short story about the sacrifice it takes to swim again.
Handle with Care
When Willow is born with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, her parents are devastatedshe will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, a lifetime of pain. In this provocative story from the #1 New York Times bestselling author, ';Picoult writes with unassuming brilliance' (Stephen King). Every expectant parent will tell you that they don't want a perfect baby, just a healthy one. Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe would have asked for a healthy baby, too, if they'd been given the choice. Instead, their lives are made up of sleepless nights, mounting bills, the pitying stares of ';luckier' parents, and maybe worst of all, the what-ifs. What if their child had been born healthy? But it's all worth it because Willow is, funny as it seems, perfect. She's smart as a whip, on her way to being as pretty as her mother, kind, brave, and for a five-year-old an unexpectedly deep source of wisdom. Willow is Willow, in sickness and in health. Everything changes, though, after a series of events forces Charlotte and her husband to confront the most serious what-ifs of all. What if Charlotte had known earlier of Willow's illness? What if things could have been different? What if their beloved Willow had never been born? To do Willow justice, Charlotte must ask herself these questions and one more. What constitutes a valuable life? Emotionally riveting and profoundly moving, Handle with Care is an unforgettable novel about the fragility of life and the lengths we will go to protect it.
Bis ans Ende aller Tage
Die Golds und die Hartes sind Nachbarn in einer wohlhabenden Stadt in New Hampshire und seit vielen Jahren eng befreundet. Ihre Kinder Chris und Emily wachsen miteinander auf. Von Kindesbeinen an sind sie unzertrennlich, bis sich diese innige Freundschaft in der Highschool in eine romantische Liebe verwandelt. Die Eltern sind zufrieden, da sie mit dieser Verbindung gerechnet haben. Doch dann bricht eine vollig unerwartete Tragodie uber sie herein, die das Gluck von Chris und Emily zerstort ...
Small Great Things
#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 fromJodi Picoult.SOON TO BE 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 familyespecially her teenage sonas 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 othersand themselvesmight be wrong. With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassionand 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
Die Wahrheit der letzten Stunde
Die Ehe von Mariah und Colin White ist gescheitert. Ihre siebenjahrige Tochter Faith reagiert zunachst mit Schweigen, beginnt aber bald mit einer unsichtbaren Beschutzerin zu reden. Als Faith ubersinnliche Fahigkeiten entwickelt, geraten Mutter und Tochter ins Zentrum eines aufdringlichen Medieninteresses. Nur Ian kommt ihnen zur Hilfe, ein gewiefter Reporter, der sich jedoch Hals uber Kopf in Mariah verliebt, was die Dinge nicht einfacher macht ... Eine meisterhaft erzahlte Geschichte uber Wahrheit und Zweifel.
Shine
Jodi Picoult tackles issues of race and privilege in this ebook original short story, a prequel to her upcoming novel Small Great Things. In Shine, the master storyteller and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Time and The Storyteller introduces readers to the unforgettable Ruth Brooks. Today is Ruth's first day of third grade at Dalton. The prestigious institution on New York's Upper East Side couldn't be more different from her old school in Harlem. Despite being the smartest girl in her grade, Ruth suspects that her classmates and teachers only see the colour of her skin. She also notices that Christina, the daughter of her mother's employer, treats Ruth very differently when they're hanging out with the popular girls rather than playing together. Ruth must navigate between two worlds, never losing sight of the dreams she has for herself-in hopes that someday, someone will see her for who she really is. This original SHORT STORY by Jodi Picoult includes a sneak peek of her forthcoming novel Small Great Things.
Shine (Short Story)
Jodi Picoult tackles issues of race and privilege in this ebook original short story, a prequel to her upcoming novel Small Great Things. In ';Shine,' the master storyteller and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Time and My Sister's Keeper introduces readers to the unforgettable Ruth Brooks. Today is Ruth's first day of third grade at Dalton. The prestigious institution on New York's Upper East Side couldn't be more different from her old school in Harlem. Despite being the smartest girl in her grade, Ruth suspects that her classmates and teachers only see her dark skin. She also notices that Christina, the daughter of her mother's employer, treats Ruth very differently when they're hanging out with the popular girls rather than playing together. Ruth must navigate between two worlds, never losing sight of the dreams she has for herselfin hopes that someday, someone will see her for who she really is. Includes a preview of Jodi Picoult's highly anticipated new novel, Small Great Things! Praise for Jodi Picoult ';Picoult writes with unassuming brilliance.'Stephen King ';It's hard to exaggerate how well Picoult writes.'Financial Times ';Picoult writes with a fine touch, a sharp eye for detail, and a firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships.'The Boston Globe ';Picoult is a master of the craft of storytelling.'Associated Press
Leaving Time
Throughout her blockbuster career, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult has seamlessly blended nuanced characters, riveting plots, and rich prose, brilliantly creating stories that ';not only provoke the mind but touch the flawed souls in all of us' (The Boston Globe). Now, in her highly anticipated new book, she has delivered her most affecting novel yetand one unlike anything she's written before.For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident. Refusing to believe that she would be abandoned as a young child, Jenna searches for her mother regularly online and pores over the pages of Alice's old journals. A scientist who studied grief among elephants, Alice wrote mostly of her research among the animals she loved, yet Jenna hopes the entries will provide a clue to her mother's whereabouts.Desperate to find the truth, Jenna enlists two unlikely allies in her quest. The first is Serenity Jones, a psychic who rose to fame finding missing personsonly to later doubt her gifts. The second is Virgil Stanhope, a jaded private detective who originally investigated Alice's case along with the strange, possibly linked death of one of her colleagues. As the three work together to uncover what happened to Alice, they realize that in asking hard questions, they'll have to face even harder answers.As Jenna's memories dovetail with the events in her mother's journals, the story races to a mesmerizing finish. A deeply moving, gripping, and intelligent page-turner, Leaving Time is Jodi Picoult at the height of her powers.';The Elephant' from NATURAL HISTORY by Dan Chiasson, copyright 2005 by Dan Chiasson. Used by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved.Praise for Jodi Picoult';Picoult writes with unassuming brilliance.'Stephen King';It's hard to exaggerate how well Picoult writes.'Financial Times';Picoult writes with a fine touch, a sharp eye for detail, and a firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships.'The Boston Globe';Picoult is a master of the craft of storytelling.'Associated Press
Where There's Smoke (Short Story) and Larger Than Life (Novella)
Where There's Smoke:Bestselling author Jodi Picoult is a masterful storyteller, who ';writes with a fine touch, a sharp eye for detail, and a firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships' (The Boston Globe). Now, in this original short story, Picoult introduces Serenity Jones, one of the fascinating characters from her eagerly awaited new novel,Leaving Time.Even as a child, Serenity Jones knew she possessed unusual psychic gifts. Now, decades later, she's an acclaimed medium and host of her own widely viewed TV show, where she delivers messages to the living from loved ones who have passed. Lately, though, her efforts to boost ratings and garner fame have compromised her clairvoyant instincts. When Serenity books a young war widow to appear as a guest, the episode quickly unravels, stirring up a troubling controversy. And as she tries to undo the damageto both her reputation and her showSerenity finds that pride comes at a high price.Larger Than Life:From Jodi Picoult, #1New York Timesbestselling author ofThe StorytellerandMy Sister's Keeper,comes a gripping and beautifully written novella. Set in the wilds of Africa,Larger Than Lifeintroduces Alice, the unforgettable character at the center of Picoult's anticipated new novel,Leaving Time.A researcher studying memory in elephants, Alice is fascinated by the bonds between mother and calfthe mother's powerful protective instincts and her newborn's unwavering loyalty. Living on a game reserve in Botswana, Alice is able to view the animals in their natural habitatwhile following an important rule: She must only observe and never interfere. Then she finds an orphaned young elephant in the bush and cannot bear to leave the helpless baby behind. Thinking back on her own childhood, and on her shifting relationship with her mother, Alice risks her career to care for the calf. Yet what she comes to understand is the depth of a parent's love.
Larger Than Life (Novella)
From Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Storyteller and My Sister's Keeper, comes a gripping and beautifully written novella, now available exclusively as an eBook. Set in the wilds of Africa, Larger Than Life introduces Alice, the unforgettable character at the center of Picoult's anticipated new novel, Leaving Time. A researcher studying memory in elephants, Alice is fascinated by the bonds between mother and calfthe mother's powerful protective instincts and her newborn's unwavering loyalty. Living on a game reserve in Botswana, Alice is able to view the animals in their natural habitatwhile following an important rule: She must only observe and never interfere. Then she finds an orphaned young elephant in the bush and cannot bear to leave the helpless baby behind. Thinking back on her own childhood, and on her shifting relationship with her mother, Alice risks her career to care for the calf. Yet what she comes to understand is the depth of a parent's love. Praise for Jodi Picoult ';Picoult is a skilled wordsmith, and she beautifully creates situations that not only provoke the mind but touch the flawed souls in all of us.'The Boston Globe ';Picoult is a rare writer who delivers book after book, a winning combination of the literary and the commercial.'Entertainment Weekly ';Jodi Picoult's novels do not gather dust on the bedside table. They are gobbled up quickly and the readers want more.'Los Angeles Times
Larger Than Life
From Jodi Picoult, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Storyteller and My Sister's Keeper, comes a gripping and beautifully written novella, now available exclusively as an eBook. Larger Than Life introduces Alice, the unforgettable character at the centre of Picoult's much anticipated new novel, Leaving Time. Alice is a researcher studying memory in elephants, and is fascinated by the bonds between mother and calf - the mother's powerful protective instincts and her newborn's unwavering loyalty. Living on a game reserve in Botswana, Alice is able to view the animals in their natural habitat, as long as she obeys one important rule: she must only observe and never interfere.Then she finds an orphaned young elephant in the bush and cannot bear to leave the helpless baby behind. Alice will risk her career to care for the calf. Yet what she comes to understand is the depth of a parent's love.
Where There's Smoke: A Short Story
Bestselling author Jodi Picoult is a masterful storyteller, who ';writes with a fine touch, a sharp eye for detail, and a firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships' (The Boston Globe). Now, in this original short story, available exclusively as an eBook, Picoult introduces Serenity Jones, one of the fascinating characters from her eagerly awaited new novel, Leaving Time. Even as a child, Serenity Jones knew she possessed unusual psychic gifts. Now, decades later, she's an acclaimed medium and host of her own widely viewed TV show, where she delivers messages to the living from loved ones who have passed. Lately, though, her efforts to boost ratings and garner fame have compromised her clairvoyant instincts. When Serenity books a young war widow to appear as a guest, the episode quickly unravels, stirring up a troubling controversy. And as she tries to undo the damageto both her reputation and her showSerenity finds that pride comes at a high price. Praise for Jodi Picoult ';Picoult is a rare writer who delivers, book after book, a winning combination of the literary and the commercial.'Entertainment Weekly ';Picoult is a solid, lively storyteller.'The New York Times ';If Picoult were a general, she would be Patton; if a sports franchise, the New York Yankees; if a natural phenomenon, the sunrise.'Tampa Tribune