White people have a historical habit of ‘helping’ and ‘fixing’ people whom they deem ‘other’ and inferior. 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. 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 #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult. Can you list five moments over the course of your life when you were taught – through language or silence – what to think and feel about race in America? . Paul Beatty, Don’t say “I don’t even notice race!” like it’s a good thing. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. These men taught me that the White Power groups believe in the separation of the races and think they are soldiers in a racial holy war. He turned out to be a White Supremacist. Just as racism creates disadvantages for people of color that make success harder to achieve, it also gives advantages to white people that make success easier to achieve. Christina had her baby via surrogate. Sometimes, when I came to work with my mother, I’d sneak outside and push the button and hum along. . 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 #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult. Jenny Han, “Tell that to this baby,” Mama replied. For years I had done my homework and my research, using extensive personal interviews to channel the voices of people I was not: men, teenagers, suicidal people, abused wives, rape victims. Try: Colson Whitehead, I made a house as big as this one. I was drawn by a real-life event in NYC, when a Black undercover police officer was shot in the back, multiple times, by white colleagues – in spite of the fact that the undercover cop had been wearing what was called “the color of the day” – a wristband meant to allow officers to identify those who were in hiding. For every white author, make sure you choose an author of color to read next: Colson Whitehead, Octavia Butler, Celeste Ng, Nicola Yoon, Jesmyn Ward, Toni Morrison, Jacqueline Woodson, Ta-Nehesi Coates, Nnedi Okurafor, Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone, Walter Mosley, Zadie Smith, Roxane Gay, Christina Henriquez, Jhumpa Lahiri, Amy Tan, Junot Diaz, Sabaa Tahir, Issa Rae, Tracy K Smith, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, Edwidge Danticat, Lisa See, Sherman Alexie, Ellen Oh, Sandra Cisneros…shall I go on?? Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-five novels, including Small Great Things, Leaving Time, The Storyteller, Lone Wolf, Sing You Home, House Rules, Handle with Care, Change of Heart, Nineteen Minutes, and My Sister’s Keeper. The title alludes to a quote attributed often to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things that are great.” In what ways do the actions of each of the narrators support this statement? When I asked the same question of Black mothers, they all said, Every day. Racism is different. Because race is different. She stayed home for a week, and even after that, when it didn’t quite heal right and she insisted on returning to work, Mina found her tasks to do that kept her off her feet. It’s okay to be excluded and to yield the floor and the microphone to leaders within the Black community. The writing was strong and compelling and despite my misgivings, Jodi Picoult’s story still proved very hard to put down or to listen to. They’d distribute anti-white flyers into a white neighborhood and see who responded by saying that the whites were under attack. Small Great Things (Book) : Picoult, Jodi : "A young woman and her husband, admitted to hospital to have a baby, request that their nurse be reassigned--they are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is black, to touch their baby. For Small Great Things, she interviewed two former skinheads. After recruiting for hate crews in Philly, he now runs Harmony through Hockey – a program to promote racial diversity among kids. Of course, I didn’t know that back then. If you had a blind student in your classroom would you give her a written test? Asking to speak to someone in charge, and being directed to someone of your race. In America, we like to think that the reason we have had success is because we worked hard or we were smart. There's going to be a repetition and a redundancy night after night, but it's the small variations in those moments - a word, a tone of voice, the smallest sense of enlightenment that can happen in an instant onstage - … Then I met with two former skinheads, to develop a vocabulary of hate for my White Supremacist character. Educate yourself. Know the difference between equal and equitable. I will have people of color challenging me for choosing a topic that doesn’t belong to me. The paperback edition includes a reading group guide and a Q&A with author Celeste Ng. Jodi's books make you think - they aren't 'easy' reads, however, they can be hard to put down and raw with emotion and intensity. I began my research by sitting down with women of color. SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult--Author's Note, Users who like SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult--Author's Note, Users who reposted SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult--Author's Note, Playlists containing SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult--Author's Note, More tracks like SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult--Author's Note. Ruth Jeffries is an experienced neonatal nurse, working in the Labour and Delivery suite at Mercy-West Haven Hospital in … * With that in mind, consider the below three questions: Do you think legal action would have been brought against Ruth if she was of Eastern European Jewish heritage? If so, what would you like me to do?”. 279,957 ratings, 4.34 average rating, 26,301 reviews. If you think someone’s voice is being ignored, tell others to listen. Everything that Turk experiences in the novel actually happened to one of her two interview subjects. From the creators of SparkNotes. A really great little mnemonic device is one I stole from Kayla Reed, a Black activist on Twitter: ALLY: A (lways center the impacted), L(isten and learn from those who live in the oppression, L(everage your privilege), Y(ield the floor). Your job is not to come into a community to “fix” it. With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn’t offer easy answers. Likewise it is important to realize that because people of color may be at a disadvantage (be in in health care, jobs, education) it is necessary to level the playing field, to make success fair and possible for all. So did Rachel and I, but we were better at taking care of ourselves, I suppose, than Ms. Mina was. “You three, go to Miss Christina’s room,” Mama ordered, with steel in her voice. Your job is to say, “Do you need help? Don’t say “Well, I’m gay/Jewish/female..I’m a minority too!” Again, this robs people of color of THEIR narratives. Sure, you know Martin Luther King Jr, and Rosa Parks. Where everyone was equal, and it was just one woman, helping another. Then I had the pleasure of talking to Beverly Daniel Tatum, former president of Spelman College and a renowned racial educator. Small Great Things; Ballantine Books, New York, 2016. Frank, uncomfortably introspective and right on the day’s headlines, it will challenge her readers. Why or why not? How far back in the story do you need to go to consider this outcome? Many in the African-American community are sensitive to white people using Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words to reflect their own experience, and with good reason. 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. Maya Angelou, The flakes I’d made with the white crayon were invisible on the paper. Picoult, Jodi. This time, though, I was learning about myself. When we finally emerged at Seventy-second Street, the world was white. If no, how did she demonstrate that? But we remained rooted to the spot as Mama quickly forgot about us, lost in a world made of Ms. Mina’s pain and fear, trying to be the map that she could follow out of it. He was fine, even though he was almost a full month early, a casualty of the barometric pressure dropping with the storm, which caused a PROM—a premature rupture of membranes. No, you’d give a Braille one with the same material on it. Does she obey orders or does she intervene? Ruth Jackson grew up in a poor part of the city, and her mother worked as a maid for the Hallowells, a wealthy white family in Manhattan. The Small Great Things Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. My daughter Sammy was the one who found Tim Zaal – a former skinhead who had Skyped with her class in high school. There was the round knob of a head, a knot of shoulder, a gush of blood and fluid, and suddenly, a baby was cradled in Mama’s palms. But it got me thinking, and I began to weave a story. Walter Mosley, The only way to see them was to tilt the paper sideways toward the chandelier light, so I could make out the shimmer where the crayon had been. Publication Date: February 20, 2018; Genres: Fiction; Paperback: 528 pages; Publisher: Ballantine Books; ISBN-10: 0345544978; ISBN-13: 9780345544971 #1 SMALL GREAT THINGS debuts as #1 NYT bestseller! Nowadays, White Supremacists dress like ordinary folks. Were there moments in each of the three characters’ stories that you could relate to and/or feel compassion for? [I]t’s . A huge THANK YOU to all of my Australian, US, UK, and Canadian fans who come out to my Small Great Things tour! “Weren’t you in a hurry to get into this world?”. No Small Parts " takes a look at his rise to fame. Now look at what you’ve written. She joins us from WGBH in … Celeste Ng, 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. One advantage to being white is having access to places that are primarily full of white people. “Small Great Things is the most important novel Jodi Picoult has ever written. [and] expand our … “You stop pushing, now,” she said. Toni Morrison, Jodi talks about what inspired her to write Small Great Things with NPR Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon - October 8, 2016. I put a family inside: me, Mama, Rachel. 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. He requested that this nurse, and those who look like her, not touch his infant. Can you give three historical examples of this? Small Great Things Jodi Picoult, 2016 Random House 480 pp. Is your network connection unstable or browser outdated? Rate this book. Don’t assume you need to be present at all conversations about race. Many of you who are long-time fans of mine know this was not the original name of the novel. It’s fraught, and it’s hard to discuss, and so as a result we often don’t. Frank, uncomfortably introspective and right on the day’s headlines, it will challenge her readers. It wasn’t until I heard Christina’s voice that I realized the noise had woken her up. In fact the only time I remember Mama taking time off work was twenty-five years later, when she had a double hip replacement, generously paid for by the Hallowells. But it’s like going to the doctor with a broken arm – and he says, “All bones matter!” True, but right at that moment you need the BROKEN one fixed. The first thing I can tell you is what NOT to do: A really easy way to start to challenge implicit racism is to look at your bookshelf. Editorial Review An Amazon Best Book of October 2016: Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things is about racism, choice, fear, and hope. Picoult is a master of the craft of storytelling. Jacqueline Woodson, Finally, if you have time or money, consider donating to a group like Black Lives Matter, Showing Up For Racial Justice, Race Forward, or a local community group that promotes racial justice. I read books by Dr. Tatum, Debby Irving, Michelle Alexander, and David Shipler. Instead, the role of the ally is to find other white people and to talk to make them see that many of the benefits they’ve enjoyed in life are a direct result of the fact that someone else did not have the same benefits. Amy Tan, The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. What led me to write those stories was my outrage and my desire to give those narratives air time, so that those who hadn’t experienced them became more aware. Lewis Latimer? Why do you think this is? The point was to redirect the recruit’s rage into racism. You may feel uncomfortable – but then again, comfort is a privilege, not a right. Brit Bennett, Have you given it much thought? . How? Please visit SmallGreatThings.com to share an e-card, view discussion questions to share with your book club, and much more. In her highly-anticipated 2016 novel, SMALL GREAT THINGS, Jodi tackles the profoundly challenging yet essential con­cerns of our time: prejudice, race, and justice. I watched the pink lips between Ms. Mina’s legs purse and swell and part. Stream SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult --Author's Note by PRH Audio from desktop or your mobile device on SOUNDCLOUD. I was uncomfortably aware that when white authors talked about racism in fiction, it was usually historical. When doing theater, you have to find great satisfaction in the small things. Two things happened at once: the doorbell rang, and Christina started to cry. SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult--Author's Note by PRH Audio published on 2016-10-20T13:07:32Z Listen to the Author's Note narrated by Cassandra Campbell; audiobook narrated by Audra McDonald, Cassandra Campbell and Ari Fliakos. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. Sandra Cisneros, (WUW p 68), What have you filed away? Please download one of our supported browsers. The Hallowells named the baby Louis, after Mama. Picoult writes with unassuming brilliance. SMALL GREAT THINGS By Jodi Picoult 470 pp. Error rating book. Taherah Mafi...and many more #authors-of-color ! That ignores the impact racism has had on others. Nicola Yoon, So as Mama tied on her white apron, I took a piece of paper from a kitchen drawer and a packet of crayons I’d brought from home and silently started to sketch. When she was home and we came to work with our mother, we played school with her and her teddy bears, drank water out of real miniature china teacups, and braided the corn-silk hair of her dolls. She was holding the telephone receiver. Chang-Rae Lee, Suddenly I knew that I could, and would, finish this novel. Most of us think the word “racism” is synonymous with the word “prejudice.” But racism is more than just discrimination based on skin color. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Feel uneasy. (WUW p. 6), How have you understood racial difference? Jesmyn Ward, As Roxana Robinson said, “A writer is like a tuning fork: we respond when we’re struck by something…If we’re lucky we’ll transmit a strong pure note, one that isn’t ours, but which passes through us.” To the Black people reading SMALL GREAT THINGS – I hope I listened well enough to those in your community who opened their hearts to me to be able to represent your experiences with accuracy. Looking for some great authors of color to read next? Does it surprise you? When it came time to title this book, I found myself struggling again. That miracle, I’ve spent thirty-nine years waiting to see again. The miracle happened on West Seventy-fourth Street, in the home where Mama worked. . Of the three main characters, Ruth, Kennedy, and Turk, who do you most relate to? Octavia Butler, I couldn’t do justice to the topic, somehow. I watched the cords stand out on Ms. Mina’s neck as she groaned; I saw Mama kneel on the bed between her legs and push her gown over her knees. Small Great Things, Jodi Picoult’s 2016 novel, takes its title from a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” The book takes its major section titles from the stages of childbirth, beginning with “Stage One: Early Labor” (1). Alexander Chee, I will have white people challenging me for calling them out on their racism. “Jodi Picoult has dealt with weighty issues such as teenagers with leukemia in My Sister's Keeper and child sexual abuse in Perfect Match. “The ambulance’ll be here any minute.”. When I tell people this story, they assume the miracle I am referring to during that long-ago blizzard was the birth of a baby. What information was missing that allowed you to draw the incorrect conclusion? . I would definitely read, or listen to this book again. Do not pause, censor, or correct — rather, let emerge what will. How does this differential play out when it comes to racism? Small Great Things (2016) is the twenty-fifth novel by the American author, Jodi Picoult.The book focuses on race in America and revolves around the protagonist, a delivery nurse, named Ruth Jefferson. (WUW, p. 123). …her storytelling skills are most evident. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. “Small Great Things is the most important novel Jodi Picoult has ever written. (WUW p. 41), Think of a time you grossly misinterpreted a person (of any race) or situation. She returned with two paramedics, who swooped in and took over, so that what Mama had done for Ms. Mina became like everything else she did for the Hallowells: seamless and invisible. He had been the unmistakable voice in the mid-1960s who announced before every show: The following program is brought to you in living color on NBC! . I was writing to my own community – white people – who can very easily point to a Neo-Nazi skinhead and say he’s a racist…but who can’t recognize racism in themselves. Publication Date: February 20, 2018; Genres: Fiction; Paperback: 528 pages; Publisher: Ballantine Books; ISBN-10: 0345544978; ISBN-13: 9780345544971 It was imported from Paris, and it tasted like heaven. Christina had the biggest bedroom I had ever seen and more toys than anyone I knew. What stereotypes about people of another race do you remember hearing and believing as a child? It was a big brownstone encircled by a wrought-iron fence, and overlooking either side of the ornate door were gargoyles, their granite faces carved from my nightmares. The reason we were with Mama that day was because it was a snow day. “You two be quiet,” Mama told us, “and I’ll make you some of Ms. Mina’s hot chocolate.”. Kindle AZW file. They blend in, which is a whole different kind of terror. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Need help? Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult is out on 22 November I was disappointed with the film version of My Sister’s Keeper , my 11th novel, about a girl who sues her parents when she is … Rachel was the first one out of her chair; she wasn’t one to follow instructions. 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. They also taught me that now, most skinhead groups are not crews seeking out violence, but rather individuals who are networking underground. As Picoult says in the Author’s Note about Small Great Things, “I wrote it because I believed it was the right thing to do, and because the things that make us most uncomfortable are the things that teach us what we all need to know.”To me, that quote has “reader beware” all over it. The novel is based on the true story of a labor and delivery nurse who was prohibited from caring for a newborn because the father requested that no African-American nurses tend to his baby. xoxo —Jodi. Ms. Mina held her other hand in a death grip. I am not a social justice educator, so I can offer advice only as someone who is still a work in progress. Buying dolls, toys, and children’s books that feature people of your race. True, that was astonishing. About the Author. Yes, talking about racism is hard to do, and yes, we stumble over the words—but we who are white need to have this discussion amongst ourselves. “Stay here,” she said, her voice already trailing behind her as she ran upstairs. But that day I witnessed a greater wonder. For all of these reasons – and because I hope it will encourage people to learn more about Dr. King -- I chose this title. 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 faces of the men and women shuddering through the storm to get to work looked nothing like mine, or like my cousins’ or neighbors’. Jhumpa Lahiri, 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. Small Great Things (Jodi Picoult, 2016) is a thought-provoking novel that explores race and encourages the reader to consider their own role in perpetuating a system that disregards our innate differences. Cristina Henriquez, Marc Aronson’s middle grade nonfiction books are great examples of tackling research issues head-on. In terms of biology? Can people such as the hospital lawyer, the judge, Kennedy, or the police perpetuate racism? It will challenge her readers . . The #1 New York Times bestseller, Indie Next pick, with 1 million copies sold, is now available in paperback! And people of color often don’t feel comfortable. Of all my novels, this book will stand out for me because of the sea change it inspired in the way I think about myself, and because it made me aware of the distance I have yet to go when it comes to racial awareness. Some nonfiction picture book writers use their back matter to write about the same issues. I was drawn in her wake, a balloon tied to her wrist. (add some examples here) Are you in touch with your inner bias and racial conditioning? Don’t say “All Lives Matter!” Yes, of course all lives matter. It was not just that Central Park was caught in a snow globe. Mr. Hallowell was away in California that week, which happened often, and which meant that Ms. Mina and Christina needed Mama even more. I started the novel, foundered, and quit. . Walking into a random hair salon and finding someone who can cut your hair. 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. Educate yourself. “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” – Martin Luther King Jr. Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-five novels, including Small Great Things, Leaving Time, The Storyteller, Lone Wolf, Sing You Home, House Rules, Handle with Care, Change of Heart, Nineteen Minutes, and My Sister’s Keeper. Challenge your uncle when he tells a racist joke at Thanksgiving. Because then, even more of us will overhear and then, I hope, the conversation will spread. “Oh, honey,” Ms. Mina crooned, not scary anymore but still sweaty and red-faced. Do you know who Henry Ossian Flipper is? I only knew that on a snowy day in Manhattan I had seen the very start of someone. The supervisor put the patient request in the file, and a bunch of African-American personnel sued for discrimination and won. After getting out of the Movement, he started to work at the Simon Weisenthal Center talking about hate crimes and realized one day that the man he had left for dead worked there too. Overview. I waited for Mama to move through the dark rooms like Tinker Bell, alighting on a switch or a handle or a knob so that the sleeping beast of a house was gradually brought to life. What do you think the impact is on a person who engages infrequently in conversations about a given topic? Create a column that contains these labels: African Americans, Asian Americans, Jews, Latinos, Muslims, Whites. But I remember thinking it made no sense that Rachel and I had to put our snowsuits and boots into the tiny, cramped closet in the kitchen, when there were plenty of empty hooks and open spaces in the main entry, where Christina’s and Ms. Mina’s coats were hanging. I knew that I wanted to write from the point of view of a Black nurse, a skinhead father, and a public defender – a woman who, like me, and like many of my readers, was a well-intentioned white lady who would never consider herself to be a racist. As Christina held my hand and Ms. Mina held Mama’s, there was a moment—one heartbeat, one breath—where all the differences in schooling and money and skin color evaporated like mirages in a desert. How often to you speak about racism with your closest friends and family? I am often told by readers how much they’ve learned from my books – but when I write a novel, I learn a lot as well. Admitting that racism has played a part in our success means admitting that the American dream isn’t quite so accessible to all. And FYI, if you don’t sit down and talk about racism with that Black friend of yours, you aren’t a true friend. It’s Kennedy’s journey of coming to terms with her own racist relatives and white privilege, as she realizes, for the first time, the pervasiveness of American racism, that is the real story here… Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. Buy Small Great Things: The bestselling novel you won't want to miss by Picoult, Jodi from Amazon's Fiction Books Store. I knew it did the same to Mama, because she nearly dropped the pot of water she was carrying to the sink. Don’t be a savior. Jodi Picoult is the author of twenty-six novels, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Small Great Things, A Spark of Light, Leaving Time, The Storyteller, Lone Wolf, Between the Lines, Sing You Home, House Rules, Handle with Care, Change of Heart, Nineteen Minutes, and My Sister’s Keeper. Julia Alvarez, Then again, if I’d only written what I knew, my career would have been short and boring. New Hampshire Public Radio and The Music Hall present Writers on a New England Stage with Jodi Picoult recorded live at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH - October 26, 2016. The round of her belly rose like a moon; the shining whites of her eyes made me think of merry-go-round horses, frozen in flight. Violence became a release, a mandate. I’ve come to see that ignorance is a privilege, too. $28.99. Small Great Things is the 22nd adult novel by American author, Jodi Picoult. “Now.”. This is Picoult's first novel with an African American protagonist. The hospital complies, but the baby later goes into cardiac distress when Ruth is on duty. "Small Great Things" is the latest novel by Jodi Picoult, whose bestsellers have sold more than 14 million copies around the world. His eloquence about a subject most of us feel inadequate putting into words is inspiring and humbling. Don’t say you’re colorblind. It’s hard to exaggerate how well Picoult writes. ISBN-13: 9780345544957 Summary Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. I grew up white and class-privileged. Refresh and try again. ISBN-13: 9780345544957 Summary Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. For this reason, Black Lives Matter. Flash forward twenty years. Years ago, Tim beat up and left a gay man for dead. The doorbell beneath those gargoyles was the famously pitched three-note chime everyone associates with NBC. Once you've read Small Great Things, I'd love for you to share with others what the reading experience was like for you. SMALL GREAT THINGS was chosen for the 2017 NNSTOY social justice booklist for high school - adult readers. Plus, for many whites who are just beginning to travel the path of racial self-awareness, Dr. King’s words are often the first step of the journey. Equal means THE SAME. Christina was six, falling neatly between the ages of Rachel and me. But when I was little, during school vacations and bouts of fever and snow days like this one, Mama would take us with her on the B train downtown. SMALL GREAT THINGS is a reference to a quote often attributed to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things that are great.” But as a white woman, did I have the right to paraphrase these sentiments? I’d been with that baby before anyone or anything in this world had a chance to disappoint him. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?