Plain Truth: A Novel

by Jodi Picoult

Book Overview

From the bestselling author of My Sister's Keeper comes the riveting story of a murder that shatters the picturesque calm of Amish country--and tests the heart and soul of the lawyer defending the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671776134
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Washington Square Press
• Length: 405 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 1.1" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

What a great read!!!

It was such an unusual interest for us who are considered "Plain". Very interesting side of the Amish. Might read it again!

another wonderful book by Jodi Picoult!

i love how she captures you in the beginning! i read this book in 4 days i was so into it! i ordered 2 more of her books and im sure i will be ordering more!! There isnt anything i would change about this book

A mesmerizing, addictive story...

My very first novel by Jodi Picoult has lived up to all the hype I've been hearing about for so many months. I don't know what's taken me so long to finally read one! Having closed the last page in Plain Truth just a few moments ago, my mind is now reeling from all that I've read this past week. I have a feeling this story will be with me for quite awhile.Plain Truth tells the story of an 18-year-old Amish girl, Katie Fisher, who secretly gives birth to a child out of wedlock. Mysteriously the baby disappears and a few hours later is found dead in the barn located on the Fisher farm. After an initial investigation, Katie is charged with murder and a Philadelphia attorney, Ellie Hathaway, is set to defend her case. Adding to the fascination of this particular murder trial is the fact that Katie Fisher is Amish, and the Amish convictions are very different from others in the English world. The fact that an Amishman, who by nature does not believe in confrontation and violence, would kill another is entirely unheard of.Plain Truth is a very intricate and richly detailed tapestry of Amish life and a court case that shocked the small town of East Paradise Township. Each page turned revealed a little more of the mystery and added to the bewilderment and beauty of the story. There is much to be said about this novel because it is so much more than just what is written on the back of the book. It is truly a three dimensional piece of work that kept me in awe and rapt attention until the surprising (and completely unalluded to) ending. A novel of true page-turner status that will reveal bits and pieces, layer by layer, until the very end.

One of my new favorite authors!

I have been hearing so many good things about Jodi Picoult this year, and I finally sat down with Plain Truth early this week. I could hardly put the book down! Katie Fisher is an eighteen year old Amish girl who stepped out into the English world a little too far. A newborn baby is found dead in the Fisher barn, and questions are raised as to the mother of the child and if the baby died a stillborn.. or was murdered. Ellie Hathaway, slightly jaded Philadelphia attorney, agrees to defend Katie, the likely suspect. You will be literally transported to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and live with the Amish as Ellie does, and you will feel every emotion possible as you learn more about Katie and her experiences. Along with the story of Katie and her baby, there is a love story between Ellie and her ex college sweetheart, Coop, Katie's psychiatrist. Each moment of this novel was a treat for me and will be for you as well.

This book is a treat!

Jodi Picoult's "Plain Truth" is a gem of a story. I had a great sense of enjoyment as I read it. Her characters seem real and believable and the plot is well crafted. Katie and Ellie, as well as all the other characters, were likable, and acted like we might all act under the circumstances. The relationship between Katie and Samuel was sweet and touching. Underneath it all runs the thread of a tragedy that has affected the entire Fisher family. There could not have been a better ending...grounded in reality instead of implausible heroics. I enjoyed the setting amid the Amish culture. Ms. Picoult obviously researched her topic thoroughly, to be able to give her readers such a detailed view of their world. I look forward to reading other books by the author. I am starting "Harvesting the Heart" very soon!

Another great book from Ms. Picoult

In her previous book, The Pact, Ms. Picoult writes about a suicide pact between two teenagers. When the boyfriend doesn't die, the book probes not only the previous relationship between this young man and his girlfriend but their parents' reactions as well as the legal ramifications concerning the one who survived.In her newest book, Plain Truth, Ms. Picoult enters the world of the Amish sect who still today live by priciples contary to the 21st century. And again as in The Pact, when a young unmarried woman, Katie Fisher, is accused of murdering a newborn which she has presumably given birth to, the law steps in and these events tear apart a family and community steeped in the Amish traditions and mores. For Ellie Hathaway, an urban sophisticated lawyer somewhat related to this community and the other major character in thsi book, defending this client provides her not only with a world filled with "plain" truths and different rules, but also a glimpse into the failures of her own life.Jodi Picoult has written another fascinating book. One which can takes its place amongst many of her other books such as Keeping Faith, The Pact and Harvesting the Heart. Her characters in Plain Truth, as always, are well pprtrayed and stay with the reader long after they close the book. Also, it is apprent that Ms.Picoult did a great deal of research as well as live amongst the Amish to learn more about the ways of the plain.Finally, the author sheds new light on events often in the news today along with presenting a lifestyle which I as the reader knew very little about before reading this book.Bravo for a first rate novel, Jodi.

Powerful gripping family suspense drama

She turned her back on love two decades ago because she neededto prove to herself that she could do it alone by climbing to the topof a prestigious law firm. Philadelphia attorney Ellie Hathaway obtains an acquittal for her client, which earns her a job offer from one of the legal elite firms. However, instead of elation, Ellie feels guilty for gaining freedom for a pediophile who molested at least six children. Ellie walks out on her lover of eight years, seeking sanctuary with her aunt in the heart of Amish Country in East Paradise, Lancaster County. Shortly after her arrival, Ellie is asked to take on the case of eighteen-year-old Amish woman Katie Fisher, accused of killing her newborn child. Katie hid her pregnancy before she went to the family barn to give birth by herself. She wrapped her baby in a shirt and fell asleep. When the teen awakened, the infant was gone. Later the dead child was found and Katie was accused of smothering the baby. Ellie agrees to take on an "Old Order" client that the lawyer thinks might be guilty in an English court. Judy Picoult is a gifted storyteller whose compelling works profoundly impact her audience. Anyone who wants a glimpse at the Amish culture will want to read PLAIN TRUTH. The complex charcaters appear more like multi-dimensional people who capture a niche in the reader's heart. If justice is served, Ms. Picoult will become a best-selling author for this warm insightful novel.