Plain Truth by Jodi PicoultMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 1.5 days
Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton
Blurb from Goodreads
The discovery of a dead infant in an Amish barn shakes Lancaster County to its core. But the police investigation leads to a more shocking disclosure: circumstantial evidence suggests that eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher, an unmarried Amish woman believed to be the newborn's mother, took the child's life. When Ellie Hathaway, a disillusioned big-city attorney, comes to Paradise, Pennsylvania, to defend Katie, two cultures collide -- and for the first time in her high-profile career, Ellie faces a system of justice very different from her own. Delving deep inside the world of those who live "plain," Ellie must find a way to reach Katie on her terms. And as she unravels a tangled murder case, Ellie also looks deep within -- to confront her own fears and desires when a man from her past reenters her life.
My Review
It starts with a birth in the Amish barn, a young woman giving birth to a child. It then goes to the same barn a little later and the body of a baby being discovered and the police soon arrive. The story unravels with a young girl denying pregnancy and birth despite evidence to the contrary and the police looking to charge her with murder. Ellie, her distant cousin comes in as her attorney, reluctantly, to defend her and finds herself as much a prisoner as Katie, in the Amish farm as she tries to build a defense with no modern technology. Is Katie guilty of killing a baby she denies all knowledge of, will the truth out and can Ellie defend someone she knows is lying to her.
I feel bad saying I enjoyed this book as one of the main events is the murder of a baby however I couldn't put it down. I know very little about the Amish community so it was nice to have a bit of education in that respect. There is also some medical terms throughout the book, not in large parts, but as a student I found this really interesting too.
Katie is a young woman and comes across as a wee girl at times as she is so innocent. The mystery is there from the start as to what happened to the baby and we are teased along as the case progresses and Katie is interviewed by psychologists. Slowly Katie's memory is teased to reveal what she actually remembers whilst the story also focuses on Ellie and how she adjusts to living with the Amish people.
There are so many levels, I felt, to this story and relationships explored and budding. The pace goes along in some parts slowly but always enough to keep you drawn in. There are a few surprises in store and as always I love how Jodi writes so if your a fan this one is sure not to disappoint, 4/5 for me this time.
