Customer Reviews

Plain Truth

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I thought this book was great.

It was a great story with layers and layers of interesting facts, intertwined with the complex story line.

Katie who is an 18 year old Amish girl has a baby out of wedlock
and can't remember what happens next after giving birth. She passes out, and the baby appears suffocated. She doesn't rememeber the birth or how the baby died.

The DA wants to prosecute her for murder. Her lawyer gets "custody" of her and has to live in her home to keep an eye on her so that she doesn't skip bail. The lawyer, Ellie learns of the Amish ways.

This story goes into great detail of the Amish ways and also the trial reads likes you could be a juror and you are making the judgement against Katie. The medical terms are alittle hard to understand or pronounce the words, but the author then
describes them so you can understand them.

I totally recommend this book to everyone. I really reads very quickly and it makes you think.

I was disappointed with this book. The dialogue was slow--the unnecessary conversations she included drug the pace of the book down. Also, there were some court scenes that were so predictable... Picoult can do better! There is a scene in which a character gets on the stand and to the horror of the reader.... Says something straight out of a lifetime movie! Come on, Jodi! You've got more talent that this!

Not a terrible book, but certainly not Picoult's best

I received this book in better than expected condition
and very quickly given the disruption of our postal service after ordering. I would order from the seller again without hesitation.

Publisher: Washington Square Press
Pages: 432
Source: Personal EBook
Category: Fiction

A baby is found on an Amish farm, the authorities believe the baby may have been smothered. As the authorities begin to question those on the farm, Katie Fisher is discovered as the potential mother when she begins to bleed uncontrollably. The authorities call for a ambulance, and Katie is carted off kicking and screaming while the medical staff keep insisting that she has just given birth. Katie is denying everything. When Katie is charged with murdering her baby, her family has no intention of helping their daughter. They would let everything fall as it may, everything would be left to 'God's Will.' Katie's aunt enlists the help of a dear friend named Ellie. Ellie's role has lawyer becomes also caretaker, and guardian of Katie when the judge allows Katie to be released into her hands. Together, Katie and Ellie return to the Amish farm. Ellie is shocked when her technological life is turned upside down, she's frustrated when Katie keeps insisting that she did not give birth to this child. How can Ellie defend her, when she won't tell her anything? Ellie learns the ins and outs of Amish life, and wonders if she has made the correct decisions in taking on Katie's case. Her own mother and father seem distant and unresponsive. Her brother has been 'shunned' from the community and is not to return. Katie and her story slowly unravel to tell a story that is both shocking and intriguing.

I want to first mention that this was my first Jodi Picoult book, and ultimately I'm standing in the middle neither liking or disliking this book very much. My biggest issue with the book is that fact that I never felt attached to any of the characters. All characters are flawed, and realistic but the story never led me to truly care for them. I never rooted for any of the characters. Jodi Picoult flashes back in time to tell the story of Katie, and her iniquitous past. I thought this was well done and it kept me wondering about the ultimate ending. As a reader I felt left in the dark for a good portion of the book. Much of the book felt slow-moving and at times I felt irritated. The trail felt long and tedious. This was not my first Amish fiction book, while Jodi Picoult includes some key Amish components and I didn't really feel like I was carried away into an Amish culture. At times I felt like it was more stereotypical, than realistic. I really wanted to read this one, but I had a hard time getting through it. I wouldn't say that I loathed this book, but I felt extremely disappointed. I would like to give Jodi Picoult another change, and try another one of her books.

I still have not recieved this item I ordered three books all at the same time and have recieved two but not this one

As reflected by most reviewers and readers, I suppose that when you are a prolific and successful writer, the numerous books published do not always meet expectations. Personally, this is my fourth book by Jodie Picoult I am pleased to report that I have liked it as much as I did the first one I read by her, `My Sister's Keeper'. (The other two, `The Tenth Circle' and `Perfect Match' were not up to standard in my opinion).

Pennsylvania, present day. The tiny body of a newborn baby boy is found in an Amish barn. Evidence of a recent delivery is discovered and it all points to Katie Fisher, the 18 year-old daughter of an Amish farmer, but she denies both a pregnancy and any knowledge of the baby. It is soon clear that the baby died of unnatural causes. Katie is accused of murder. This rocks the notoriously peaceful and non-violent boat of the local Amish community.
Ellie, a distant relative and a successful defence attorney, agrees to represent Katie in court but to do so, she has to live at the farm, with Katie and her family, until the legal case is set into motion. Being an `Englisher' all the way through, Ellie finds herself in a very atypical environment and starts discovering the Amish way of life, while trying to extrapolate the truth and an explanation from Katie, who denies every charge, and while confronting a few personal issues herself.
Eventually, a suspenseful courtroom drama ensues.

Well researched, fluent narrative, an interesting setting -the Amish culture, of which I knew very little about, clashing with the Western world- and an engaging plot, definitely intriguing. The only reservations I have with this book are, in this order, its length as the essence would not have been spoiled or lost had it been shortened by at least 80 or so pages -it does get repetitive at times- and secondly, its epilogue, a bit predictable I thought. But only a bit. A part from that, a well crafted, entertaining and emotional story.

I just finished reading Plain Truth and enjoyed the good read. Jodi Picoult does a great job of depicting life as a Amish person. I'm not going to describe the plot as so many before me have done a good job of that. With that being said ,I'll get right into what I liked and disliked:
I was surprised at how many times the Bishop sided with Ellie (the attorney) rather than the Amish way. I mean even Aaron (Katie's father)seemed to want to keep the Amish order more so than the Bishop. I found that strange. I understand the importance of the trial however I thought it was very drawn out. I also thought it could have been less irritating and confusing if Katie stuck to her story a little more than going back and forth so many times. I can understand the reasons why the author played it out that way however I found it happened just one too many times. All in all, I enjoyed the read and learned a lot about the Amish community. I would recommend it.

I am so interested it reading and learning about the Amish. I have read books about the Amish by a couple of different authors and I would just like to say that Jodi Picoult did a wonderful job writing this book. It was interesting to read because she included such descriptive details and she always ended the chapter with a new thought or fact that brought new light to the mystery! I am now completely hooked on Jodi Picoult's books!

I've never read a book by Picoult before and I thought this was a quick, entertaining read. However, I had things figured out early on and was disappointed in the fact that despite supposedly being a high-profiled, cutthroat attorney, Ellie Hathaway never initiated her own investigation into the baby's murder and was on the defensive, rather than the offensive, with the case. I think Picoult could've done a more believable job building the attorney part of Ellie's character. The courtroom scenes were okay ... I skimmed over the prosecution's part because it was hashed over stuff.

She did a wonderful job building her characters and their interpersonal relationships, though.

Imagine your life as an Amish kid, instead of having T.V. you have a field of corn, instead of taking out the garbage as a chore, you have to collect the eggs from the hens. Your whole life you have strive to blend in with the crowd, be a good Christian, and not disappoint your father and church. Then one day your whole life shatters, and worse you are convicted of First Degree Murder by the 'Englishers'. You have no idea what is happening to you, and don't know how to save yourself...What would you do?

In Plain Truth you are introduced to a whole new culture, who think differently than us. Yours eyes open to a whole new world, and you learn to respect it. All this happens as you follow the story of two woman. One an Amish girl, Katie, who has had a baby out of wedlock and when the baby is discovered murdered in the barn is convicted of First Degree Murder. The other a big city attorney, who is used to winning all cases, even when her client is guilty. Coming to Paradise, Pennsylvania to relax, and troubled by a past that keeps catching up to her, jumps into the rescue when her cousin, Katie, needs help. Neither of them new the other or was accustomed to their way of life, but in a way they get close. There is just one question, Is Katie guilty? As Ellie strives to discover this and save Katie she faces a man she hasn't seen since college, bringing up more conflict. Portraying the Amish life descriptively, showing these simple people in a new, real light. Beautifully written this novel deserves 5 stars.

I would give this novel 5 stars because the whole time I was reading it, I didn't want to stop. It constantly puts you at the edge of your seat, wondering what secret you'll learn next. It is a great novel to read and teaches the reader a lot about the Amish life.

There really are two protagonists in this novel, but the more main character of the two is Ellie. She is an attorney who has gotten all these case for guilty defendants, whom she saves. Haunted by her guilt she goes to visit Paradise, Pennsylvania, where she gets tangled up in a case where trust and patience will help her the most. Finding herself and love Ellie grows to a totally new person.

All the scenes in the book that have to do with the farm are very descriptive. One of the really cool ones is when Katie sees her sisters ghosts. It is filled with vivid description of the day she saw her and the day she died. Mixed in with the present is also the past, giving the book a feeling of layers.

All in all, this is a great book to read. it keeps you at the edge of your seat. You learn many new exciting things and it is beautifully written. This is a great book for young adults and adults, I don't recommend it to younger kids. What will happen to Katie? You'll just have to read to find out.