A Spark of Light A Novel by Jodi Picoult

Profile:

"The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things returns with a powerful and provocative new novel about ordinary lives that intersect during a heart-stopping crisis.

The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center—a women’s reproductive health services clinic—its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage.

After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.

But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order to save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester, disguised as a patient, who now stands in the cross hairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard.

Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day.

Jodi Picoult—one of the most fearless writers of our time—tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A Spark of Light will inspire debate, conversation . . . and, hopefully, understanding."

Title: A Spark of Light
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"A Spark of Light" by Jodi Picoult

My Thoughts....

This was definitely a read that dealt with both sides of the issue of abortion that did cause it to be a somewhat hard to read however, I did find the read 'riveting, powerful and surprising.' "A Spark of Light" was about a group of people who were caught up in a hostage crisis at a health clinic in Mississippi that performs abortions. The story was quite interesting in the way it was presented in that it was told in a reverse chronological order [backwards] where the story will explore the abortion issues from both sides while presented characters who were there in the hostage situation for various reasons. Some of the reasons were from: 'to terminate or prevent pregnancy, perform procedure or assist in other ways, or protest with each character having their own story which included the gunman ....his family and the negotiator and his family. As this story will continue flashing forward to a stunning epilogue.' I did like how this author was able to give the readers 'human faces' on both sides as each character told their story .

The reader will have to keep up with what is going on because this read will have quite a few jumps from one character to the next one as this story will continue to the end.

One thing that is for sure this story will give the reader quite a bit to ponder over long after the read especially with that twist at the end. I will say this story touches on many current issues of what is going on in our world today.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an impartial review.

antine Books