February 25, 2021
Emotion-Driven Books
Looking for a page-turner while you’re social distancing? Our Driftwood staff provides some of our favorite light reading picks to pass the time while cooped up at home.
Fiction:
Small Great Things
by Jodi Picoult
Ruth Jefferson is an African American labor and delivery nurse who works with newborns. When she is assigned to care for a baby whose parents are white supremacists, the parents tell the hospital that Ruth is not to touch their baby. The child unexpectedly dies in Ruth’s care, and she is charged with murder and taken to court. What follows is a frustrating trial that struggles to find justice for the child and deal with the racial inequality in our nation. Told through the points of view of Ruth, her lawyer, and the baby’s father, this is Picoult’s most challenging book so far. I first read it in 2016, and it has stuck with me ever since.by Tamara Webber* Trigger Warning: discussion of rape, sexual assault, violence, murder
Life flashes before Jacqueline Wallace’s eyes when she’s attacked on her way home from a college frat party on Halloween, the culprit none other than her ex-boyfriend’s best friend. Jacqueline escapes the attempted rape, thanks to a heroic rescue from a stranger passing by, but she’s haunted by the secret of what almost happened to her that fateful night. Lucas Maxfield has demons of his own, rooted in the unimaginable trauma and loss he experienced as a child. Both are survivors, bonded by pain and tragedy. Yet, the attraction Jacqueline and Lucas share is undeniable…and they’re stronger together than they are apart. Despite Easy dealing with some very dark and heavy themes, Webber crafts a beautiful story of inspiring characters who fight to discover their inner strength, speak their truths, find peace and happiness, and against all odds…fall in love.