Rating: 
Summary: The Simple Life
Review: Jodi Picoult's The Plain Truth is a captivating novel about a young Amish girl charged with murdering her own newborn son by asphyxiation. The 18-year old Katie Fisher is accused of this after the baby is found dead in the family barn underneath a pile of blankets. Not only is Katie Amish, but she is also unmarried; a very unsettling occurance for the people of her community. What makes the circumstances more alluring is the fact that Katie has no recollection of being pregnant or having the child. Around the same time, a big city defense attorney, Ellie Hathaway, withdraws to the town of Paradise, Pennslyvania. She hopes to relax a little bit, but dreams of that are shattered when she is asked to defend young Katie Fisher. Ellie Halfheartedly agrees to defend her even though Katie does not want to be defended. The small town judge relinquishes custody of Katie to Ellie until the trial begins, which means that since Katie is Amish, she needs to stay within her diminutive community. Ellie moves into the family farmhouse and begins to explore and understand the mysterious world of the "plain folk." This book could be read by anyone, of any age because it not only tells a story, but it teaches you some very profound lessons in life. Jodi Picoult exposes a tale of culture that many people don't even bother to learn about. She describes the Amish culture and beliefs with such vibrancy that you feel like you are living the life, right there with Katie and her family. Jodi also depicts the strong bonds of love and friendship. Some elements of this novel came across to be slightly unbelievable, but other than that it is quite exquisite. The Plain Truth is full of twists and turns that will surely leave you hanging on the edge of your seat. It is filled with informative facts, love triangles, truth, deceit and mystery. The perplexing outcome of this book is not revealed until the final end, which makes the book all the more pleasurable. The Plain Truth is a mind opening encounter that cannot be left unread.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating look at Amish life
Review: I spend all day working at a computer, listening to the radio, watching TV, driving my car, talking on the phone...all things forbidden to members of the Old Order Amish sect. What would it be like to say goodbye to the modern world and live the slower paced, religiously contemplative life of an Amish woman? The promise of learning the answer to that question -- something that has intrigued me ever since a high school trip to Amish country many years ago -- was what made me pick up "Plain Truth," and I was not disappointed. Jodi Picoult has done a brilliant job of capturing the rhythms of Amish life. "Plain Truth" is a great legal thriller, too. I can't remember the last time I got so caught up in a book -- this would make a great read for a long plane trip! The only reason I'm docking it a star is because I found the main character a bit too one dimensional (the cutthroat, childless career woman who deep in her heart desperately wants to have a baby), and I guessed the "surprise ending" about halfway through. Still, I highly recommend "Plain Truth" and plan to read more by Jodi Picoult!
Rating:
Summary: A Paradise, in a Different World
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Picoult's best
Review: In movie terms, this book might be a cross between "Witness" and "The Accused" with a few overtones of "Agnes of God", but, all in all, it works. Jodi Picoult's novel, The Plain Truth was intriguing and, frankly, one of her best books yet. It provides a gentle, yet unbiased portrait of genuine Amish life while avoiding a great deal of sentimentality. I particularly enjoy fiction that allows me to gain insight into another culture and Picoult's novel accomplished just that. The complexity of Amish life is surprising and provides a fascinating background for a well-crafted story. Although the main character, Ellie, occasionally drifted into the realm of the stereotypical, Picoult's characters were generally well crafted and believable. A reader cannot help but like Katie, the Amish girl central to the mystery. Even the romantic aspects, including a rather sweet and tragic love triangle involving Katie, her Amish boyfriend and a man from the outside world, was believable and moving. As far as character development and romance are concerned, this is Picoult at her best. Perhaps the novel's greatest virtue is Picoult's examination of the culture of justice and the contrast between the Amish and standard American view. The concepts of truth, justice, forgiveness, and the human perception ran as sub-text throughout the novel, making it a far deeper and more interesting book than any of her others. I enjoyed it very much.
Rating:
Summary: One of my new favorite authors!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good read
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Plain Truth - A most facinating story
Review: I read this book last summer and reading it again for Longshore Lake Book Club which meets at my house this week. It is facinating, compelling and intriguing..I learned more abou the Amish way of life than I ever knew and have always been interested in their culture since seeing the movie Witness. I hope a movie is made of this book IF, and that's a big IF, they stick strictly to the book!
Rating:
Summary: PLAIN TRUTH
Review: A beautiful young baby boy is found in a pile of shirts in a barn. Who is the mother? Was the baby murdered? All of these questions are whirling around in your head as you read this four-starred book. Soon after the baby is discovered, the police arrive with a detective named Liz. Liz accused an eighteen-year-old young lady with murder. Katie Fisher denies such an action. Katie Fisher is the daughter who lives on the farm. She is sent to trial and you will not believe what happens. The strengths of this book are that it would always have the reader hanging with suspicion of what will happen next. You are always wondering what happened to the baby and if Katie will lose or win in her trial. The weakness, in my eyes, were the visual pictures in my head of the physical activity going on throughout the book. Katie always refers back to the thoughts of a very close friend. Some of the activity involved is a little too much for me. Even though I feel that the weakness has a big hold in this book, the positives have a stronger one. I would recommend it to many people who enjoy mystery stories. This book is enjoyable to read in your spare time. I would read this book again.
Rating:
Summary: One of Picoult's Finest
Review: Most of Jodi Picoult's books manage to challenge all of your senses, and Plain Truth is no different. After reading several novels about the Amish, I picked this book up; while I am not claiming to be an expert in the area, the facts of this book seemed to be well-researched, and the Amish characters were highly believable. In true Picoult fashion, this novel starts with a bang, has you hanging on every word, and shocks you when you least expect it. Indeed, just when you think you've finally got it all figured out, something new is revealed and the new plot twist takes you in a completely different direction. Despite a couple of semi-cheesy plot twists, this book keeps you hooked until the very end, and leaves you with an amazing ending that you won't forget!! This is definitely one of Picoult's better books, right up there with Keeping Faith, it should not be missed!!
Rating: 
Summary: Culture, religion, crime clash in an Amish community.
Review: Katie Fisher is characterized as a sweet, innocent, teenager, fully entrenched in Amish ways. She could not possibly have murdered her newborn son. With medical evidence to the contrary, Katie denies any knowledge of the baby; she denies even having given birth. Period. How can she be defended in a court of law by a distant relative who is a high-powered Philadelphia lawyer prepared to win this case, even stretching the truth if necessary? Ellie Hathaway wins at all costs and does not blink when she tells the defendant that it's just a matter of whose story a jury will believe. Ellie's is usually the best and most convincing, truth not always a necessary element. Her track record in a courtroom proves it. Will the insanity defense work? Was Katie disassociative, aware of the pregnancy but not fully cognizant of it? Surrounding the carefully built story is the protective coating called the Amish (the "Plain") community. To go against the grain, to disobey the strict codes of conduct is to be shunned, even excommunicated! Yet Katie arrives at a point during the trial where she wishes to confess all as her memories of the birth return little by little. But Katie is unflagging, adamant that the baby disappeared after the birth; when she awoke the next morning after having silently borne the pain of giving birth alone in the Fisher's barn, the baby was missing. Found dead later by a farm hand; it had been suffocated. According to Amish ways, public confession of one's sins is absolutely necessary and once the penitent is sufficiently punished, including being banned from any interaction with the rest of one's own family for a specific amount of time, the sinner can be re-embraced by all. According to her lawyer a confession will only result in a guilty verdict and confinement to a state penitentiary, a brutal confinement Katie couldn't endure given the totally protective environment in which she has been raised. Three stories run side by side. The story of the Amish community. The story of Katie and her immediate clan within a larger Amish community. The story of Ellie the lawyer and the sophisticated, highly competitive environment within which she resides. A clash of beliefs, values and mores is inevitable! And that is what gives substance to the skeleton of what might seem like just another mystery. It is not. Jodi Picoult has done her homework. The reader is exposed to the courtroom, biological information from the medical examiner, the varying professional opinions of a clinical and a forensic psychologist and the result is that the reader can understandably be sympathetic/confused/bewildered by the multiple and conflicting representations of Katie the innocent, the Katie who spurned the beliefs of her religious community, the murderous Katie who gave birth to and subsequently smothered her baby and hid the body. So whodunit? There is a surprise ending. A hint to the reader: pay attention to your gut feeling and you may be right!
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