A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

I have not always been a Jodi Picoult fan. I read My Sister's Keeper years ago and then another one or two of her books before I decided that they all kind of felt like a cheap pull on emotion without enough substance to make the tears worth it. I have since just avoided her books. When I was given an opportunity to read A Spark of Light, I was hesitant but the synopsis was intriguing enough for me to give Picoult another chance.

Hugh is hostage negotiator called out to an active shooting at the last remaining abortion clinic in Mississippi. When he discovers his own fifteen-year-old daughter and her aunt are inside, he should hand his post over to someone without a conflict of interest. Instead he continues in his duties, determined to get her out alive. Inside, the shooter is George, a father heartbroken by the abortion his daughter sought at the Center, who seeks revenge for what he calls a murder factory.

Perhaps you have strong feelings one way or the other about the legality and moral correctness of abortion and perhaps you fear this book is meant to persuade you to a particular viewpoint, but not so. At least from my perspective, this book is fairly balanced and doesn't shy away from details or condemn any of the decisions made by the characters, excepting only those of the violent shooter. This is a book that will make you think about where you stand. One of my favorite things about reading fiction is the opportunity to experience someone else's life from their unique point of view. We may think we know what someone should do, the decisions they should make, but there is a whole story behind them we don't know. When we get to read that story, we learn to have more empathy for the people around us.

Laws are black and white. The lives of women are a thousand shades of gray.

The only thing I didn't love about this book was the way the story was told. It was backwards. The book begins at the end and then moves back in time in one hour increments. This is a great way to get to understand each person's backstory and motivations, but I kept wanting to know what would happen to them all at the end. We learn a little, but for me it was not enough. I appreciate what Picoult was trying to do, but for me it didn't work. Otherwise, this was a book I really enjoyed and found compelling. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

*This Advanced Reader Copy was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for and honest review.*