Small Great Things

Small Great Things

Adult fiction
"And then just like that I am bursting through the surface of
consciousness, and the jackhammer of knocking detonates as the police
break the door off its hinges and swarm into my living room, their
guns drawn. 'What are you doing?' I cry out. 'What are you doing?'
'Ruth Jefferson?' one of them yells, and I can't find my voice,
I can't speak at all, so I just jerk my chin: Yes. Immediately he
pulls my arm behind my back and pushes me facedown onto the floor, his
knee in the small of my back as he zips a plastic tie around my
wrists. The others are overturning furniture, dumping drawers onto
the floor, sweeping books off the shelves. 'A grand jury has charged
you with murder and involuntary manslaughter,' the police says.
'You're under arrest.'"
Ruth had been the underdog who made it against all odds, the
daughter of a maid who made it into the professional world. She's
been a well respected labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut
hospital when she has the misfortune of being assigned to a white
supremacist couple and their newly delivered baby.
Turk Bauer is the son-in-law of a legend in white supremacist
circles. Although made to conduct operations by computer, he's much
happier busting heads. He and wife Brittany are convinced that the
superior white race is being overrun by degenerate races. They've
just given birth to their own little "race warrior." Much to their
horror, the next morning a black nurse tends to their infant.
Flashing a Confederate flag tattoo, Turk bullies charge nurse
Marie into putting a note on baby Davis' file: NO AFRICAN AMERICAN
PERSONNEL TO CARE FOR THIS PATIENT. Ruth tends to other patients.
Davis is circumcized with another nurse, Corinne, attending. When
Corinne is suddenly pulled away to help with an emergency c section,
Ruth is the only one who can help Davis.
Suddenly Ruth notices that Davis has stopped breathing and is
turning blue. About to spring into well practiced action, she is
momentarily paralyzed when she remembers the note.
"Is stimulating the baby the same as resuscitating him? Is
touching the baby technically caring for him?
Could I lose my job over this?"
When Davis dies Turk charges Ruth with homicide. He's convinced
she caused his baby's death in retaliation for the note. He wants the
bitch who killed his baby to die.
Told through the alternating voices of all the major players,
Small Great Things is an excellent suspense story and much more. It
gives candid looks at white privilege and how far we have to go to
achieve the dream of Martin Luther King Jr.
In today's world it's one of the most relevant books you can
choose. In her author's note, Jodi Picault makes a poignant
observation.
"Of all my novels, this book will stand out for me because of
the sea change it inspired in the way I think about myself, and
because it made me aware of the distance I have yet to go when it
comes to racial awareness. In America, we like to think the reason we
have had success is that we worked hard or we were smart. Admitting
that racism has played a part in our success means admitting that the
American dream isn't quite so accessible to all..."
Picault tells those of us who are unfairly advantaged by skin
tone to not deny this. We can educate ourselves and each other. We
can stand up to bigots and listen to suppressed voices.
"There is a fire raging, and we have two choices: we can turn
our backs, or we can try to fight it. Yes, talking about racism is
hard to do, and yes, we stumble over the words--but we who are white
need to have this discussion among ourselves. Because then, even more
of us will overhear, and--I hope--the conversation will spread"
Amen!
On a personal note, yesterday at work I saw a poster about the
importance of giving customers a positive experience. I was psyched
because I do that really well in dining room. I knew instinctively
from the start that my job was more than wiping tables. It's amazing
what one can do in seemingly small interactions with warm smiles, kind
words, and a sense of humor. I love that job!!! How many people get
paid to do what they love doing?
A great big shout out goes out to writers who use their books to
combat white privilege.
jules hathaway


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