SALEM FALLS

Jodi Picoult, Author SALEM FALLS Jodi Picoult
Picoult's new novel (following the acclaimed Plain Truth) is a story about rape and reputation, loosely based on The Crucible. Jack St. Bride comes to Salem Falls, N.H., after his release from prison. The former teacher and soccer coach wants to start a new life following a wrongful conviction for statutory rape. Unfortunately, Salem Falls turns out to be the wrong place to do it. He has no trouble landing a job at the local diner and winning the trust of the diner's eccentric owner, Addie, but the rest of the town is suspicious. Things get dangerous when manipulative 17-year-old Gillian Duncan, whose father owns half the town, gets interested in Jack and tries to seduce him with Wiccan love spells. Then Gillian is assaulted in the woods, and Jack is accused of the crime. As the courtroom battle unfolds, many secrets are revealed, and Picoult's characters are forced to confront the difference between who people are and who they say they are. The difference is considerable: despite the townspeople's aura of virtue, by the end of the book we're hard pressed to find any women who have never been raped or threatened, or any men who are really innocent of violence. While Picoult seems ambivalent about the power of Wiccan spells, she has no doubts about the power of sex and violence to change lives. Some of her characters, though, can be almost disturbingly forgiving. Genuinely suspenseful and at times remarkably original, this romance–mystery–morality play will gain Picoult new readers—although her treatment of the aftermath of rape may also make her a few enemies. Agent, Laura Gross. 10-city author tour.(Apr. 10)
Forecast: Picoult tastefully tackled touchy subject matter in Plain Truth, but she tips toward sensationalism here. That may gain her readers in the short run, but could undermine her reputation over time.
Details
Reviewed on: 02/19/2001
Release date: 04/01/2001
Genre: Fiction
Hardcover - 704 pages - 9780743421591
Other - 448 pages - 9780743422796
Hardcover - 434 pages - 9780743418706
Paperback - 464 pages - 9780743418713
Paperback - 472 pages - 9780340962787
Mass Market Paperbound - 528 pages - 9781476796017
Paperback - 544 pages - 9789570529449
Other - 405 pages - 9781741769227

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