The "Plain Truth" of it all...

Recently, my family and I went on a super fantastic camping trip!  We bathed in pure nature, soaked up sun, and swam in F.U.N!  Usually, though, in between all that awesomeness, we read.  Read over breakfast, read over coffee, read at lunch... etc etc etc.  We found a cute little servo along our travels which sold second hand books.  After rummaging around the musty, dusty pre-loved covers, I stumbled across an incredible book by the ever popular Jodi Picoult.

Let me introduce you to one heck of a well written book... Plain Truth.

Plain Truth is a story about, literally, being plain.  Katie, an 18 year old Amish girl, gives birth early one morning, quietly, secretly, in the milking sheds on her family's farm.  Scared, alone, and unwed, she prays to God to take care of the situation she has found herself in, and falls asleep, babe in arms.  When she awakens, she finds the baby and all evidence of it's birth gone, and concludes that her prayers have been somehow answered.  The following morning, when the baby is found dead, events of the previous night begin to unfold.  The truth however remains unknown, at least to Katie, if not to everyone else.

I rode a roller coaster of grief, confusion, frustration and anger while reading this book.  It opened my eyes to a unique life, that I know very little about - being Amish.  I felt a new reverence for the conviction of those who choose to live the "Plain" life, and almost a tinge of jealousy at its simplicity and purity.  Jodi shows them a lot of respect in her writing, which I liked a lot.

Fragments of the story delve into real, raw emotion that plagues even the strongest conscience, forcing you to take sides - only to change your mind at the next revelation.  When it came time to challenge the legal system, I found myself in disbelief some of the time, as some of the framework for the story was a little shaky, but it certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment at any point.

The gooey romance gets a little too much at times, comparable to a Mills & Boon uber-drama (without the "steam" factor)...

Overall, thoroughly recommended reading.  It's remarkably relatable and sincere, as well as full of conversation starters!  Go on, mummies, take some time out for tea, biscuits, and a good book!

If you've read it, let me know your thoughts!

A. xo