Plain Truth (~)

I've finished another Jodi Picoult book, Plain Truth. It was an alright read, nothing spectacular like the one I read previously. It does make me think about how important family is and the lengths parents and family members will go to save and protect their family members. This novel is about the Amish. Although my family is not Amish, I wonder if perhaps my family is similar to them and would protect me from things, or if they would rather I learn from my 'mistakes'. I don't know which is better, being sheltered and protected from you life and living without consequences, or to be sent out into the world and attempt to survive without help. Well I doubt my parents would let me drown out in the world, they'd help where they could, but I hope you understand my meaning.

This book is about a neonaticide in an Amish community. It follows the complete trial, and discusses how the Amish feel about confessing. It's different than from the English way of things. When you confess guilt, you are condemned for it, but for the Amish, if you confess guilt, you are then forgiven and not punished. I don't know which is better. To confess and then be severely punished by prison, or to confess guilt and be forgiven, but shunned for a few weeks. I suppose depending on the criminal, one would be better than the other. For a hardened psychopathic criminal, they wouldn't care. So doing time in prison might be the best thing for them, rather than to shun them and let them go free. While for a person who was just doing something to save their family or something similar, shunning them and then forgiving them would be okay. But it also depends on what type of community they lived in. If they lived in a little rural town like I do, then it would have more of an impact, but if they lived in a big city, then obviously the shunning wouldn't be quite as effective. I guess the Amish way of dealing with criminal acts really wouldn't work unless everyone knew everyone. It's still interesting to think about.

Anyway, I'm not sure what I will be reading next, but until next time, Happy Reading!