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Quick answer: If you liked Small Great Things, read Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes and My Sister's Keeper, then try Just Mercy, The Hate U Give and A Time to Kill. All mix courtroom drama with hard questions about justice.
Picoult's novel follows Ruth Jefferson, a Black nurse who is accused of harming a newborn after parents refuse to let her care for the child. It looks at race, privilege and the law. The books below share that mix of moral dilemma, family stakes and hard truths. Most are adult fiction or nonfiction, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nineteen Minutes | Jodi Picoult | Adult | more Picoult |
| My Sister's Keeper | Jodi Picoult | Adult | family ethics |
| Handle with Care | Jodi Picoult | Adult | medical ethics |
| Just Mercy | Bryan Stevenson | Adult | real-life justice |
| The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas | Teen | YA readers |
| The Help | Kathryn Stockett | Adult | book club favorite |
| An American Marriage | Tayari Jones | Adult | family and prison |
| Little Fires Everywhere | Celeste Ng | Adult | suburban drama |
| A Time to Kill | John Grisham | Adult | trial fiction |
| Defending Jacob | William Landay | Adult | legal suspense |
| White Fragility | Robin DiAngelo | Adult | conversations on race |
| So You Want to Talk About Race | Ijeoma Oluo | Adult | practical guide |
| Between the World and Me | Ta-Nehisi Coates | Adult | personal essay |
| The Vanishing Half | Brit Bennett | Adult | identity and family |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Teen and adult | courtroom classics |
1. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
A school shooting in a small town and the trial that follows. Picoult at her most gripping and painful.
Best for: more Picoult.
2. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
A girl sues her parents for rights to her own body after being conceived to save her sister. Emotional and debated.
Best for: family ethics.
3. Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
A family sues for wrongful birth after their daughter is born with a serious condition. Hard and moving.
Best for: medical ethics.
4. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
A lawyer describes his work defending death-row prisoners. A moving nonfiction companion.
Best for: real-life justice.
5. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
A teen witnesses a police shooting and finds her voice. A modern young adult counterpart.
Best for: YA readers.
6. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Black maids in 1960s Mississippi share their stories with a young white writer. Popular and debated.
Best for: book club favorite.
7. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
A husband is wrongfully imprisoned, and his wife must decide what to do. Quiet and powerful.
Best for: family and prison.
8. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
A tidy Ohio suburb is shaken by a mysterious mother and daughter. Smart and tense.
Best for: suburban drama.
9. A Time to Kill by John Grisham
A lawyer defends a Black father who killed his daughter's attackers. Courtroom drama.
Best for: trial fiction.
10. Defending Jacob by William Landay
A prosecutor's son is accused of murder. Tense, with a twist.
Best for: legal suspense.
11. White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
Explores why white people react defensively to talk about race. Widely read and debated.
Best for: conversations on race.
12. So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
A guide to talking about race, privilege and bias. Clear and personal.
Best for: practical guide.
13. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A letter to the author's son about being Black in America. Lyrical and urgent.
Best for: personal essay.
14. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Twin sisters choose different lives, one passing as white. Compelling and thoughtful.
Best for: identity and family.
15. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A lawyer defends a Black man in 1930s Alabama while his daughter watches. The classic of courtroom conscience.
Best for: courtroom classics.
How to Choose
For more Picoult, begin with Nineteen Minutes or My Sister's Keeper. For real stories of justice, Just Mercy. For race and society, The Hate U Give and An American Marriage. For nonfiction on race, So You Want to Talk About Race. Many of these books are heavy, so read them with time to think afterward. Book clubs often choose Picoult because her stories raise strong questions without easy answers. Come ready to disagree. Reading a nonfiction book such as So You Want to Talk About Race alongside a novel can make a discussion richer and more grounded.
Related: Small Things Like These Book Club Discussion Questions (With Summary and Themes) · 15 Books Like The Great Gatsby You’ll Love: Jazz Age Glamour and Tragedy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Small Great Things about?
Ruth Jefferson, a labor and delivery nurse, is blamed for a baby's death after the parents demand she not touch their child.
Is it based on a true story?
It is fiction, inspired by a news story about a Black nurse who was told not to care for a white couple's baby.
Why is it controversial?
Some readers question whether a white author should tell this story, while others praise it for starting conversation.
Is it a standalone?
Yes. All Picoult novels are standalone.
Where can I find a reading guide?
The paperback edition and many library sites include discussion questions.
Does Small Great Things have an audiobook?
Yes. It uses several narrators for the different viewpoints, which many listeners enjoy.
Who are the main characters?
Ruth Jefferson, a nurse, Turk Bauer, a white supremacist father, and Kennedy McQuarrie, the public defender.
Is the ending hopeful?
It ends with a mix of justice and uncertainty, and has sparked wide discussion.
Are there other Picoult novels about court cases?
Yes. Nineteen Minutes and My Sister's Keeper both include trials.