Sunday, November 16, 2014

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult


If you've read a novel by Jodi Picoult before you know to prepare for a shocking ending. But nothing can prepare you for Leaving Time.

Picoult beautifully entwines the story of endangered elephants with the story of a mother-daughter relationship. The reader is transported through time as a young girl desperately tries to find her mother who went missing after a tragic night on the elephant reserve her family lived on and managed. True to her style, Picoult tells the story through the perspective of many characters, devoting individual chapters to the point of view of someone new. She also cleverly juggles the chronology of the story so we as the reader catch glimpses of the past while being fully involved in the present.

The symbolism throughout Leaving Time is powerful. Elephants are portrayed as majestic, intelligent, and emotional creatures that closely resemble humans and our way of coping with life in many aspects. Picoult is a true professional when it comes to engaging her reader so wholly in the story. She raises awareness for a very serious issue in our world today while leaving us with a story we are not bound to forget.

Leaving Time is the latest in a long line of phenomenal Jodi Picoult novels. What I appreciated most about this one is her obvious research and dedication to getting the story of the elephants perfect. It made the story between Jenna and her mother Alice even stronger.

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