Author: Jodi Picoult
Number of Pages: 328
Publisher & Year of Published: Ballantine Books, 2018
Hardcover ISBN: 9780345544988
International Edition ISBN: 9781984817310
Ebook ISBN: 9780345544995
“It stood to reason that both life and death began with a spark of light.”
Abortion.
An action that makes me uncomfortable because it present pro-contra and any weird feeling. Although it is written in fiction, abortion issue has a negative effect in many point of views, i.e. religion, health, social, and personal life. Wren McElroy, a teenage girl, who came to The Center not to do abortion. Unfortunately, she came in the wrong time. Gorge Goddard, an angry father because his daughter did abortion, shoot and take hostages in The Center. But, is it true that his daughter did abortion in The Center?
Beside Wren McElroy and Gorge Goddard, there are few characters that have important role, like Joy, Janine, Louei, and many more. Their background and personal life are different but they are worthy to be learnt. The use of reverse flow use makes this story more mysterious. Same as the other stories that use it, the climax story is introduced early and make the readers curiosity come in the first chapter. There are a lot of pieces of past and memories that must be put together so we can understand why they do that and why they come to The Center. Even though, every piece of story does not out of main context. Precisely, their mysterious past stories succeed to strengthen their character in this novel.
Jodi Picoult wrote A Spark Of Light based on written source, interview, abortion stories that include death and murder of various parties in America and Canada since 1977, also legal regulation in some countries. So, this story will give us the real image about women feeling who did abortion, doctors and medicine staffs that direct involved in that process, their parents feeling when they realize that their daughter had done abortion, and religion, law, social life about abortion issue. Although it is written in the third person point of view, but Jodi Picoult triumph to write their stories and put them together in the interesting story. It does not has many conversation but all of characters emotion and opinion are delivered clearly.
This story has place setting background in the abortion clinic. Outside the clinic, there are many anti-abortion protester or pro-life protester – whatever they want to be called – that shouted and propagated their opinions. But inside the clinic, there are relieved feeling, grateful, and guilty from every people who have done abortion. The tension and hostage situation felt strong. So that different sensation from different situation help readers to build up imagination about it.
When I read this novel, especially when I realized about this abortion issue, I thought that the women who did abortion were victim and the irresponsible man were protagonist. But, when I realized the women motives, I could not assume that all of them were victim. They also were protagonist who intentionally eliminated the lives of living beings – because some people believed that embryo was not human. The adults did it, but the little fetus had to bear it, they die before they can see the world.
In my opinion, this book is good to be a learning and introspection material. There are something about abortion and its effect that we can learnt from this story. Also, how we look a fetus not as a things or obstacles that must be removed. Even though it is told about some women that did abortion but I think the men need to read it, so that we can aware about the risk and effect of abortion in the personal or social life.
“But who you are is note determined by where you are.”
If you want to know more about what happen between Wren McElroy, Gorge Goddard, and other characters, you can buy here
ALBERT AND KITIN STORIES 