Plain Truth [B0369]

2000 PB in excellent condition. The small town of Paradise, Pennsylvania, is a jewel in Lancaster County - known for its picture-postcard landscapes and bucolic lifestyle. But that peace is shattered by the discovery of a dead infant in the barn of an Amish farmer. A police investigation quickly leads to two startling disclosures: the newborn's mother is an unmarried Amish woman, eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher. And the infant did not die of natural causes. Although Katie denies the medical proof that she gave birth to the child, circumstantial evidence leads to her arrest for the murder of her baby. Taking on this case challenges Philadelphia defense attorney Ellie Hathaway in more ways than one. She finds herself not only in a clash of wills with a client who does not want to be defended but also in a clash of cultures with a people whose channels of justice are markedly different from her own. Immersing herself in Katie Fisher's life -- and in a world founded on faith, humility, duty, and honesty -- Ellie begins to understand the pressures and sacrifices of those who to live plain. As she peels away the layers of fact and fantasy, Ellie calls on an old friend for guidance. Now, just as this man from Ellie's past reenters her life, she must uncover the truth about a complex case, a tragic loss, the bonds of love -- and her own deepest fears and desires.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Interesting look into the Amish way of life. Loved the storyline and characters."; "Ironically, the same reasonable doubt in the courtroom is left for the readers to grapple with at the end. What truly happened? What lengths will a mother go to protect her own? What effects does lifestyle have on crime? I've come to expect nothing less from a Picoult novel, and this one holds up to my expectations."; "This is an amazing book, full of twists and turns that are totally unexpected! I laughed, I cried, and I came away feeling like I understand the Amish so much better. This book helped me see that the Amish are not so very different from us after all."