My current reading episode 3

In “House Rules” by Jodi Picoult there is a character who I feel I relate to in many ways. Jacob an 18 year old boy, has Aspergers a syndrome, that causes him to react in ways different from a normal person. At one point, Jacob and his mom, Emma are at the supermarket, but the snack lady isn't there. This causes jacob to go into full fledged tantrum mode"Suddenly Jacob is screaming – one high, keening note that is the soundtrack of my life. He moves blindly, striking out at me when I reach for him." At this moment Jacob has no control over his actions or theor consequences. There are points where I too feel I have no control over my life. Another time Emma explains her dismay at her son's condition "But try having a son who is locked in his own world, and still wants to make a connection. A son who tries to be like everyone else, but truly doesn’t know how." This is a feeling I have experienced as well. One of a person left out of a conversation, or 3rd party to an inside joke. The third experience I find the most heartwrenching. On that night Jacobs father escapes from a child he cannot deal with or begin to understand while Jacob and his mother sit at the kitchen table "Jacob and I sat at the kitchen table and played a game. I made a face and he would try to guess which emotion went with it. I smiled, even though I was crying, and waited for Jacob to tell me I was happy. Jacob also has trouble reading facial expression making it even harder for him to communicate. There have been times  when I've wondered if there was a hidden meaning in what someone said. For Jacob this happens all the time.

My Current Reading part 2

 This week I am reading Second Glance by Jodi Picoult, which has a character, Lia, who's a good person that does a bad thing. Lia appears to be what is considered a normal upper class wife in 1932, but she is depressed and tries to kill herself, even though she is pregnant. Though she feels she does not fit in Lia tries to be happy in her "perfect life" for her husband's sake.Her feelings turn out to be correct, when she finds out she is actually half Native American. This is further complicated by the fact that Lia's husband and father are geneticists, trying to prove that mental illness is more common in the French, African Americans, and Indians. Lia fears that at some point her husband will have her sent to the local insane asylum, where she will have no contact with her real father, and no one to help her.

My Current Reading

I just finished reading a fabulous book by Jodi Picoult, Salem Falls, which made me think about the judiciary system, and had a strong connection with "The Crucible". This book like "The Crucible" takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. However this novel takes place modern day, and the name of the town has been changed to Salem Falls. The story centers around Jack St. Bride, a man who has been falsely convicted of statutory rape and the prejudice that follows him because of that, even after his jail time is up. This novel questions the flaws in the legal system, while incorporating aspects from the classic play, such as the power of rumor, and witchcraft.