The Jodi Picoult Collection #4 Read online

  Praise for Jodi Picoult

  CHANGE OF HEART

  “Picoult engineers . . . provocative and relevant moral dilemmas rich in nuance, mystery, and wit. . . . Picoult’s bold story of loss, justice, redemption, and faith reminds us how tragically truth can be concealed and denied.”

  —Booklist

  “Picoult bangs out another ripped-from-the-zeitgeist winner. . . . An impressive book.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Jodi Picoult writes novels mothers and daughters can agree on even if they disagree about most everything else. While her stories deal with ‘issues,’ they are bathed in intimacy, often domestic in nature. . . . Her books manage to be disturbing and comforting in the same breath.”

  —Daily News (New York)

  “Picoult is a skilled writer, with tautly written chapters that earn her the title of master of the page-turner.”

  —USA Today

  “Gripping.”

  —St. Louis Post-Dispatch

  “This is a world that can catch you up and hold you.”

  —The Gazette (Montreal)

  “Known for her always-sensitive, sometimes-sensational explorations of hot-button topics, Picoult doesn’t shy away from the big questions about life and death in her latest work. . . . Turning the pages, all you’ll care about is what happens next.”

  —San Antonio Express-News

  “You’ll be tempted to race through Picoult’s latest, but don’t. Savor the story and all the complex moral issues it raises.”

  —Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)

  “An emotionally charged page-turner that reaffirms the possibility of miracles in the modern world.”

  —Charlotte Observer (North Carolina)

  “Picoult is a skilled wordsmith, and she beautifully creates situations that not only provoke the mind but touch the flawed souls in all of us.”

  —The Boston Globe

  “Picoult’s loyal fans will find Change of Heart true to form, an emotion-laden read with characters who are honest and complicated.”

  —Associated Press

  “Picoult is one of the few mega-blockbuster authors who fully deserves her spot in the bestselling pantheon.”

  —The Capital Times (Madison, WI)

  NINETEEN MINUTES

  “The only thing that will slow readers down is the time it takes to wipe away the tears.”

  —San Antonio Express-News

  “Both a page-turner and a thoughtful exploration of popularity, power, and the social ruts that can define us in ways we may not wish to be defined.”

  —Rocky Mountain News (Denver)

  “This is vintage Picoult, expertly crafted, thought-provoking and compelling.”

  —Entertainment Weekly, Grade: A

  “Picoult approaches the troubled (and troubling) psyche of the high school students with empathy and respect.”

  —The Washington Post

  The critics love internationally bestselling “MASTER OF THE PAGE-TURNER” (USA Today) Jodi Picoult

  “Picoult has become a master—almost a clairvoyant—at targeting hot issues and writing highly readable page-turners about them. . . . It is impossible not to be held spellbound by the way she forces us to think, hard, about right and wrong.”

  —The Washington Post

  “Picoult is a skilled wordsmith, and she beautifully creates situations that not only provoke the mind but touch the flawed souls in all of us.”

  —The Boston Globe

  “Nothing is ever all said and done in a Picoult novel. One can imagine the ripples of these characters’ lives echoing on and on, even after the last page has been turned. Odds are, you’ll wish you hadn’t turned it.”

  —San Antonio Express-News

  “Picoult is a rare writer who delivers book after book, a winning combination of the literary and the commercial.”

  —Entertainment Weekly

  “Picoult has created a hugely successful career writing high-octane dramas about families ravaged by events straight off the CNN ticker.”

  —USA Today

  More praise for the stunning #1 New York Times bestseller HANDLE WITH CARE

  “Well written and conscientiously researched. . . . A great read, with strong characters, an exciting lawsuit to pull you along and really good use of the medical context. . . . Terrific.”

  —The Washington Post

  “Jodi Picoult is, quite simply, a master.”

  —San Antonio Express-News

  “Enticing. . . . Picoult is justifiably known for writing well-written page-turners about topics that matter. . . . Each of the characters is convincingly drawn, and the reader cannot help but sympathize with both sides in the legal battle. . . . Bound to touch hearts and open minds.”

  —The Charlotte Observer

  “Picoult has carved an impressive niche in the topical family drama genre, tackling medical ethics, faith, and the law in her sixteenth novel. . . . In her customary fashion, Picoult probes sensitive issues with empathy and compassion.”

  —Booklist

  “Picoult proves once again how powerful a force she is in the world of fiction.”

  —Bookreporter.com

  “This suspenseful story explores questions of medical ethics and personal choice, pinpointing the fragile and delicate fault lines that span out from personal tragedy and disability.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  More critical acclaim for Jodi Picoult and her “GRIPPING” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), “RIPPED FROM THE ZEITGEIST” (Publishers Weekly) novels

  “Provocative and relevant.”

  —Booklist

  “Disturbing and comforting in the same breath.”

  —Daily News (New York)

  “Emotionally charged.”

  —The Charlotte Observer

  “Brilliantly told.”

  —People

  “Genius.”

  —Providence Journal

  “Will take your breath away.”

  —Entertainment Weekly

  “Expertly crafted.”

  —The State (Columbia, SC)

  “All you’ll care about is what happens next.”

  —San Antonio Express-News

  “Chillingly alive.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  The critics love internationally bestselling “MASTER OF THE PAGE-TURNER” (USA Today) Jodi Picoult

  “Picoult is a rare writer who delivers book after book, a winning combination of the literary and the commercial.”

  —Entertainment Weekly

  “Picoult has become a master—almost a clairvoyant—at targeting hot issues and writing highly readable page-turners about them. . . . It is impossible not to be held spellbound by the way she forces us to think, hard, about right and wrong.”

  —The Washington Post

  “Picoult writes with a fine touch, a sharp eye for detail, and a firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships.”

  —The Boston Globe

  “It’s hard to exaggerate how well Picoult writes.”

  —Financial Times

  “Nothing is ever all said and done in a Picoult novel. One can imagine the ripples of these characters’ lives echoing on and on, even after the last page has been turned. Odds are, you’ll wish you hadn’t turned it.”

  —San Antonio Express-News

  Praise for the stunning #1 New York Times bestseller

  HOUSE RULES

  “Everyone, it seems, has an opinion on autism: celebs, politicians—not to mention the medical community. But to grasp on a gut level the emotional texture of what it’s like to live with Asperger’s syndrome (the highest functioning form of autism) or to love a
family member who has it, you need to read Jodi Picoult’s powerful new novel. . . . House Rules ranks among her best.”

  —USA Today

  “Picoult delivers a multilayered tale enriched by her protagonists’ imperfections. . . . With this sharply rendered cast, Picoult weaves a provocative story in which she explores the pain of trying to comprehend the people we love—and reminds us that the truth often travels in disguise.”

  —People ()

  “House Rules is a page-turner . . . well-paced and thoughtful. And it certainly leaves readers with more compassion and understanding for sufferers of a condition that puts them always on the outside without a way in.”

  —The Boston Globe

  “Complex, compassionate, and smart. . . . Picoult’s superb new novel makes us inhabit Jacob’s solitude and abide his yearning.”

  —The Washington Post

  “Jodi Picoult’s examination of a family dealing with the form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome will touch all but the coldest heart.”

  —St. Louis Post-Dispatch

  “Picoult’s writing engages completely. Her tight, descriptive sentences paint a picture much fuller than the words themselves. . . . House Rules is a powerful and disturbing novel that probes Jacob’s unconventional thinking, and in that way also lays bare the many assumptions those of us without Asperger’s take for granted in everyday conversation.”

  —Tampa Tribune

  More critical acclaim for Jodi Picoult and her “GRIPPING” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), “RIPPED FROM THE ZEITGEIST” (Publishers Weekly) novels

  “Provocative and relevant.”

  —Booklist

  “Disturbing and comforting in the same breath.”

  —Daily News (New York)

  “Emotionally charged.”

  —The Charlotte Observer

  “Brilliantly told.”

  —People

  “Genius.”

  —Providence Journal

  “Will take your breath away.”

  —Entertainment Weekly

  Thank you for purchasing this Atria Books eBook.

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  The Jodi Picoult Collection #4

  Change of Heart

  Handle with Care

  House Rules

  New York London Toronto Sidney New Delhi

  Contents

  Change of Heart

  Handle with Care

  House Rules

  About Jodi Picoult

  Link to Free Reader’s Companion

  About Emily Bestler Books

  About Atria Books

  Ask Atria

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue: 1996

  June

  Michael

  June

  Michael

  Lucius

  Michael

  Lucius

  Maggie

  Lucius

  June

  Lucius

  Michael

  June

  Lucius

  Maggie

  Michael

  Lucius

  June

  Michael

  Maggie

  Michael

  Maggie

  Lucius

  Michael

  June

  Maggie

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  June

  Michael

  Maggie

  June

  Maggie

  Lucius

  Michael

  Maggie

  June

  Lucius

  Michael

  June

  Maggie

  Michael

  Lucius

  Michael

  June

  Maggie

  Lucius

  Maggie

  Michael

  June

  Michael

  Lucius

  Maggie

  June

  Michael

  Maggie

  Michael

  June

  Maggie

  Lucius

  Maggie

  Michael

  June

  Lucius

  Michael

  Maggie

  Maggie

  June

  Lucius

  Maggie

  Michael

  Maggie

  June

  Lucius

  Maggie

  Michael

  Maggie

  Michael

  June

  Michael

  Maggie

  June

  Michael

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  A Readers Club Guide

  With love, and too much admiration to fit on these pages

  To my grandfather, Hal Friend, who has always been brave enough to question what we believe . . .

  And to my grandmother, Bess Friend, who has never stopped believing in me.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Writing this book was its own form of miracle; it’s very hard to write about religion responsibly, and that means taking the time to find the right people to answer your questions. For their time and their knowledge, I must thank Lori Thompson, Rabbi Lina Zerbarini, Father Peter Duganscik, Jon Saltzman, Katie Desmond, Claire Demarais, and Pastor Ted Brayman. Marjorie Rose and Joan Collison were willing to theorize about religion whenever I brought it up. Elaine Pagels is a brilliant author herself and one of the smartest women I’ve ever spoken with—I chased her down and begged her for a private tutorial on the Gnostic Gospels, one of her academic specialties, and would hang up the phone after each conversation with my mind buzzing and a thousand more questions to explore—surely something the Gnostics would have heartily endorsed.

  Jennifer Sternick is still the attorney I’d want fighting for me, no matter what, Chris Keating provides legal information for me at blistering speed, and Chris Johnson’s expertise on the appeals process for death penalty cases was invaluable.

  Thanks to the medical team that didn’t mind when I asked how to kill someone, instead of how to save them—among other things: Dr. Paul Kispert, Dr. Elizabeth Martin, Dr. David Axelrod, Dr. Vijay Thadani, Dr. Jeffrey Parsonnet, Dr. Mary Kay Wolfson, Barb Danson, James Belanger. Jacquelyn Mitchard isn’t a doc, but a wonderful writer who gave me the nuts and bolts of LD kids. And a special thank-you to Dr. Jenna Hirsch, who was so generous with her knowledge of cardiac surgery.

  Thanks to Sindy Buzzell, and Kurt Feuer, for their individual expertise. Getting to death row was a significant challenge. My New Hampshire law enforcement contacts included Police Chief Nick Giaccone, Captain Frank Moran, Kim Lacasse, Unit Manager Tim Moquin, Lieutenant Chris Shaw, and Jeff Lyons, PIO of the New Hampshire State Prison. For finessing my trip to the Arizona State Prison Florence, thanks to Sergeant Janice Mallaburn, Deputy Warden Steve Gal, CO II Dwight Gaines, and Judy Frigo (former warden). Thanks also to Rachel Gross and Dale Baich. However, this book would not be what it was without the prisoners who opened up to me both in person and via mail: Robert Purtell, a former death row inmate; Samuel Randolph, currently on death row in Pennsylvania; and Robert Towery, currently on death row in Arizona.

  Thanks to my dream team at Atria: Carolyn Reidy, Judith Curr, David Brown, Danielle Lynn, Mellony Torres, Kathleen Schmidt, Sarah Branham, Laura Stern, Gary Urda, Lisa Keim, Christine Duplessis, and everyone else who has worked so hard on my behalf. Thanks to Camille McDuffie—who was so determined to make people stop asking “Jodi Who?” and who exceeded my expectations beyond my wildest dreams. To my favorite first reader, Jane Picoult, who I was fortunate enough to get as a mom. To Laura Gross, without whom I’d be complete
ly adrift. To Emily Bestler, who is just so damn good at making me look brilliant.

  And of course, thanks to Kyle, Jake, Sammy—who keep me asking the questions that might make the world a better place—and Tim, who makes it possible for me to do that. It just doesn’t get better than all of you, all of this.

  Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said. “One can’t believe impossible things.”

  “I dare say you haven’t had as much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age I did it for half an hour a day. Why sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

  —Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass

  PROLOGUE: 1996

  June

  In the beginning, I believed in second chances. How else could I account for the fact that years ago, right after the accident—when the smoke cleared and the car had stopped tumbling end over end to rest upside down in a ditch—I was still alive; I could hear Elizabeth, my little girl, crying? The police officer who had pulled me out of the car rode with me to the hospital to have my broken leg set, with Elizabeth—completely unhurt, a miracle—sitting on his lap the whole time. He’d held my hand when I was taken to identify my husband Jack’s body. He came to the funeral. He showed up at my door to personally inform me when the drunk driver who ran us off the road was arrested.

  The policeman’s name was Kurt Nealon. Long after the trial and the conviction, he kept coming around just to make sure that Elizabeth and I were all right. He brought toys for her birthday and Christmas. He fixed the clogged drain in the upstairs bathroom. He came over after he was off duty to mow the savannah that had once been our lawn.

  I had married Jack because he was the love of my life; I had planned to be with him forever. But that was before the definition of forever was changed by a man with a blood alcohol level of .22. I was surprised that Kurt seemed to understand that you might never love someone as hard as you had the first time you’d fallen; I was even more surprised to learn that maybe you could.

  Five years later, when Kurt and I found out we were going to have a baby, I almost regretted it—the same way you stand beneath a perfect blue sky on the most glorious day of the summer and admit to yourself that all moments from here on in couldn’t possibly measure up. Elizabeth had been two when Jack died; Kurt was the only father she’d ever known. They had a connection so special it sometimes made me feel I should turn away, that I was intruding. If Elizabeth was the princess, then Kurt was her knight.