Synopses & Reviews
andlt;bandgt;Jodi Picoult,andlt;/bandgt; the andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author of andlt;iandgt;Vanishing Acts,andlt;/iandgt; offers her most powerful chronicle yet of an American family with a story that probes the unbreakable bond between parent and child -- and the dangerous repercussions of trying to play the hero. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt; Trixie Stone is fourteen years old and in love for the first time. She's also the light of her father's life -- a straight-A student; a freshman in high school who is pretty and popular; a girl who's always looked up to Daniel Stone as a hero. Until, that is, her world is turned upside down with a single act of violence...and suddenly everything Trixie has believed about her family -- and herself -- seems to be a lie. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; For fifteen years, Daniel Stone has been an even-tempered, mild-mannered man: a stay-at-home dad to Trixie and a husband who has put his own career as a comic book artist behind that of his wife, Laura, who teaches Dante's andlt;iandgt;Infernoandlt;/iandgt; at a local college. But years ago, he was completely different: growing up as the only white boy in an Eskimo village, he was teased mercilessly for the color of his skin. He learned to fight back: stealing, drinking, robbing, and cheating his way out of the Alaskan bush. To become part of a family, he reinvented himself, channeling his rage onto the page and burying his past completely...until now. Could the young boy who once made Trixie's face fill with light when he came to the door have been the one to end her childhood forever? She says that he is, and that is all it takes to make Daniel, a man with a history he has hidden even from his family, venture to hell and back in order to protect his daughter. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;iandgt;The Tenth Circleandlt;/iandgt; looks at that delicate moment when a child learns that her parents don't know all of the answers and when being a good parent means letting go of your child. It asks whether you can reinvent yourself in the course of a lifetime or if your mistakes are carried forever -- if life is, as in any good comic book, a struggle to control good and evil, or if good and evil control you.
Review
"[A] grimly entertaining if overplotted tale..." Washington Post's Book World
Review
"Picoult's sad, complex novel should appeal to the many readers who have enjoyed her previous works." Booklist
Synopsis
From New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult, a powerful novel that explores the unbreakable bond between parent and child, and questions whether you can reinvent yourself in the course of a lifetime--or if your mistakes are carried forever. Fourteen-year-old Trixie Stone is in love for the first time. She's also a straight-A high school student, pretty and popular, and the light of her father's life.... Comic book artist Daniel Stone would do anything to protect his daughter. But when a single act of violence shatters her innocence, seemingly mild-mannered Daniel's convictions are put to the test--while his own shockingly tumultuous past, hidden even from his family, comes to light. Now, everything Trixie's ever believed about her hero, her father, seems to be a lie as Daniel ventures to hell and back, seeking revenge. Will the price be the bond they share?
Revealing an "exceptional, unflinching, and utterly chilling" (The Washington Post) portrait of today's youth culture, Jodi Picoult pulls readers inside a shattered family facing the toughest questions of morality and forgiveness.
Synopsis
Jodi Picoult, the
New York Times bestselling author of
Vanishing Acts, offers her most powerful chronicle yet of an American family with a story that probes the unbreakable bond between parent and child -- and the dangerous repercussions of trying to play the hero.
Trixie Stone is fourteen years old and in love for the first time. She's also the light of her father's life -- a straight-A student; a freshman in high school who is pretty and popular; a girl who's always looked up to Daniel Stone as a hero. Until, that is, her world is turned upside down with a single act of violence...and suddenly everything Trixie has believed about her family -- and herself -- seems to be a lie.
For fifteen years, Daniel Stone has been an even-tempered, mild-mannered man: a stay-at-home dad to Trixie and a husband who has put his own career as a comic book artist behind that of his wife, Laura, who teaches Dante's Inferno at a local college. But years ago, he was completely different: growing up as the only white boy in an Eskimo village, he was teased mercilessly for the color of his skin. He learned to fight back: stealing, drinking, robbing, and cheating his way out of the Alaskan bush. To become part of a family, he reinvented himself, channeling his rage onto the page and burying his past completely...until now. Could the young boy who once made Trixie's face fill with light when he came to the door have been the one to end her childhood forever? She says that he is, and that is all it takes to make Daniel, a man with a history he has hidden even from his family, venture to hell and back in order to protect his daughter.
The Tenth Circle looks at that delicate moment when a child learns that her parents don't know all of the answers and when being a good parent means letting go of your child. It asks whether you can reinvent yourself in the course of a lifetime or if your mistakes are carried forever -- if life is, as in any good comic book, a struggle to control good and evil, or if good and evil control you.
About the Author
Jodi Picoult received an AB in creative writing from Princeton and a masterand#8217;s degree in education from Harvard. The recipient of the 2003 New England Book Award for her entire body of work, she is the author of twenty-one novels, including the #1 andlt;i andgt;New York Times andlt;/iandgt;bestsellers andlt;iandgt;House Rulesandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Handle With Careandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Change of Heartandlt;/iandgt;, andandlt;iandgt; My Sisterand#8217;s Keeperandlt;/iandgt;, for which she received the American Library Associationand#8217;s Margaret Alexander Edwards Award. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. Visit her website at JodiPicoult.com.
Reading Group Guide
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
Author Q&A
So many of your books cover domestic issues and themes that are being discussed in the current news. Do you sometimes find it difficult to blend fact with fiction?
Its always difficult, because you want to be as honest and truthful as possible, and part of fiction by definition involves stretching the truth. I stand by my research whatever you learn from my books is true; what changes are the circumstances of the characters in the fiction. Its a balancing act, but an important one
since one of the great things about fiction is that it allows readers to explore a touch, touchy factual subject in a way they might not be inclined to do by picking up a non-fiction book. You get involved with the characters and the plot, and wind up thinking about difficult issues by accident.
The Tenth Circle incorporates one of todays most popular genres the graphic novel into the book what was your inspiration for including this element? Where did you find the artist?
I was writing a book with a main character who was not good at expressing himself through words, but COULD express himself with art. Including his art, as a means of understanding what he was emotionally experiencing, seemed natural. Plus, all fiction used to be illustrated even adult fiction. In a way, I was just going back to basics; exploring all the different ways we can tell a story. The artist was introduced to me by a friend of mine from college, who grew up to be one of the most famous comic book artists of the past twenty years: Jim Lee. Dustin Weaver was an apprentice in his studio; he introduced us, and I asked Dustin if he might be willing to draw a graphic novel for me, if I provided him with the script.
You write very convincingly from the male perspective. What do you think allows women to write form the male point of view and vice-versa?
Well, I think its not a matter of male or female a good writer is simply a good writer. I know guys who write women beautifully (as well as some who do an atrocious job!). To me, it feels like stepping into a stream (the narrative) wearing a different pair of boots for each character. I think about what the stream feels like, where I left it off, where its headed
from the perspective of the characters shoes. It means putting your head into a characters mind, whether thats a male character, a female, a kid, or an adult.
Do you have any plans to incorporate characters from any of your previous novels into one of your new books?
Yes, as a matter of fact. Nineteen Minutes, coming in 2007, features Patrick DuCharme from Perfect Match, and Jordan McAfee from The Pact and Salem Falls. Its like welcoming back old friends!
We know that you have a very enthusiastic fan base out there. Whats your favorite part of going on a book tour?
Meeting the fans! Thats the missing piece for a writer we know sales figures, but we dont get to hear how deeply a book touched a person, or even how it changed his or her life. Its making that connection thats wonderful
and for me, being able to say thanks for picking my book out of all the books on the shelf!