Here's are some discussion questions for Change of Heart.
This book, while not one of the best from a literary perspective, possibly generated one of the best conversations we've ever had. First of all, TEN women attended this meeting (a record) and so it was a bit challenging to even get a word in edgewise. The topics ranged from discussions on the death penalty to organ donation to gay rights. No topic was left untouched. Frances pointed out, and Reid agreed, that the book too closely followed many of the plot lines in "The Green Mile," almost to the point of seeming stolen at times. We also debated our favorite characters. Some preferred redemption-seeker Michael while others preferred wise-beyond-her-years Claire. Jane E. liked the honest voice of Lucius. Many agreed that June was underdeveloped. And Amy said she was disappointed in the "Chick Lit" relationship between the too-good-to-be-true Doctor and Maggie. We would highly recommend this book to other reading groups because of the nature of the discussions it generated, and we can't wait to see where people go with this for their free read next month. Thanks Kerri for recommending a great book!
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It was a fun meeting on February 2, especially because there was such a large group. Kerri's selection of "Change of Heart" was a good one since it brought up so many issues for discussion. However, because of all the tangential conversations, I can hardly recall whether we came up with any consensus for the book.
From the blurb on Jodi Picoult's Web site (www.jodipicoult.com/change-of-heart.html) that describes how she came up with the story and more about her research, she writes, "All the big controversies – like abortion and gay rights and capital punishment seem to boil down to religion, and the weird thing that's happened to religion. Although historically it was a way to unite people, it's become divisive – because beliefs have become absolutes. People think, 'I'm right, so you MUST be wrong.'"
Speaking of people who think they are right and have the answers, a few days ago, as I was trying to gather my thoughts on this book, I heard a knock at the door. There were two women from the Jehovah's Witnesses standing in the cold. Every once in a while they knock on our door and I usually answer, listen to what they have to say, take their handout, and then feel glad when they leave. I wonder if they would stop coming if I told them I totally agreed with what they say... That morning, one of the women asked me, "Do you believe God thinks all religions in the world are true to him?" I didn't want to get into a discussion with her about the particulars of what I thought, but the very fact that some people can claim that their religion is the right one and the only one no matter what, bothers me. So, I told her yes. She expected this answer and took out her Bible. Why she thought a quote from the Bible would change my mind, I don't know. However, she prefaced what she read by saying "food for thought ..." so, maybe she didn't expect to change my mind. Then she quoted Jesus: "This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines."
Listening to the Jehovah's Witnesses reminded me of the part in the book when Fletcher was telling Michael about Irenaeus and the start of Orthodox Christianity. He tells him "'...Irenaeus appealed to all those people who were trying to decide which Christian group was right for them. Basically, he said: 'We know how hard it is to figure out what's true, and what's not. So we're going to make it easy for you, and tell you what to believe.' People who did that were true Christians. People who didn't were not.'"
I liked that the book had religious and nonreligious characters (a rabbi, an atheist, a Catholic priest), yet Picoult did a good job of getting the reader to question the foundation for all these beliefs. Through the characters and the plot, she raises a lot of sensitive issues and topics that people can have very strong opinions about.
The story seemed "straight out of a movie," Reid had commented to me. I finally recalled which movie that might be (aside from "The Green Mile" mentioned at the meeting): "21 Grams" from 2003, with Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, and Benicio Del Toro, directed by Alejandro Iñárritu. Here's a link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0315733. I never watched it, mainly because of the subject and, in fact, I had the same doubts about reading "Change of Heart." If I know a plot involves the death or murder of children, I avoid it. Like "Change of Heart," "21 Grams" unites a group of characters---a mother who has lost her two children through a tragic accident, a dying man in need of a heart transplant, and an ex-con who has found Jesus. Even though I had doubts about reading the book, I was sucked in just as you can get sucked into a TV series or a movie that is completely predictable and unbelievable but that you must see to the end. I enjoyed this book and think it could have a much wider audience if she eliminated the formulaic chick-lit elements.
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