Salem Falls: A Novel
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult comes a compelling and “multilayered tale of small-town intrigue” (Glamour) about a prep schoolteacher accused of rape by a group of young girls, the woman who stands by him, and the repercussions of the case in a New England town where the past is only a heartbeat away.
Love can redeem a man...but secrets and lies can condemn him.
A handsome stranger comes to the sleepy New England town of Salem Falls in hopes of burying his past. Once a prep schoolteacher, Jack St. Bride was destroyed when a student’s crush sparked a powder keg of accusation. Now, washing dishes for Addie Peabody at the Do-Or-Diner, he slips quietly into his new routine, and Addie finds this unassuming man fitting easily inside her heart.
But amid the rustic calm of Salem Falls, a quartet of teenage girls harbor dark secrets—and they maliciously launch a modern-day witch hunt. Now, Jack is forced once again to proclaim his innocence: to a town searching for answers, to a justice system where truth becomes a slippery concept written in shades of gray, and to the woman who has come to love him in this unputdownable novel that will keep you “constantly guessing” (The Dallas Morning News) until the very last page.
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Community Reviews
Good read for a couple of dreary days reading. This is an older book of Picoult's (2001) so I am late to getting around to reading it. I actually liked the writing style, cast of characters (even if some of their actions weren't always believable), and the story line. I admit I rolled my eyes when I learned there was a group of teenage girls practicing Wiccan. A coven? Witches practicing spells in the graveyard? C'mon! But the setting was perfect-a small town in New Hampshire-for a small town modern day witch hunt. What was harder for me to believe was that Jack found himself in the same dangerous position as a year ago and only after 2 months was involved in a relationship with Addie. I liked the combination of mystery, sex, and small town secrets (although I guessed Addie's big secret before it was revealed). I liked Jack's backstory as well.
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