Review: Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult

She truly is a master at highlighting complex real-life problems woven into a fictional tale. No one gets off easy, but at the same time, there is a lot of compassion in every thought.

She is straightforward with tough topics. And Hollow Bones is certainly one of her harder, subject matter-wise stories. It’s very honest. Even if it’s uncomfortable.

What’s the Story About

Molly was two months old on September 11, 2001. Her mother, Eloise, had an appointment at the World Trade Center and never came home. She was raised in a happy home by her father and stepmother, but still felt the emptiness of her mother’s absence.

Now she works at the Rhode Island Department for Emergency Preparedness to save lives during the worst crisis imaginable. Her husband, Jesse, is a police polygraph expert with his own complicated family history.

Life throws them a curveball, and things will change forever.

The Families

Jesse is a familiar character in the Jodi Picoult world; he was featured in My Sister’s Keeper as the brother lighting fires to get his family’s attention. He eventually got his life straight and is now a successful police officer.

I have not read My Sister’s Keeper; I actually got it spoiled for me years ago, so I wasn’t as motivated to read it. But you don’t need to read that story ahead of time; Jodi provides plenty of backstory and clarity with Jesse and his family. And to be honest, Molly’s family has so much going on that Jesse’s family isn’t much of a focus.

Molly lives in the shadow of a mother she never knew. And losing her mother on 9/11 brings another complicated level of trauma. She grew up knowing that a disaster has real-life implications; it’s not just a news story or something other people experience. This anxiety about disasters draws her to her current job. But in her heart, she knows that being overly prepared can only get you so far in certain disasters.

The Start

Molly was raised by her father, Adam, and stepmother, Evie. Her father becomes a 9/11 conspiracy theorist, while Evie does everything to be the mother that Molly needs. Evie was actually best friends with Molly’s mother.

There are a lot of scenes with Molly and Jesse. The two have a big age difference, which was kind of an interesting choice. They do have so much in common, especially coming from families full of trauma. So they are both striving to mitigate disasters, in their own ways.

I will say, despite the intriguing premise, I did feel the story was a little slow at first with so many scenes dedicated to their love story. Not that I don’t enjoy romances, but I knew there has to be more at play, and there certainly is. So definitely keep going with this one.

Trigger Warnings

Her stories are best if you go in a bit blind. But I do feel some people will want to know the trigger warnings for Hollow Bones. While I keep my reviews spoiler-free, I am going to address some of the trigger warnings without giving away any spoilers.

If you prefer not to know anything, come back to my review and book club questions later.

Now I’m going to address the trigger warnings in this one.

Trigger warnings include: postpartum psychosis, sexual abuse, child abuse, suicidal thoughts and attempts.

With the book recently published and Jodi on the interview circuit, you might already have an idea of what the story covers. A large part of this story is focused on postpartum psychosis. Jodi does not shy away from this topic, and the reader follows their every thought as the character starts to lose touch with reality.

It’s not an easy read due to those topics. But I do feel Jodi handles these extremely tough subjects with as much care as she can, while also highlighting the horror and trauma they inflict.

Verdict

I felt so many emotions reading this book. From the slow start to the twists, to the heavy trauma, there is a lot to unpack. Characters make choices that have impacts on the next generation, and it really does take a closer look at the love of a mother. What is the length one would go to protect their own child?

This is an excellent book club selection with so much to discuss and analyze. I can see some members will feel a certain way about specific characters and their decision-making, while others may feel differently. This is definitely one to handle with respect, especially with differing opinions.

I highly recommend this one.