22/ Leaving Time

I told my friend Lee that I'd given up on the Jodi Picoult book I'd tried, finding the writing immature at best, and she was surprised. She told me she just finished Picoult's Leaving Time, and found it very well written. She liked it a lot. It was my turn to be surprised, because Lee was a discerning and avid reader.

A few years later I ran across Leaving Time and picked it up. I was put off by the first sentence, which I would have edited. But remembering my conversation with Lee, I kept going. I'm so glad I did. Leaving Time is intelligently written, with unforgettable characters and a great deal of fascinating information about elephants. Picoult clearly put a lot of research into this book. I loved it.

As I read, I thought often about how it might end. But none of my speculation came close to the actual ending. It was a total surprise.