Small Great Things

About the book

Ruth Jefferson, a labor and delivery nurse with twenty years of experience, begins her shift at a Connecticut hospital only to be reassigned because a patient’s parents are white supremacists who demand that no African American staff touch their newborn. When the infant later goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery, she hesitates between obeying orders and her professional obligation to intervene. The baby dies, leading to a legal battle where Ruth's public defender, Kennedy McQuarrie, initially insists on a strategy that avoids mentioning race. The narrative alternates between Ruth, Kennedy, and the grieving father, Turk Bauer, as the trial forces a public examination of systemic bias and individual prejudice within the justice system and medical institutions.

Readers of contemporary social drama seek this book to understand how structural racism operates in everyday professional environments and the legal system. It appeals to those interested in the tension between personal beliefs and workplace mandates. The audience gains a perspective on the distinction between overt hate groups and the passive internal biases held by well-meaning individuals. By the end, the reader possesses a clearer framework for identifying how privilege influences legal defense strategies and personal interactions.

Details

Published

2016

Language

EN