A Spark of Light

FICTION (RANDOM HOUSE CANADA) BY JODI PICOULT, $32.

Gripping and provocative ripped-from-the-headlinesrelevant drama is Jodi Picoult’s specialty, and her latest page-turner delivers on all counts. The story takes place on one nightmare of a day, when a gunman opens fire at the last remaining women’s health clinic in Mississippi. As police, doctors and nurses handle the fallout and the surviving victims try to process what happened, the novel moves backward through time, providing insight into what brought each character to this moment. In true Picoult fashion, the book ignites an interesting conversation on a polarizing subject.