Perfect Match: A Novel [Hardcover]

Jodi Picoult (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2002

"What does it mean to be a good mother?" For career-driven assistant district attorney Nina Frost, the question inspires pangs of guilt familiar to all parents torn by the demands of home and office. But whereas most parents lie awake at night vividly conjuring the worst scenarios that could befall their children in their absence, Nina lives the reality of such crises -- and it's her job to do something about them. Nina Frost prosecutes child molesters -- and in the course of her everyday work, she has endured the frustration of seeing too many criminals slip through the system and walk free.

A man as methodical and careful as his wife is instinctive and mercurial, Caleb Frost is a stonemason who glories in his ability to construct with his own hands the physical barriers that will keep out the unwanted -- and protect all that is precious within. But even the strongest walls cannot guard Nina and Caleb from the shattering discovery that their own beloved son has been sexually abused.

Five-year-old Nathaniel is the only one who knows the identity of his assailant -- but in the initial fallout of his trauma, he's been left mute, unable to speak a single word. Knowing the futility of trusting the courts to exact justice for Nathaniel, and ripped apart by a maddening sense of helplessness, Nina finds herself in a grip of rage she can't deny -- no matter the consequence, whatever the sacrifice. "What does it take to be a good mother? How far can a person go...and still live with herself? What happens if one's absolute truths and convictions are turned upside down?"

Forging new ground in her unique territory of morally complex suspense fiction, bestselling author Jodi Picoultdelivers her most soulful and intimate novel to date -- and portrays what happens to a family when a wheel comes off, when the domestic unit begins to careen and veer, when the vestments of ordinary life are forfeited to unspeakable horrors. From its provocative opening to the astonishing and revelatory finale, "Perfect Match" enters the raw and private realm of a parent's heart, and ultimately questions our assumptions about family, security, and love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

One plot element¢a case of child molestation involving a Catholic priest¢in Picoult's latest novel (after Salem Falls) now seems eerily prescient, but that's only part of the saga she weaves, which is primarily an indictment of the current criminal justice system. Nina Frost, an assistant district attorney in Maine, knows how hard it is to obtain a conviction for a sex crime when the victim is a juvenile, so when her five-year-old son, Nathaniel, identifies their priest as being the man who raped him, Nina's grievances with the system become personal. Frustrated by the threat of an unsatisfactory legal outcome, she takes the law into her own hands, killing the priest in open court. Awaiting her own trial, a startling fact emerges from the DNA: the priest was innocent. Will Nina be able to prove to a jury that her actions were justified, particularly since she killed the wrong man? Picoult adeptly renders Nina's feelings¢impotence, guilt, the drive for retribution¢but Nina is herself an unsympathetic heroine, from her initial accusation of her husband to her arrogant vigilante stance, which does little to persuade the reader that an act of premeditation should be recast as maternal instinct. While the argument that the current system is flawed is solid, the only alternative offered is an iffy form of frontier justice that many readers may find unpalatable.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

As an assistant district attorney in Maine, Nina Frost knows all too well that the legal system often fails to protect children from sexual predators. So when her five-year-old son, Nathaniel, suddenly refuses to speak and begins misbehaving in school, Nina and her husband, Caleb, consult a psychiatrist and learn that their son has been sexually abused. But by whom? Although Father Szyszynski strenuously denies the accusations, DNA evidence says otherwise. At the priest's arraignment, Nina shoots and kills him, only to find out later that he was innocent. Nina is found guilty of manslaughter, given probation, and loses her license to practice law. With this ripped-from-the-headlines plot, the usually reliable Picoult (Salem Falls, etc.) fails to deliver; major flaws include a cast of one-dimensional characters and an awkward mixture of first and third person that confuses rather than enlightens. In addition, Nina is a truly dislikable heroine (her justifications for the murder are both laughable and frightening), and the meaningless subplots distract from, rather than add to, the main story. Buy only for demand and then conservatively. Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Atria (April 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743418727
• ISBN-13: 978-0743418720
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (133 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,053,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up on Long Island with my parents and my little brother, the product of a ridiculously happy childhood. My mom says I've been writing as long as she remembers - my first masterpiece was "The Lobster That Was Misunderstood," at age 5. I honed my writing skills beyond that, one hopes, before I headed off to Princeton, where I wanted to work with living, breathing authors in their creative writing program. Mary Morris was my teacher/mentor, and I really do believe I wouldn't be where I am today if not for her guidance and expertise. I had two short stories published in SEVENTEEN magazine when I was in college. However, when I graduated, a desire to not eat ramen noodles exclusively and to be able to pay my rent led me to take a job on Wall Street (not a great idea, since I can't even balance my checkbook). When the stock market crashed in 1987, I moved to Massachusetts and over the course of two years, worked at a textbook publishing company, taught creative writing at a private school, became an ad copywriter, got a master's in education at Harvard, got married, taught at a public school, and had a baby. My first novel was published shortly after my son was born, and I've always said that the reason I kept writing is because it's so much easier than teaching English.

In fourteen years, I've published thirteen novels: Songs of the Humpback Whale, Harvesting the Heart, Picture Perfect, Mercy, The Pact, Keeping Faith, Plain Truth, Salem Falls, Perfect Match, Second Glance, My Sister's Keeper, Vanishing Acts, and the upcoming The Tenth Circle, this March. Two of my books (Plain Truth and The Pact) were made into Lifetime TV movies; Keeping Faith will be another. My Sister's Keeper is in development at New Line Cinema to be a feature film. And there isn't a single day that I don't stop and marvel at the fact that when I go to work, I get to do what I love the most.

My husband Tim and I live in Hanover, NH with our three kids, a dog, a rabbit, and the occasional donkey or cow.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too similar to all the others, May 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Perfect Match: A Novel (Hardcover)

I have to preface this by saying that anyone who has not read many of Picoult's works might love this book. But having read almost all of her books the minute they were released, I was sorely disappointed by this one.

The writing, as always, is eloquent, gripping and excellent. However, this book follows the same sequence she has used in her past few books. And it has become too formulary for me. It is almost as if her editors are pressuring her to get the books out so she follows a similar style for all of them. And although each story is different, they read the same after a while. A plot develops at the beginning with a life changing event, there is a court case, and then a surprise at the end.

This particular book lost its appeal to me as soon as a Priest was drawn in to the mix. Having been prevalent in the news of late -- reading about church scandals is hardly something I wanted to do for pleasure. Perhaps that was a part of the problem. The subject is worn down.

That said, Picoult is amazingly talented, there is no doubt about it. And I will read all of her books that follow because I have faith that she will work originality back into her writing. The character development is fantastic, as is the dialogue and writing, but its the story lines that all develop similarly regardless of how different they initially seem.

Plain Truth, Keeping Faith, Harvesting the Heart and The Pact are four of my all time favorite books. And I cannot wait to add another of hers to that list.

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great page turner, April 30, 2002

By 

Jeanne Anderson (Swartz Creek, MI United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Perfect Match: A Novel (Hardcover)

I couldn't put this one down. It is one of Jodi Picoults's best books yet.

It concerns sexual abuse of a 5 year old boy. The mother, Nina, is a prosecuter by profession and is trying to put away these child molesters all the time. She knows how difficult this can be. When her husband and her find out her son is a victim you find out how this can tear a family apart.

The book goes into how each parent, Nina the mother and Caleb the father cope. Plus, you go into the mind of Nicholas, the young boy, and how he is dealing with his world during this time.

This is a very taut and suspensful story with a lot of twists and turns. I found myself admiring and loathing Nina all at the same time yet feeling nothing but deep concern for Caleb and Nicholas.

This is a very good book with a great ending!!!!!

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not One of Picoult's Best Books., March 18, 2003

By 

Nancy R. Katz "NancyK18" (NJ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Perfect Match (Paperback)

I always look forward to reading a book by Jodi Picoult. Unfortunately, Perfect Match left a rather bitter taste in my mouthand will be one Picoult book I won't recommend. This book by an authorknown for her heart wrenching and thought provoking books, in my opinion, missed its mark. The basic story involves one tragedy compounded by another tragedy. And a main character, an assistant district attorney that added up to some predictability and rather unlikely courtroom scenes. Even a last minute twist didn't make up for a book I could have skipped.

Previous to reading Perfect Match,I read Picoult's books The Pact, Keeping Faith and Plain Truth. For those interested in reading this author, who has always impressed me before,these are worthwhile titles to read and savor. Because I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this author in the past, I now look forward to reading some of her older titles I missed and her new book due out shortly, Second Glance.