Now an adult, she runs the Rhode Island Department for Emergency Preparedness, mapping out ways to save lives during storms, epidemics, and airplane crashes. She and her husband, Jesse—a police polygraph expert with his own history of crisis—have found a love that is a solace in a dangerous world. But then the unexpected upends their new marriage, leading them both to question everything they thought they knew.
Moving between past and present, Hollow Bones is an epic story of the lies we tell ourselves as we write the narratives of our lives, the plans we design to protect ourselves at the worst moments, and the ties that bind mothers and daughters. (Pub Date: Sep 15 2026)
Having lost her mother in the 9/11, Molly's job is to be ready for any big disaster, be it a hospital without power, a plane crash, or an epidemic. But she doesn't feel ready for being pregnant, much less for all this event will bring.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It's told from multiple points of views like they're passing on the baton as we start with Molly, then go back around thirty years to meet Eloise, her mother, who'd eventually be present at the 9/11, and so on. Although we do eventually go back to Molly, it's not the usual ping pong of POVs. And I really liked Molly's story. Even though it's when Eloise takes over that you finally see where it was all leading us, I not only liked Molly, but I couldn't wait to see her in action. I'd say those were two of my disappointments, one that Molly was by far my favorite so a lot of the book I didn't care for whosever POV we had, and that the entire first part promised me a big disaster was in the way for Molly, and we had some false alarms too teasing us, but also confirming something was in the making.
So adjusting expectations, even though this book will talk about 9/11, Covid times, and we even start with Molly administering a plane crash, the big events -for the plot- are more intimate, more psychological. Don't get me wrong, they're still very big. But don't expect some new 9/11.
And here is my other peeve, or maybe two peeves. So first, Molly's husband is Jesse, who is a character from My Sister's Keeper. We see characters from that book from time to time though they mostly inconsequential to the plot aside from Jesse. You didn't need Jesse to have come from there, it's what I mean. And I wish Picoult hadn't spoiled the whole book so I knew who Jesse was. (I've read the book a century ago and was just starting to feel like going back to it, but now I'll have to give it another century, but if you too plan to read it, do it before this one to avoid spoilers.) The books don't need each other in any way, so Jesse is just supposed to be some extra for Picoult fans.
Second peeve, why use 9/11? The author notes tell us Picoult wanted to write a story about a character who was there, and just needed some other part to complete it, so maybe that's why she couldn't give up that part of the plot. But this other part was so big that I think it would have worked by itself, making 9/11 something between a distraction and a lure, as this book will be published just after the 25th anniversary. I wish she would have just made up some other disaster. Granted, 9/11 makes it all even bigger, but I can't see this use as a homage to the victims when it's just a plot device.
But I did say I had mixed feelings. Even all my unanswered expectations and peeves, this was a page turner. It's always such a pleasure to read a Picoult book, and this wasn't an exception. On the contrary, the dilemmas it raises, the relationships it creates, they all glue you to the pages. This year has been full of disappointments for me so saying I didn't like yet another story written by a beloved writer would be easy enough. It's just not the case. I like this. I almost love it. It's heartwarming and involving. I'd probably have liked it even more if I had been warned of the above, so I hope you enjoy that bit for me.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
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