📚 Second Glance – Jodi Picoult
Genre: Supernatural Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction
Published: 2003
Themes: Love, loss, grief, Native American history, the supernatural, science vs belief
🔍 Plot Summary
Second Glance tells a layered story that blends ghosts, history, genetics, and love across time. The novel revolves around a mysterious piece of land in Comtosook, Vermont, where strange phenomena begin after a developer tries to build on ancient Abenaki burial grounds.
🧑💼 Main Characters
- Ross Wakeman – A ghost hunter who attempts suicide multiple times after the death of his fiancée.
- Ethan Wakeman – Ross’s nephew, a child with XP (a rare skin disease) who cannot be exposed to sunlight.
- Shelby Wakeman – Ross’s sister and Ethan’s overprotective mother.
- Meredith Oliver – A geneticist who uncovers a shocking family secret.
- Lia Beaumont – A mysterious woman who might be a ghost… or something else.
- Spencer Pike – A former eugenics scientist from the 1930s with a dark past.
🧭 Dual Timeline Narrative
The novel shifts between the 1930s and the present day:
- In the past: A young Abenaki woman becomes involved in a eugenics case in Vermont—a real historical reference to America’s eugenics movement.
- In the present: Strange occurrences—ghost sightings, temperature drops, vanishing items—suggest something supernatural is tied to the land’s history.
⚖️ Major Themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| 🧬 Science vs Supernatural | A contrast between what can be explained genetically and what is spiritual |
| 👻 Grief & Closure | Ross’s journey to make peace with the death of his fiancée |
| 🧑🤝🧑 Love beyond time | Love stories that transcend decades, life, and even death |
| 🧑🔬 Eugenics & Injustice | A powerful critique of the 20th-century eugenics program in the U.S. |
| 🌿 Native American rights | The fight to preserve sacred burial lands and honor cultural history |
🧠 Notable Elements
- This is one of Picoult’s most supernatural novels.
- Real historical backdrop: Vermont’s participation in the eugenics movement in the 1930s.
- Features a romantic ghost story and a legal battle around ancestral land.
📖 Tone & Style
- Told in multiple points of view
- Shifts smoothly between past and present
- Balances mystery, romance, and social commentary
💬 Memorable Quote
“Maybe ghosts are the only ones who know for sure if love is really eternal.”
