From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and the modern classics My Sisterâs Keeper, The Storyteller, and more, comes a âcomplex, compassionate, and smartâ (The Washington Post) novel about a family torn apart by a murder accusation.
When your son canât look you in the eyeâŠdoes that mean heâs guilty?
Jacob Hunt is a teen with Aspergerâs syndrome. Heâs hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. He has a special focus on one subjectâforensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and heâs always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And heâs usually right.
But when Jacobâs small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacobâs behaviors are hallmark Aspergerâs, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are thrust directly in the spotlight. For Jacobâs mother, itâs a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, itâs another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob.
And for the frightened small town, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?
House Rules is âa provocative story in which [Picoult] explores the pain of trying to comprehend the people we loveâand reminds us that the truth often travels in disguiseâ (People).