Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult #hollowbones @jodipicoult @michaeljbooks #bookreview

 

When Molly Fitzgerald was two months old, her mother went to a morning appointment in downtown New York.

Like so many who left their homes on September 11th, 2001, Molly’s mother never came home.

Now Molly saves lives for a living, running a department for when disasters strike.

Molly and her husband Jesse―a police polygraph expert with his own fractured family―have found a love that is a solace in a dangerous world.

But then Molly’s whole world is turned on its head. She’s spent her life preparing for catastrophe. But nothing could prepare her when a disaster strikes too close to home.

In this powerful novel, Jodi Picoult tells an epic story of the lies we tell ourselves, the plans we design to protect ourselves at the worst moments, and the ties that bind mothers and daughters.

Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult is published on 5 November 2026 by Michael Joseph. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy. 

I've been reading Jodi Picoult for years, I always look forward to her books with a real sense of anticipation. I know that whatever the subject, I'm going to be challenged, emotionally involved and, almost certainly, left questioning things I thought I understood. With Hollow Bones I did exactly that. In fact, I think this is one of her finest novels, right up there with Nineteen Minutes and My Sister's Keeper. 

Molly Fitzgerald lost her mother in the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. She was just a tiny baby at the time and she's grown up in the shadow of an unimaginable tragedy. Now working in disaster management, Molly has dedicated her life to preparing for the worst, helping others through the most frightening circumstances. Yet nothing can prepare her for what happens when her own carefully constructed world begins to unravel.

I'm deliberately saying very little about the plot. This is one of those books where the less you know beforehand, the better. The author takes her readers in directions they could never anticipate, and the revelations are extraordinarily well handled.

What I really love about Jodi Picoult's writing is how she never offer easy answers. She explores difficult, often uncomfortable subjects with intelligence, compassion and really does seem to have an extraordinary understanding of human behaviour. Her characters are wonderfully complex, often flawed and sometimes make decisions that are almost impossible to comprehend. Yet she makes us consider their circumstances, their motivations and the terrible choices people can face.

The research is meticulous, but never overwhelms the emotional heart of the story. The exploration of motherhood, grief, trauma and the complicated nature of love is so very powerful. There were moments when I had to stop reading, simply to absorb what I'd just discovered.

And then there was the unexpected appearance of a character from an earlier Picoult novel! What a wonderful surprise that was. I certainly wasn't expecting it, and I absolutely loved that connection.

A little note for readers: Jodi Picoult doesn't shy away from difficult subjects, and this novel explores some particularly sensitive and emotionally challenging aspects of mental health, including maternal mental illness, trauma and moments of profound emotional distress. These are not always easy things to read about, and some scenes may be upsetting, particularly for those with personal experience of these issues. I think the author handles them with her usual compassion, sensitivity and understanding, but it's worth being aware of the subject matter before picking up this book.

I finished Hollow Bones feeling emotionally wrung out, but also enormously pleased that I have read it. 

A remarkable, deeply affecting novel from a writer at the very height of her powers. One of my books of the year, without question.

Jodi Picoult is the author of 30 novels, with 60 million copies sold worldwide. 

She has had 17 Sunday Times number one bestsellers. 

Five novels have been made into movies and Between The Lines (co-written with daughter Samantha van Leer) has been adapted as a musical. 

She is the recipient of multiple awards, including the New England Bookseller Award for
Fiction, the Alex Award from the YA Library Services Association, and the NH Literary Award for Outstanding Literary Merit.

She is also the co-librettist for the musicals BREATHE and THE BOOK THIEF.

She lives in New Hampshire with her husband.