Salem Falls
Salem Falls (2001) is the eighth novel by the American author Jodi Picoult. The novel explores what happens to a person (Jack) when he is given a label and is not allowed to escape from it.
 First edition | |
| Author | Jodi Picoult |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
Publication date | 23 April 2001 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 434 pp |
| ISBN | 0-7434-1870-0 |
| OCLC | 45556191 |
| 813/.54 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3566.I372 S26 2001 |
Plot summary
Jack is a highly educated high school teacher at a private school for girls in New England. However, Jack is falsely accused of having an inappropriate relationship with one of his students, to which he pleads guilty to a lesser charge and is sentenced to eight months in prison.[1] Jack's mother, a crusader for women's rights runs an improvised "halfway house" for prostitutes. She refuses to believe Jack's claims of innocence and abandons him.
After serving his eight-month sentence, Jack wants to have a fresh start, which he finds when he wanders into a diner in Salem Falls, New Hampshire. Without disclosing the details of his past, Jack is hired at the diner as a dishwasher, assisting the owner in the kitchen. Jack eventually begins a romantic relationship with Addie Peabody, the woman who co-owns and operates the diner with her father, Roy Peabody. At the time, Addie is still mourning the death of her young daughter, Chloe, who died from bacterial meningitis at six-years-old.
Under New Hampshire law, Jack is required to register with the local police department as a convicted sex offender. As this is a matter of public record, soon the entire town becomes aware of Jack's past. However, Addie Peabody does not change her attitude towards Jack.
Simultaneously as Jack's story unfolds, the novel focuses on local teenage girls who experiment with Wicca: manipulative, disturbed Gillian, the daughter of Amos Duncan a prominent businessman in Salem Falls; Chelsea (in whom Jordan McAfee's son, Thomas, takes an active interest); and, Whitney and Meg who both take an interest in Jack. Although Jack does his best to stay away from them, one night he accidentally stumbles upon them in the woods while they are celebrating the Wiccan holiday of Beltane.
Given Jack's past and the prevailing attitude in Salem Falls towards Jack, he immediately recognizes that he should not be there, and he is subsequently accused of sexually assaulting Gillian. Due to Jack's intoxicated state at the time, he is unable to recall exactly where he was that night.
Jack is defended by the attorney Jordan McAfee and assisted by Selena Damascus. Throughout the trial, Jordan manages to cast reasonable doubt on Gillian's testimony. However, Meg, confides in Addie that she remembers Jack touching her in a sexual manner. Addie believes Meg because she thinks that, "no woman would lie about something like that". Addie immediately takes Meg to report the incident to policeman Charlie, who is incidentally Meg's father.
Clues begin to unravel that Gillian has been lying about the assault. Sources allege that she and her clique were taking hallucinogenic drugs on the night of Beltane. The initial blood screening test Gillian took was given during a rape exam and showed no evidence of drugs. Jordan finds this suspect and instead hires a private toxicologist to run tests on the blood samples, which reveal extreme amounts of a hallucinogen. Gillian's prior psychiatric records reveal that she was known to be a compulsive liar as a child after the death of her mother.
Chelsea feeling a sense of conscience, mails "The Book of Shadows" (a witch's handbook, and also proof that the teenagers are part of a witch's coven) to Thomas, who takes it to Jordan. Jordan then uses the book as evidence against Gillian, who subsequently claims that she "didn't want to be labelled a slut".
Jack is found not guilty. After the trial, Meg reveals to Charlie, her father, that Gillian convinced the teenagers to fabricate everything, as a game, to see if they could ruin Jack's life because Gillian was attracted to him, and he turned her down. Meg's report of Jack having touched her inappropriately are revealed through a series of flashbacks which showed the contact to be accidental, as Jack was saving Meg from a fall he accidentally touched her breast. Charlie reluctantly agrees to protect his daughter.
Later, it is also revealed that Addie, too, was gang-raped at sixteen-years-old by Charlie and Amos, two of the most prominent and powerful men. As such, Addie never knew the true identify of Chloe's father. Charlie apologizes and Addie appears to accept his apology. Jack offers to move with Addie to New York in an effort to reconcile with his mother. Addie agrees to move with Jack.
Jordan and Selena who have been battling their mutual attraction for one another finally get together. It's revealed that Chelsea and Thomas conspired, via witchcraft, to do so.
The final twist of the novel is saved for the last paragraph. Picoult reveals that Amos has been molesting and otherwise sexually abusing his daughter, Gillian, since she was a young child. As the novel comes to a close, the reader comes to understand that Amos has continued to abuse her, and it seems likely that the seminal fluid found on Gillian's thigh is his, and not Jack's.
Characters
- Jack St. Bride: Protagonist, a former star athlete and high school history teacher who is accused and convicted of statutory rape. He is an avid watcher of Jeopardy!.
- Addie Peabody: Owns and operates the diner in Salem Falls, along with her father, Roy. She is revealed to be the victim of a rape in her teenage years, which resulted in a pregnancy, the child of which died early in childhood.
- Roy Peabody: Addie's father who co-owns and operates the diner.
- Gillian Duncan: A teenage girl living in Salem Falls who is attracted to Jack, Amos's daughter.
- Amos Duncan: Gillian's father and owner of the largest pharmaceutical company in Salem Falls. He and Addie went to school together.
- Jordan McAfee: Jack's defense attorney. Jordan, his son Thomas McAfree, and his assistant Selena Damascus appear in other Jodi Picoult novels, The Pact and Nineteen Minutes.
Film adaptation
The film debuted November 2011 on Lifetime Television. Filming started August 10, 2011, according to Picoult.[2] The film stars James Van Der Beek, Sarah Carter, and Amanda Michalka.[3] Some scenes from the film were shot in and around the town of Fergus in Centre Wellington, Ontario, Canada.[4]
Book & Movie Differences
1) In the book, Jack's surname is St. Bride. In the movie, it's McBradden.
2) In the book, Catherine's surname is Marsh. In the movie, it's Meadwell.
3) In the book, four girls (Gilly, Chelsea, Meg, & Whitney) practice witchcraft. Whitney is not a character in the movie.
4) In the book, after his prison stint, Jack tells a cab driver to stop in a random New Hampshire town—which turns out to be Salem Falls. In the movie, Jack is driving to California.
5) In the book, Addie and Jack meet when Jack goes into the diner to ask about a help-wanted sign. In the movie, they meet when Addie's father causes a car accident which Jack is involved in.
6) In the book, Jack cleans up Chloe's bedroom and Addie gets mad. This doesn't happen in the movie; he's more understanding of Addie's wish to pretend Chloe is alive.
7) In the book, Addie was gang-raped at sixteen and wasn't positive about who Chloe's biological father was. In the movie, Amos was the only one who raped her; she was raped right after she turned seventeen.
8) In the book, Selena helps Jordan with Jack's case. Selena is not a character in the movie.
9) In the book, the bookstore is called Wiccan Read and the employee's name is Starshine. In the movie, the bookstore is called Crystal Cavern Bookstore and the employee's name is Carol.
10) In the book, Gilly cuts her hair after Beltane. In the movie, she adds dark streaks.
11) In the book, Meg remembers Jack touching her and Addie takes her to the police. The touch is later revealed to be accidental contact with her breast when Jack was saving her from a fall. In the movie, Meg remembers Jack touching her; she only tells Gilly, who slaps her and says Jack never touched her.
12) In the book, Jack goes to trial and is found not guilty. In the movie, he doesn't go to trial.
13) In the book, it's hinted at the end that Amos has been raping Gilly for years. In the movie (with Addie's support), Gilly recants her accusation against Jack and tells the police who really raped her. Jack gets released and Amos gets arrested.
14) In the book, Gilly's mom died when she was eight. In the movie, Addie tells Jack that Gilly's mom left town when she was young.
15) In the book, Chloe died from bacterial meningitis when she was ten; at the time of the book, she's been dead for seven years. In the movie, she died from bacterial meningitis when she was six; at the time of the movie, she's been dead for almost three years.
16) In the book, Jack is a huge Jeopardy fan. There's no mention of this in the movie.
17) In the book, Jack is rebellious when he's in jail awaiting trial; he refuses to put on the orange jumpsuit, isn't allowed visitors (due to his noncooperation), and is taken to solitary. In the movie, he only refuses to put on the orange jumpsuit. In both the book and movie, he eventually does cooperate.
18) In the book, Jack moves into Addie's house when his room above the diner catches on fire. In the movie, his room doesn't catch on fire and he moves into Addie's house when they start seeing each other.
19) In the book, the New Hampshire sex offender code is 651-B. In the movie, it's 671-B.
20) In the book, Catherine (who is sixteen) recants her accusation at Jack's trial; she admits that she lied about them having an affair. In the movie, she's not old enough to recant without her parents' permission (her eighteenth birthday is in two months), but her father won't let her recant. However, she's willing to tell the truth as soon she's eighteen.
21) In the book, the waitress' name is Darla. In the movie, her name is Maggie.
22) In the book (after Jack is found not guilty), Meg tells her father (a cop) that Gilly made up the rape accusation because she was interested in Jack and he turned her down. In the movie, it's revealed through a conversation with her friends that Gilly made up the rape accusation.
23) In the book, the school where Jack taught is called Westonbrook Academy. In the movie, it's called Westbrook Girls Preparatory School.
24) In the book, Jack asks Addie if she believes he's innocent; she says she doesn't know, but she wants to believe him. In the movie, she does believe he's innocent.
25) In the book, Gilly spills sugar on the table and Jack tells her that she's making a mess. In the movie, Gilly hides the sugar packets from the container on her table and she asks Jack for more. In both the book and movie, Gilly does these things purposefully so she has an excuse to talk to Jack.
26) In the book, when Addie pretends Chloe is alive, the diner staff humour her. There's no mention of this in the movie.
27) In the book, Jack has a fight with Addie (over him cleaning Chloe's room). She tells him to leave, and he goes to a bar and gets drunk. In the movie, he goes to a bar and gets drunk after he sees negative graffiti about him spray-painted outside the diner.
28) In the book, Jack is beaten by five men (two are identified as Chelsea's father and Whitney's father), and Addie thinks the police were involved. This doesn't happen in the movie.
29) In the book, Jack has an aversion to being touched; the aversion goes away as he and Addie begin a relationship. There's no mention of this in the movie.
30) In the book, Jack steals some of Chloe's French fries (he missed breakfast at the prison because it was served when he was being processed to leave) and Addie tells him not to eat her meal. Later, when he eats a burger, he sets a few of his own fries and his pickle on her plate, saying he owed her. In the movie, he tries to clear her plate of pancakes and Addie tells him not to take away her food. When Wes tries to convince Addie to take a walk with him (and he doesn't want to take no for an answer), Jack gives Addie a ketchup bottle and says it's for Chloe's fries.
31) In the book, Delilah (a chef at the diner) tells Jack that Chloe's dead. In the movie, Roy tells Jack that Chloe's dead.
32) In the book, during a town meeting Amos calls, someone says he doesn't want a rapist living in Salem Falls. In the movie, the man refers to Jack as a pervert.
33) In the book, Jordan sarcastically applauds Amos' intent to run Jack out of town; he says parents should start punishing their kids before they do anything bad, Charlie should start cuffing people, and run license plate numbers and issue tickets at random because eventually someone will get in trouble. In the movie, Jordan says he needs to go home and punish his son for the things he hasn't done, that he's always thought Charlie should start arresting more people, and that he should shut down his law practice—since if they know who's going to commit a crime, they can run them out of town before they do and a legal system isn't really needed.
34) In the book, Jordan's son Thomas tutors Chelsea in Algebra. In the movie, he tutors her in Chemistry.
References
- Catherine Hinman (June 22, 2001). "`Salem Falls,' by Jodi Picoult; (June, 2001)". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
- Picoult, Jodi (2011-07-14). "Salem Falls". Facebook. Retrieved 2012-08-19.
- "Salem Falls". IMDB. Retrieved 2012-08-19.
- Robinson, Mike (2012-02-17). "Salem Falls - but Fergus rocks at premiere". Wellington Advertiser. Retrieved 2012-08-19.