Jodi Picoult discusses ‘Leaving Time,’ her new novel, on LI

Jodi Picoult may have made a name for herself penning narratives that seem ripped from the headlines, but the bestselling author found inspiration for her latest offering, “Leaving Time,” at home.

The Nesconset-born writer, who lives in New Hampshire, started the novel after her youngest child moved away for college.

“I was thinking a lot of how we humans raise our kids to be self-sufficient enough to leave us and how depressing it was for those who were left behind,” Picoult, 49, said in a recent phone interview.

“Leaving Time” not only landed on national bestseller lists, it also caught the attention of the Long Island Reads Committee.

Since 2002, Long Island Reads has selected one book annually that is either set in or penned by a writer from the area to headline its Island-wide reading initiative. Long Island Reads brings together book lovers with a wide range of library-sponsored activities and events.

The 2016 offerings give readers a behind-the-scenes look at an elephant sanctuary and explores psychic phenomena, both themes that feature prominently in the novel. Some libraries will also deliver dramatic re-enactments from “Leaving Time.” Picoult’s April 10 appearance at Stony Brook University, where she will discuss “Leaving Time,” her 23rd novel, is already sold out.

“Fans of Jodi Picoult know they can rely on her to craft a thought-provoking story, captivating characters and a layered plot, which hits the sweet spot between commercial and literary fiction,” says Janet Schneider of Oceanside Library. Schneider co-chairs the Long Island Reads Committee.

“Leaving Time” chronicles a teen’s search for her mother from four points of view: 13-year-old Jenna; her missing mother, Alice; a disgraced psychic named Serenity; and a down-on-his-luck detective named Virgil. Jenna enlists the help of Serenity and Virgil to find her mother, who has disappeared from the elephant sanctuary in New England where they lived when she was a baby.

“One of the beauties of ‘Leaving Time’ is it deals with themes of love and loss,” Picoult says. “These are universal themes.”

Picoult had to do a fair bit of research about elephants when she began outlining “Leaving Time.” Once she learned that mother and daughter elephants remain together in the wild until one of them dies, elephant behavior and conservation became a secondary theme of the novel.

“Given my frame of mind, it seemed so much more pleasant to do things the way elephants do,” Picoult says. “I began to dig a bit more about elephants and their reaction to death, and what I uncovered became a metaphor for the novel.”

Picoult’s research into elephants and psychic phenomena brought a globe-trotting aspect to her research. She visited The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee; flew to Botswana in southern Africa to meet an elephant researcher and traveled to Atlanta to spend time with psychic Chip Coffey.

“The mystery at the heart of the novel makes for a compelling read,” Schneider says. “However, it is the background research into elephant behavior which is the real strength of the novel.”

“Leaving Time” allowed Picoult to explore the relationship between mother and child, and to further establish the strong bonds that she already had with her three children.

“Whenever I write a book, I always find it therapeutic because I’m answering a question I had,” Picoult says. “In this case, it was how do you go on as a mom when your kids grow up? The truth is, we all live through the empty nest.”