Perhaps the story's quietude is appropriate, given its magnificently painted backdrop and distinctive characters, but one can't help wishing that the spark igniting the book's opening pages had built into a full-fledged blaze." However, Kristina Lanier wrote a more positive review for the Christian Science Monitor, saying, "Picoult sets a big task for herself in 'Plain Truth', but she pulls it off - avoiding sentimentality and even maintaining the cultural tension and thriller-like guessing game into the book's final scenes. Picoult's strength, though, lies in sculpting solid characters and a thoughtful, well-researched, and well-paced yarn." "Plain Truth" was Book of the Week in the May 8, 2000 issue of People Magazine. The review of the book, written by Jill Smolowe stated, "despite the occasional cliche and a coda that feels artificially tacked on, Picoult's seventh novel never loses its grip. The research is convincing, the plotting taut, the scenes wonderfully vivid. Most impressive, the author gets beneath the uniformities of dress, custom and conduct to paint a unique community--closed to most Americans--in all its social and psychological complexity." In 2004, Lifetime debuted the Plain Truth, the television adaption of the novel, starring Mariska Hargitay as the attorney Ellie Hathaway (whose name was changed to Ellie Harrison in the film), and Alison Pill as the accused and disowned Amish girl, Katie Fisher (whose name was changed to Katie Fitch in the film).