Product Description

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her keen insights into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she tells the emotionally riveting story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness.

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you? Once again, in My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult tackles a controversial real-life subject with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #206 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The difficult choices a family must make when a child is diagnosed with a serious disease are explored with pathos and understanding in this 11th novel by Picoult (Second Glance, etc.). The author, who has taken on such controversial subjects as euthanasia (Mercy), teen suicide (The Pact) and sterilization laws (Second Glance), turns her gaze on genetic planning, the prospect of creating babies for health purposes and the ethical and moral fallout that results. Kate Fitzgerald has a rare form of leukemia. Her sister, Anna, was conceived to provide a donor match for procedures that become increasingly invasive. At 13, Anna hires a lawyer so that she can sue her parents for the right to make her own decisions about how her body is used when a kidney transplant is planned. Meanwhile, Jesse, the neglected oldest child of the family, is out setting fires, which his firefighter father, Brian, inevitably puts out. Picoult uses multiple viewpoints to reveal each character's intentions and observations, but she doesn't manage her transitions as gracefully as usual; a series of flashbacks are abrupt. Nor is Sara, the children's mother, as well developed and three-dimensional as previous Picoult protagonists. Her devotion to Kate is understandable, but her complete lack of sympathy for Anna's predicament until the trial does not ring true, nor can we buy that Sara would dust off her law degree and represent herself in such a complicated case. Nevertheless, Picoult ably explores a complex subject with bravado and clarity, and comes up with a heart-wrenching, unexpected plot twist at the book's conclusion.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School - Anna was genetically engineered to be a perfect match for her cancer-ridden older sister. Since birth, the 13-year-old has donated platelets, blood, her umbilical cord, and bone marrow as part of her family's struggle to lengthen Kate's life. Anna is now being considered as a kidney donor in a last-ditch attempt to save her 16-year-old sister. As this compelling story opens, Anna has hired a lawyer to represent her in a medical emancipation suit to allow her to have control over her own body. Picoult skillfully relates the ensuing drama from the points of view of the parents; Anna; Cambell, the self-absorbed lawyer; Julia, the court-appointed guardian ad litem; and Jesse, the troubled oldest child in the family. Everyone's quandary is explicated and each of the characters is fully developed. There seems to be no easy answer, and readers are likely to be sympathetic to all sides of the case. This is a real page-turner and frighteningly thought-provoking. The story shows evidence of thorough research and the unexpected twist at the end will surprise almost everyone. The novel does not answer many questions, but it sure raises some and will have teens thinking about possible answers long after they have finished the book. - Susan H. Woodcock, Fairfax County Public Library, Chantilly, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Expect to be kept up all night by Picoult's latest novel, but it's much more than a page-turner; it's a fascinating character study framed by a complex, gripping story. Thirteen-year-old Anna Fitzgerald walks into the office of lawyer Campbell Alexander and announces she wants to sue her parents for the rights to her own body. Anna was conceived after her older sister, Kate, developed a rare form of leukemia at the age of two, and has donated bone marrow and blood to her sister. Now she has been asked to donate a kidney, and she intends to refuse. Campbell is a jaded young man who nevertheless decides to take her case pro bono. Anna's parents are shocked when they learn of her lawsuit, and her mother, a former civil defense attorney, decides to represent them. Anna refuses to budge on her position despite the fact that she clearly loves her sister and longs for her family's happiness. As the gripping court case builds, the story takes a shocking turn. Told in alternating perspectives by the engaging, fascinating cast of characters, Picoult's novel grabs the reader from the first page and never lets go. This is a beautiful, heartbreaking, controversial, and honest book. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

All I can say is wow
Wow best book I have ever read. The characters are interesting the plot is compelling ad the plot has a nasty turn at the end. I would rate this billions of stars if i could. Im 15 and this book made me BAWL. I loved it it has scientific and medical aspects, lovey dovey aspects, and touches upon things like the fragile mother daughter relationship and the big choice a daughter must make. READ IT!

Review for the audio version
I listened to this on the road and it made the time fly, while giving me plenty to think about! The audio version is perfect for this book - since chapters are each written from a different characters perspective - and they use different voices for each one. This made them just come to life!

I've rated this higher than some - because I enjoyed the surprises Piccoult built into the story. While the ending does come a bit out of the blue --- it left me thinking even more about the theme of the book.

Mesmorizing and Masterful
Kate is 16 and has been living with a rare and aggressive form of Lukemia her whole life. In fact, she is already years past her anticipated life expectancy. But thankfully, for her, Kate's parents had her 13 year old sister, Anna, genetically engineered to be the perfect organ donor. It started with the contents of the umbillical cord, and has continued, until now, when a kidney is the needed organ. But Anna has thrown a wrench in the works by filing for medical emancipation so that she does not have to donate her kidney. The novel spans the next two weeks in the Fitzgerald family's life as they wrestle with the medical, moral, and familial issues that arise when faced with life and death choices. But as Anna knows, winning in court is not winning at all if it means Kate will die.

This book is moving and thought provoking. It is impossible to read this story and not attempt to put yourself in the character's positions to determine what would you do given the same set of circumstances. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the main characters which gives the reader fantastic insight into their thoughts and motivations. As a result, the characters completely come alive and are people you can feel for and sympathize with. Except for the mother, Sara. I was never able to relate to her at all. I found her to be selfish and single minded. But that doesn't make her character unbelievable at all, just hard to comprehend in many ways. Despite this, the pages fly by as you read to discover how both the legal and medical dramas will resolve themselves.

This book will make you laugh and cry. It will make you question yourself and your relationships with loved ones. It will likely surprise you at the end. But overall, while sad, a tremendous joy to read.