Book Review:

In the years since embryonic implantation and genetic selection have become possible, much has been written about the rights and wrongs of conceiving one child to help another. New Hampshire author Jodi Piccoult looks at this issue from another perspective in her novel, My Sister’s Keeper. It tells the story of Sara and Brian Fitzgerald and their children, Jesse, the neglected troublemaker, Kate who has been battling leukemia for much of her life and Anna. Anna was born to be a genetic match for Kate and to provide her with blood and bone marrow. The story starts as thirteen-year old Anna, faced with the prospect of giving up a kidney to save Kate, decides that she has had enough. She hires a lawyer and goes to court to prevent her parents from forcing the donation. Through flashbacks and varied first person accounts, it follows the family from Kate’s diagnosis through to the court battle and its aftermath, showing the effects that these events have on the Fitzgerald family. As she has in several of her other books, Piccoult switches the perspective from chapter to chapter, telling the story from the point of view of all of the main characters. This can be distracting at times, but Piccoult lessens this effect by changing fonts for each character. She is also skilled at creating a unique voice for each character, demonstrating the heartache and desperation felt by Sara as she watches her family unravel, the weariness of Kate as she continues to battle her illness and the guilt felt by Anna as she makes decisions that may give her the life she longs for but that may ultimately cost the life of her sister. Those familiar with Piccoult’s work will recognize the large cast and the courtroom scenes that characterize her work. However, in My Sister’s Keeper, she explores her characters more fully, creating a stronger bond between them and the reader. It is easy to understand and sympathize with the viewpoints of all of the characters, making this a frequently emotional read. The ending is exceptionally forceful, with a twist that engages the reader until the very end. This novel does a great job of taking a controversial subject and humanizing it. Along the way it also explores the court system, children’s rights and the ways that a child’s illness affects a family. It is a tearjerker to be sure, but well worth the emotional investment.