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Known for writing novels with provocative themes centered
on family conflict and difficult moral choices, Jodi Picoult presents the
story of a child whose sole reason for existence is to assure a genetic match
for her terminally ill sibling.
Conceived in vitro, 13-year-old Anna Fitzgerald has decided
to sue her parents to stop them from using her as "spare parts" for her older
sister, Kate, who suffers from leukemia. After years of having her bone marrow
and blood used to keep Kate alive, Anna now refuses to donate a kidney and strives
for her own personal freedom. She hires lawyer Campbell Alexander to represent
her, even as her own mother, a former civil defense attorney, fights her in
court.
The complex and emotionally wrenching narrative unfolds from
the alternating perspectives of a large cast of intriguing and likable characters.
Picoult, who has handled such delicate topics as teen suicide and euthanasia
in previous novels, proves equally adept with this sensitive and emotionally
charged subject matter. The tragic circumstances of Anna's plight are made all
the more poignant because it's clear from the onset how much she loves her family.
In My Sister's Keeper, the author has crafted a compelling story that
is heartbreaking and literate in equal measure.
The Barnes & Noble Review
