My Sister's Keeper

In my first memory, I am three years old and I am trying to kill my sister. Sometimes the recollection is so clear I can remember the itch of the pillowcase under my hand, the sharp point of her nose pressing into my palm. She didn't stand a chance against me, of course, but it still didn't work. My father walked by, tucking in the house for the night, and saved her. He led me back to my own bed. "That," he told me, "never happened."

(After typing that up and rereading the rest of the prologue of sorts [pg 3], I just had a realization about that which I am not willing to reveal as it would constitute a spoiler.)

Anna Fitzgerald is 13 going on 30. She is more of an adult than most adults are. Her older sister, Kate, was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia at the age of two. Since her four year old brother, Jesse, was not enough of a match for bone marrow, the doctor suggested the idea of a future sibling being a match. Anna's parents took the idea, ran with it, went to genetic specialists, and had IVF to create Anna as a match for Kate. Thirteen years later, Anna is sick of being poked and prodded and spending so much time admitted to the hospital to give parts of herself to Kate. The most recent idea is for Anna to give up a kidney for Kate, but she has read of the problems that it could cause her, and she wants no part of it. Realizing that her parents will make her "donate" her kidney (parents sign the consents while kids are ignored), Anna decides to take measures into her own hands and hires Campbell Alexander, a high priced attorney, to take her case so that she can get legal emancipation from her parents for medical purposes.

Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper is told over the course of a week and a half and from the points of view of all of the characters, with Sara (the mom) telling what happened in the past that has led to this moment. Jesse, the brother, narrates part of the story, though he is noticeably absent from the rest of the family's narrations for the majority of the book. Kate is mentioned excessively through out the book, but her narrations are also noticeably absent.

This book was heart wrenching. Somehow, a love of characters just snuck up on me. I was curious as to why Campbell needed a service dog, even though he gave joking answers to anyone who asked. I was surprised that Anna could not be swayed from her convictions to receive medical emancipation, even when she told her family differently. I wanted various characters to stop being pigheaded so that they could actually listen to what other characters were saying and I admit that I cried a few times toward the end of the book. I look forward to reading more of Picoult's books, no matter what the format. This book definitely is one that I would recommend to anyone who has a heart.


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