MY SISTER'S KEEPER, by Jodi PicoultAR: Yes
Interest Level: Upper Grades
This book takes you into the world of a family whose sister, daughter, and friend has had Leukemia since childhood. Her name is Kate and in order to stay alive, she needed a bone marrow transplant. When no donor could be found, her mom decided to have a baby--A girls named Anna--just to provide a source of bone marrow for Kate. In time, the family begins to fall apart. Anna has an arsonist for a brother, a father who is, ironically, a firefighter and a mother who is unsure of anything but a desperate need to save her first daughter. Anna files medical emancipation against her parents so as to save herself after a secret promise to her sister that she would do it. This is a great book and it takes you into a tragic life asking if it's correct to do anything to save a child's life--even if it means ruining the life of another.
Shay, You wrote such a good synopsis of this book -- I want to read it next! I've heard (on tv) of parents having babies just for the sake of "saving" another child in the family, but I've never read a book about it. Thank you for such a good description of the book!
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoyed this book! I was torn between the parents' feelings and Anna's feelings, and I wondered what I would do or expect if I were in the same situation. (Praise God I'm not!!) The ending left me in tears, first due to relief over the outcome of the hearing, then due to sorrow because of an unexpected turn of events. Good book! Thank you for recommending it, Shay!
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