My Sister's Keeper
I feel like I've been hearing about this book for my entire life, so I was surprised to discover that it was published in 2004, after I'd graduated high school. It, and Jodi Picoult, are things I've always written off as something I clearly wouldn't be interested in. Chick lit, tear jerkers, books that I (foolishly) turned my nose up at.
Then I found out what this book was about, and I knew that I had to read it as soon as possible.
When two-year-old Kate is diagnosed with Leukemia, her parents opt to have another child, one who has been genetically engineered to be the perfect donor match for their sick daughter. Fast forward and 13-year-old Anna, having spent her entire life in and out of hospitals with her sister providing blood and bone marrow and whatever else she needs, has reached her limit. Kate needs a kidney that may or may not save her life and Anna doesn't want to undergo the risky and invasive procedure. So she sues her parents for medical emancipation and the right to make her own decisions when it comes to her body.
What follows is an interesting examination of the bioethics of bodily autonomy. What happens when parents, normally trusted to act in their child's best interest, come up against conflicting interests? How do you stand up against pressure and coercion to make your own voice heard? How do you balance wanting to help your sister with wanting to be your own person?
All in all the book did a good job of presenting all the conflicting view points. It shows how the slippery slope that led from stem cells taken from an umbilical cord to kidney donation. It paints a delightfully complicated picture of just how hard these decisions can be.
And then the ending comes, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I spoiled myself partway through the book, so I was braced. I was prepared to be angry and let down and gnash my teeth about what a coward Picoult was. But I don't entirely feel that. She doesn't end it prematurely or shy away from taking a stance on these issues, which I worried about. At the same time, the ending felt like it belonged to a different book. It was shocking for the sake of being shocking, one more attempt to manipulate the reader's emotions and wring a few more tears out.
Despite the ending, the book is worth reading. It asks some hard questions and really makes you think about them. But be prepared to be betrayed by the last few pages.
Then I found out what this book was about, and I knew that I had to read it as soon as possible.
When two-year-old Kate is diagnosed with Leukemia, her parents opt to have another child, one who has been genetically engineered to be the perfect donor match for their sick daughter. Fast forward and 13-year-old Anna, having spent her entire life in and out of hospitals with her sister providing blood and bone marrow and whatever else she needs, has reached her limit. Kate needs a kidney that may or may not save her life and Anna doesn't want to undergo the risky and invasive procedure. So she sues her parents for medical emancipation and the right to make her own decisions when it comes to her body.
What follows is an interesting examination of the bioethics of bodily autonomy. What happens when parents, normally trusted to act in their child's best interest, come up against conflicting interests? How do you stand up against pressure and coercion to make your own voice heard? How do you balance wanting to help your sister with wanting to be your own person?
All in all the book did a good job of presenting all the conflicting view points. It shows how the slippery slope that led from stem cells taken from an umbilical cord to kidney donation. It paints a delightfully complicated picture of just how hard these decisions can be.
And then the ending comes, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I spoiled myself partway through the book, so I was braced. I was prepared to be angry and let down and gnash my teeth about what a coward Picoult was. But I don't entirely feel that. She doesn't end it prematurely or shy away from taking a stance on these issues, which I worried about. At the same time, the ending felt like it belonged to a different book. It was shocking for the sake of being shocking, one more attempt to manipulate the reader's emotions and wring a few more tears out.
Despite the ending, the book is worth reading. It asks some hard questions and really makes you think about them. But be prepared to be betrayed by the last few pages.
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