Imagine being conceived for the sole purpose of being a bone marrow donor for your sister. The author, Jodi Picoult, sensitively
explores exactly how it feels to be born into such circumstances. The novel’s heroine Anna is the product of genetic engineering making her the perfect match for her sister Kate’s ever increasing
medical needs. The reader watches Anna make agonizing physical and emotional sacrifices, for her sister, throughout her childhood. When Anna is thirteen years old, her mother pressures her to donate a kidney to Kate, who has been diagnosed with an incurable form of Leukemia. Anna is terrified of the potential dangers of the operation. More importantly, she is furious that her
parents are continually using her as a source of spare body parts for Kate. In desperation she rebels and courageously sues her parents for the right to make her own medical decisions.
A fast paced work of fiction that examines the issues of medical ethics from the perspective of Anna, her family, her lawyer, and court appointed guardian. This novel not only thoughtfully examines modern moral dilemmas; it also presents the reader with entertaining courtroom drama. My Sister’s Keeper: A Novel is both fascinating and thought provoking, a must read.