Transition Time!

Well, I said it would be two months until I wrote another post...I was close. Two and a half months later.... I've decided that my issue with this blog is that I have no focus. Enter: focus! After a long two months of contemplation, I've finally settled on a focus for my blog. I love to read. I think I may have mentioned this before. I have decided to share my love of books with the world. Therefore, I will, from this point forward, begin providing commentary on my veritable library of literature, beginning today!

The first book I want to share is the first book I read by an author named Jodi Picoult. She is a fantastic storyteller who utilizes contemporary issues to weave stories that affect families, always with a twist at the end. Don't worry, I won't ruin it.

This book is titled, "My Sister's Keeper." I know there is a Cameron Diaz movie that recently came out but believe me, read the book. Regardless of whether or not you have seen the movie, do yourself a favor and read this book.

It centers around a girl named Anna Fitzgerald. She has an older sister, Kate, and an older brother, Jesse. Kate has cancer, an aggressive form of leukemia that will eventually kill her without multiple stem cell transplants, a kidney transplant, and multiple other procedures that require a donor with a similar genetic makeup in order to reduce the likelihood of rejection of the donor cells/organs. Kate's parents found out about her cancer before they had Anna. Anna was conceived for the purpose of being a donor for Kate. Picoult has tackled the issue of eugenics in this book, I think because it has a place in this situation. I have a feeling that many families dealing with the issue of an incurable disease in which donor material is needed have had a thought about the convenience of having a genetically matched donor always available. There is, obviously, a down side, which is the primary focus of this story. Anna is tired of her life revolving around Kate. Anna's first donor surgery was when she was three days old and they have not stopped since. Anna is thirteen now, Kate is sixteen, and she wants her parents to understand that she does not want to go through the often painful procedures anymore. Unfortunately, Anna also realizes that once she stops being the donor for Kate, Kate will die. This is something that Anna struggles with; obviously her parents are troubled by this as well. Regardless, Anna decides to hire an attorney and pursue a court case in which she hopes to be emancipated from her parents in order to make her own medical decisions. The judge, unwilling to simply hand over emancipation to a thirteen-year-old, decides to investigate this matter, so he assigns a guardian ad litem to help him decide what is the best decision to make.

A guardian ad litem is a person assigned to a family court matter whose sole role in the case is to look out for the best interest of the child(ren). Often, in family court cases, the parties get distracted by other issues (money, property, custody, affairs, etc.) and have a hard time keeping the interests of their children at the forefront of their conscience. A guardian ad litem is assigned to perform interviews, visit the home, talk with all parties, and eventually make a recommendation to the judge as to what would be in the best interest of the child.

The guardian ad litem, Julia, has a past with the attorney for Anna, which provides the romance edge that pretty much every good book has to have. The story basically revolves around the decisions involved with caring for a sick child, focusing on a child who wants to be emancipated from her parents, as well as a troubled son who is attempting, in all of this, to get attention. Also, this story takes place within the time span of a week.

So in this story, Picoult approaches eugenics, family law, oncology issues, death, and juvenile delinquency all in this book. A drawback for me is that she structures the chapters as each chapter being from the perspective of a different character. I feel like this interrupts the flow a little, but does not necessarily take anything away from the story itself.

I highly recommend this book; it is one of my favorites. I don't think you necessarily need a box of tissues with you, but maybe at least have access to them. Enjoy and I would love to hear any thoughts on what you think!