My Sister's Keeper: A Novel

Jodi Picoult

Apr 2004 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult tells the story of a girl who decides to sue her parents for the rights to her own body in this riveting story that tackles a controversial subject with grace and explores what it means to be a good person.

Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her keen insights into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she tells the emotionally powerful story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness.

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate—a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister—and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

My Sister’s Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child’s life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you? Once again, in My Sister’s Keeper, Jodi Picoult tackles a controversial real-life subject with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity.

Ratings and reviews

good book for e-reading but I did an audio route with this book and it was hard to follow especially if you don't realize when the characters change but overall very good story very compelling and the ending was nothing that I was expecting

This book captured my heart from the second I started reading. This wonderful novel draws you in and makes you confuse reality with the story. I for one feel like I've known these people for years. That's why when I read the last few pages from kate's perspective I cry. I get so upset because you fall in love with all the characters and losing the most relavent one hurts the worst. However I will never question why jodi ended it this way. She ended it with the truth. Its either one or the other.. never easy

Is it your duty to save your sibling if that's what you were born to do? This is only ONE question asked in this beautifully written novel. Once again Jodi Picoult has expertly crafted a story that draws you in, plops you down & takes you for a thrill ride you weren't expecting. Thankfully I read the book before I saw the movie because the two are vastly different. If you haven't yet read this one, you must. This story defines what it means to love.

About the author

Jodi Picoult received an AB in creative writing from Princeton and a master’s degree in education from Harvard. The recipient of the 2003 New England Book Award for her entire body of work, she is the author of twenty-seven novels, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers House Rules, Handle With Care, Change of Heart, and My Sister’s Keeper, for which she received the American Library Association’s Margaret Alexander Edwards Award. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. Visit her website at JodiPicoult.com.