My Sister's Keeper (novel)

Last updated
My Sister's Keeper
Sisterskeeper.jpg
First edition
Author Jodi Picoult
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Publisher Atria
Publication date
April 6, 2004
Media typePrint (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages432 pp
ISBN 0-7434-5452-9
OCLC 54811160
813/.54 22
LC Class PS3566.I372 M9 2003

My Sister's Keeper is the eleventh novel by the American author Jodi Picoult. Published in 2004, it tells the story of thirteen-year-old Anna Fitzgerald, who sues her parents for medical emancipation when she is told to donate a kidney to her elder sister Kate, who is suffering from acute leukemia. [1]

Contents

Summary

The story takes place in the fictional town of Upper Darby, Rhode Island in 2004. Anna Fitzgerald's older sister, Kate, suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer. Anna was born as a savior sister specifically so she could save Kate's life through the donation of her umbilical cord blood. At first it is successful, but the cancer continues to relapse throughout Kate's life.

Anna is usually willing to donate whatever Kate needs, but when she turns 13, she is told that she will have to donate one of her kidneys due to Kate's kidney failure. The surgery required for both Kate and Anna would be major; it is not guaranteed to work, as the stress of the operation may kill Kate anyway, and the loss of a kidney could have a serious impact on Anna's life. Anna petitions for medical emancipation with the help of lawyer Campbell Alexander, so she will be able to make her own decisions regarding her medical treatment and the donation of her kidney.

At first Sara, their mother, believes that Anna's decision is led by a simple need of attention, but Anna is serious and refuses to withdraw her complaint, so the case has to be discussed in front of a judge. Having been a civil attorney before becoming a mother, Sara decides to represent herself. The judge assigned to the case is Judge De Salvo, who the year before lost his twelve-year-old daughter because of a drunk driver.

Recognizing that it is impossible for Anna and Sara to be together during the trial, Judge De Salvo hires Julia Romano, the court-appointed guardian ad litem whose job it is to decide what would be best for Anna. Julia was once romantically involved with Campbell when they went to high school together, but Campbell broke her heart when he left her. Unbeknownst to Julia, Campbell left her because, after an accident that resulted in a concussion, he developed epilepsy and thought she deserved better.

Meanwhile, Anna's older brother, Jesse, who has spent most of his life being ignored in favor of ill Kate or donor Anna, spends most of his time setting fire to abandoned buildings with homemade explosives and using illegal drugs. He is a self-confessed juvenile delinquent, which leads to their father Brian eventually confronting Jesse for his behavior.

During the trial, it is revealed that Anna is acting under her sister's wishes: Kate is tired of living; she's prepared to die and doesn't want to force Anna to donate a kidney that will likely not be adequate to save her life, so she encouraged Anna to gain the independence that has always been denied to her. As Anna stands up to testify, Campbell Alexander has an epileptic seizure and, thanks to this, Julia discovers the reason of their breakup, leading her to swear to Campbell that he doesn't need to hide his illness from her, and that they can be together. The judge rules in Anna's favor, and grants Campbell a medical power of attorney. After gaining medical emancipation, Anna hints that she plans to donate her kidney to Kate, wanting her sister to live. However, as Campbell drives her home after the trial, their car is t-boned by a truck. The on-call firefighter, who happens to be Brian, arrives at the scene, retrieving an unconscious and severely injured Anna from the wreckage of the crushed car.

At the hospital, the doctor informs Sara and Brian that Anna is brain-dead and says that they will need to act quickly if they wish to donate her organs. An injured Campbell approves the procedure and Kate's life is saved. Sara and Brian are devastated and struggle to cope for the next eight years after Anna's life support machines are shut off. During this time, Jesse becomes a police officer and Kate becomes a ballet teacher. Kate ends the story by reflecting on the tragedy and explaining that she feels deep guilt but also a bond with the part of Anna inside of her.

Characters

Development history

Publication history

Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. Atria Books: New York, 2004; ISBN   9781416549178/ ISBN   141654917X.

Critical reception

In review for The Washington Post , Katherine Arie described some of the characters as unconvincing, such as Brian, who is "too good to be true", Jesse, "a poster child for self-destructive behavior", and Kate, who is "as weak and wispy on the page as she's supposed to be in life", but ultimately called the book "a thrill to read". [2]

In 2009, the American Library Association (ALA) and the office for Intellectual Freedom named My Sister's Keeper the seventh out of ten most frequently challenged books in the US. The book has been a frequent target of censorship challenges in schools and public libraries. [3]

Adaptations

New Line Cinema adapted My Sister's Keeper into a feature film, which was directed by Nick Cassavetes and released on June 26, 2009. [4] [5] It starred Cameron Diaz as Sara and Alec Baldwin as Campbell. Kate and Anna were played respectively by Sofia Vassilieva and Abigail Breslin. [5]

The film features an alternate ending and more emphasis on certain subplots while entirely eliminating others, which went against the wishes of Picoult.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sofia Vassilieva</span> American actress (born 1992)

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References

  1. Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum (2005-02-01). "Review, My Sister's Keeper". ReadingGroupGuides. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  2. Katherine Arie (April 4, 2004). "Spare Parts". The Washington Post Company.
  3. "ALA Website List of top 10 most challenged book bans for 2009". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 2013-07-03. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  4. "Questions and Answers". Jodi Picoult.com. March 2, 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
  5. 1 2 Fleming, Michael (2008-02-12). "Breslin, Vassilieva to star in 'Keeper'". Variety. Retrieved 2008-02-13.