I just finished reading Jodi Picoult’s book called My Sister’s Keeper
It’s about a family whose daughter is diagnosed with a relatively rare but aggressive form of leukemia. One of the best treatments options requires a perfect match. The doctor tells them that no current sibling provides the proper match. So we discover that the parents decide to have another baby, but since they don’t have time to try a couple of times and see if their new baby provides the right match, they visit a genetic specialist. They pick the embryo that provides the perfect match and implant it through invitro fertilization. As soon as the baby is born, its umbilical cord is whisked away to provide the much-needed cells for the ailing older sister. All is well until the older sister relapses and the baby, Anna, is brought to the rescue. This goes on for years. Finally, when Anna is 13 she files for medical emancipation so she won’t be forced to donate a kidney to her sister. This is where the meat of the story starts.
I enjoyed Picoult’s writing, and with the topic, I expected to be sucked in to the story right away. But it was more like being dragged on a freight train that barreled forward without regard for boundaries or speed limits. Don’t get me wrong, as a reader I could’ve let go, but I opted to cling to it white-knuckled the entire way. Which is why I was so disappointed at the end. The destination was so wholly unfulfilling that I was left wondering, “why did I hold on so tightly for this?” In fact, my response was literally an angry, “What a chicksh*t ending!”
I still recommend the book. Picoult guides us through the story, allowing us to hear the voices of each member of the family and legal team. And it forces us to wonder if we’d do the same if we were in that situation. The marvels of modern medicine have yet to cure cancer, but we are now able to find interesting workarounds in order to find treatments. Is there a difference between what’s right and what’s ethical? Between what’s legal and moral?
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