August 17, 2008

My Sister's Keeper

Rating:
Awards: Audie Award Winner, Multi-Voiced Performance, 2005. Alex Award Winner, 2005
Author: Jodi Picoult
Narrator: Various
Category: Fiction
Publisher: Recorded Books
Release Date: 2004
Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
Unabridged

An Overview:
Every little girl should grow up knowing that she is loved and wanted for her own merits, but Anna Fitzgerald isn't so fortunate. Her older sister Kate was diagnosed with a type of leukemia with a particularly poor prognosis.

When her parents learn that she needs more help than they are able to get without blood products from a closely related sibling, they conceive Anna. Anna, or Andromeda, started by having her cord blood taken from her to give to her sister. After that was unsuccessful, they went on to take blood, bone marrow and other body tissue.

By the age of thirteen, the doctors determine that a kidney transplant is required. Anna bravely chooses to contact a lawyer and begins a lawsuit to become medically emancipated. In other words, Anna wants the right to make her own medical decisions. Not only does Anna wish to do this, but her sister Kate supports her in this decision and has come to peace with her seemingly inevitable death.

His decision potentially tears her family apart, as her mother is unwilling to consider letting her keep both of her kidneys, but her father supports her in the decision. Unfortunately, this choice would also mean the death of her beloved older sister.

The writing style was unique. Each chapter was narrated by a different member of the family, the lawyer and Anna's legal guardian, changing the perspective each time and including memories from their childhoods as well as following the timeline of the story. Some surprise plot twists, including the ending of the story, leave the listener guessing until the very conclusion.

My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult, left me thinking about the ethics of the whole situation and wondering how I would handle it. This was the first of her books that I have listened to, but I will be sure to get the others.

The Narration:

Audiobook reviewed by Sarah Gross