My Sister's Keeper (novel)
First edition
|
|
| Author | Jodi Picoult |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Atria |
|
Publication date
|
April 6, 2004 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 432 pp |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 54811160 |
| 813/.54 22 | |
| LC Class | PS3566.I372 M9 2003 |
My Sister's Keeper is a 2004 novel written by Jodi Picoult. It tells the story of 13-year-old Anna, who sues her parents for medical emancipation when she is expected to donate a kidney to her sister Kate, who is dying from leukemia.
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. 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.
This is done on the advice of 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 university together, but Campbell broke her heart when he left her. Unbeknownst to Julia, Campbell left her because he discovered he had 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 Kate originally asked Anna to sue for emancipation because Kate did not want Anna to have to donate her kidney now that Kate has been ready to die, but their mom Sara can't seem to understand that, and because Kate believes she will die anyway. The judge rules in Anna's favor, and grants Campbell a medical power of attorney. However, as Campbell drives her home after the trial, their car is hit by a pick-up. The on-call firefighter who arrives at the scene, retrieves an unconscious and severely injured Anna from the wreckage of the crushed car.
...
Wikipedia