nomadreader

The backstory: I am not a reader who eagerly awaits the latest Jodi Picoult book. In my pre-blogging days, I read and loved Keeping Faith . Last year, I read My Sister's Keeper  and liked it . Then I read Handle With Care  and didn't much care it . Still, I appreciate her advocacy for literacy and women authors. When I heard her latest book ( coming out in March 2011 ) tackled issues of gay rights and infertility, I was doubly intrigued. The basics: Sing You Home  is the story of Zoe Baxter, a music therapist who has struggled to get pregnant for years; her husband Max, a recovered alcoholic who owns a lawncare business; Max's brother and sister-in-law, devout Christians who have also struggled with fertility issues; and Vanessa, a high school guidance counselor. My thoughts: In typical Picoult style, this story is told from multiple points of view. It was a diversion for her, however, as most of the action lies with Vanessa, Zoe and Max. For me, the story wasn't ...

Handle With Care , Jodi Picoult's latest novel, is the story of the O'Keefe family: Sean, a police officer; Charlotte, a former pastry chef turned full-time mother and caretaker; Amelia , a 13-year-old yearning for independence and control over her life; and Willow, a 5-year-old struggling with OI, brittle bone disease. Day-to-day life is stressful enough for this struggling family, but a trip to Disney World turns disastrous. Willow falls and breaks a bone, and they're rushed to the hospital, seemingly at the relief of park employees. Willow's x-rays raise red flags of abuse, and Amelia spends the night in a foster home, while the parents are separated and interrogated. It's gut-wrenching , and the reader understands the caution from the police and hospital while knowing these parents are loving. From there, the story spirals out of control. Sean wants to sue for what they went through in Florida, but the lawyer says that's not a case. A wrongful birth suit ...

I have only read one Jodi Picoult novel, Keeping Faith , which I loved. I've always meant to read more, but my list of books and authors to read passed the ridiculous length months ago. When I assessed the summer movies based on books , this novel moved to the top of my list. My Sister's Keeper is mostly the story of two sisters: Anna, who was diagnosed with leukemia when she was two, and Kate, who was conceived so her umbilical cord could be transplanted to save Anna. Kate is now thirteen, and she has decided to sue her parents for medical emancipation because every time Anna is sick, Kate must offer pieces of her body up to save her. It's a harrowing tale told from the point of view of Kate, her mom (via flashbacks dating back to Anna's first diagnosis), her dad, her brother (a juvenile delinquent), her attorney, and her guardian ad litum . While the story is told through multiple voices, I found myself identifying (and enjoying) Kate's parts best. She truly wres...