Product Description

"A major decision about me is being made, and no one's bothered to ask the one person who most deserves it to speak her opinion."



The only reason Anna was born was to donate her cord blood cells to her older sister. And though Anna is not sick, she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since she was a child. Anna was born for this purpose, her parents tell her, which is why they love her even more. But now that she has reached an age of physical awareness, she can't help but long for control over her own body and respite from the constant flow of her own blood seeping into her sister's veins.



And so she makes a decision that for most would be too difficult to bear, at any time and at any age. She decides to sue her parents for the rights to her own body.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5688 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Good Housekeeping
'This astonishing novel is beautifully and thoughtfully written and focuses on difficult moral choices'

Review
'This astonishing novel is beautifully and thoughtfully written and focuses on difficult moral choices' (Good Housekeeping )

'She is quite a find, in Anita Shreve territory, an author tackling gritty problems ... So watch out, she's well worth supporting' (Sarah Broadhurst, The Bookseller )

'This beautifully crafted novel will grab readers with its stunning topic ' (People Magazine )

'Expect to be kept up all night by Picoult's latest novel, but it's much more than a page-turner; it's a fascinating character study framed by a complex, gripping story. . . ' (Booklist )

Publishers Weekly
'Picoult ably explores a complex subject with bravado and clarity'

Customer Reviews

A beautiful and emotional book
I loved this book. I couldnt put it down, and it was very emotional. The chapters switch from being narrated by different characters in the story so you see all points of view. You go from agreeing with the character of Anna, that she should not be forced to go through so much pain and medical danger when her sister doesnt really want to keep going on anymore, to changing your mind when the mothers chapter comes around, thinking you would do anything to save your childs life.

Both my friend and I loved it - but beware, if you have an emotional bone in your body you will cry your eyes out in a couple of parts - DO NOT READ THE END OF THE BOOK ON THE TRAIN ON YOUR DAILY COMMUTE!!!

This is a great book - read it.

A lovely surprise of a book
I bought this book only because it was in the 3 for 2 sale at Waterstones, never having heard of it, or the author, before. Reading it got slightly uncomfortable at points - for one, the moral dilemma at the crux of the plot had me squirming because it's one of those situations you just don't wanna think about - secondly, characters take it in turn to narrate chapters, and though this generally works well, the fact they all use the same introspective reflective tone can get a bit eerie.

One review inside the cover says the book ends with a big twist, so I started trying to spot it from the start - no chance, it came totally out of nowhere. And when it finally turned up, it had me bawling my eyes out (I haven't cried at a book since I read "The Last Battle" (Chronicles of Narnia) at the age of about 8). Seriously, I cried for about 10 minutes, and I don't even have kids.

At the same time, the book isn't an emotional blackmail attempt using cliches as tear-jerkers, but simply, gently and originally written. It comments in a roundabout way on families, parenting, and growing up. I'm tempted to get hold of some more of the author's work, but I'm worried it won't live up to this one.

Heart-wrenching
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but had heart a few people talk about it so I bought it from Amazon. It's a heart-breaking novel that had me in tears on quite a few occasions.

Kate is diagnosed with lukemia at age 2 and her parents decide to have a 'designer' baby, Anna, who they hope will save Kate from the certain death. Within hours of being born Anna has donated stem cells from her umbilicle cord....the first of many procedures. Thirteeen yrs later Annas body is still being used to keep her sister alive. This is when Anna decides to fight for the right to have control of her own body.

The twist at the end came out of nowhere and had me in tears yet again.

Its a very thought-provoking book which questions the morals behind 'designer' babies. I defy anyone to read this book and not get a lump in their throat.