Published: 2004
My Sister’s Keeper follows the story of Anna Fitzgerald; a girl who was genetically engineered to be a bone marrow match for her older sister, Kate Fitzgerald. Kate suffers from leukemia and her sister Anna, who has had to undergo transfusions and surgeries multiple times throughout her life, is her savior. When Anna is asked to donate a kidney to her sister, she begins to consider her identity which eventually leads to her petitioning for medical emancipation. Anna’s decisions and the fight against her parents give rise to a journey of heartbreak, despair, and true love.
In all honesty, Jodi Picoult’s novel has broken my heart on multiple occasions and simultaneously managed to provide me with food for thought. Considering the novel from a medical perspective, it has made me think about the abundance of ethical dilemmas that currently exist in the medical world – dilemmas that a considerable number of us do not discuss frequently enough. Whilst Anna Fitzgerald’s life was conceived to save that of her sister’s, does it still mean that it was in the best interests of both Anna and Kate? As future medical professionals who may even wind up on the path of genetic engineering, morality will soon become an extensive part of our lives. The book itself provided me with a novel perspective on the future of medicine and whether it is as bright as we put it out to be. After reading My Sister’s Keeper, I found out more about the concept of a ‘savior baby’ and realized that I wasn’t entirely too fond of it. Aside from the physical traumas that the characters must go through, Picoult encompasses their mental struggles which prove to be enervating yet somehow inspirational. A tough read for those with strong ethical stands, though still a must to flick through! My Sister’s Keeper is definitely the right novel if you’re in the mood for a cathartic experience…
- Mahika Singh
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