Handle with Care - Book review

Handle with Care
by Jodie Picoult
Simon & Schuster 2009
Authors website

Willow was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or Brittle Bone disease. This means that she breaks bones very easily. Sometimes just by turning over in bed.



The story begins with Willow and her family going to Disney World in Orlando for a visit. BUT one very important item is left at home. The letter fron the doctor about Willow. Thus when Willow falls down at Disney World and breaks her leg, (something she has done many times before) she is rushed to a local hospital. When the X-rays show numerous breaks in her bones, some old, some still healing, the authorities are called. Willows parents are arrested for child abuse and sent to jail. Willows sister Amelia is sent to a foster family.

Because it is the weekend, it is two days befor the family doctor can be contacted to confirm Willow's condition and the family are released. When they get home, Willow's father decides to sue Disney world.

When he speaks to a lawyer, he discovers that, under the law, the authorities at Disney World did their jobs as required by law. While the law means well, it does cause problems when uneducated and ignorant people make assumptions like the Disney World people did. Willow's father would definitely lose the case if he continued.

BUT says the lawyer - there is another possible case here. A wrongful birth where the obstetrics doctor did not inform the mother of a problem with the baby in a timely manner whereby the mother could have done something about it. (ie abortion)

Willows mother decides to sue her doctor. Her doctor also happens to be her best friend. When Piper (the doctor & friend) is served the papers, their 8 year friendship is over - just like that.

This is the story of the strain on the family, as the mother continues with the lawsuit. Her husband decides that he wants no longer wants to be part of it and he leaves the family

This story is told in 3rd person narration by people involved in the story all speaking to Willow. Willow gets her own voice in the last chapter after the lawsuit is over.

If you ever want to know about Osteogenesis Imperfecta, this is the best book and the most easy book to read in order to learn all about it. Ms Picoult has obviously done her research. You will have to read it to find out what the outcome was.

So far of the 4 books I have read - Jodie has written about two subjects - medicine and religion.

This is a review that said that this book (Handle with Care) was exactly like another book (My sister's keeper) which I reviewed a few days ago.

Yes it does seem that these are formulaic books. I will have to read more before I decide if that is good or bad. I will say this. I do like both stories I have read so far, where Jodi has written about religius history and themes.

My Sister's Keeper - Book review

My Sister's Keeepr
by Jodi Picoult
Simon & Schuster 2004
Authors Website
Movie Website

I went to see the movie yesterday afternoon. And I purchased the book off a book shelf at the same time. So I hadn't read the book when the movie ended.


I brought the book because on her website, Jodi says that the ending of the movie was different from the ending in the book.

Having now read the book and seen the movie, I understand why they changed the ending, and I actually do prefer the movie ending rather than the book ending. There were a number of other changes as well.

I dont want to spoil the movie for you so I will try not to put any spoilers in this review.

In the book you have the Fitzgerald family living in Rhode Island, In the movie they are living in California. The family consists of Brian Fitzgerald, a firefighter, his wife Sarah, who used to be a lawyer but has been a SAHM (stay at home mom) for the last 12 years. Their children are from oldest to youngest - son Jesse, and daughters Kate and Anna.

When Kate was 2 years old she was diagnosed with APL (acute promyelocytic leukemia). Her older brother Jesse was not a match for her. Neither were the parents. They were unable to donate any blood or bone marrow.

So Sarah decided to have another baby who was a perfect genetic match. This baby was named Anna and she is the main character of the book (and movie). Anne was a testtube baby - one of 4 embryo's who were genetically manipulated to have all the proteins required to be a perfect match to Kate.

Anna's cord blood was donated to Kate right after she was born, in the hopes that this might stop the disease. It did but only for 5 years. From then on Anna is subjected to more and more procedures just to help Kate stay alive.

The life span of an APL patient is usually 5 to 6 years. Sarah was desperate to save Kate, so she had Anna. Every time Kate was hospitalised, Anna was forced to drop whatever she was doing, and rush to the hospital to have contribute more blood or bone marrow to Kate. All the attention was on Kate. Anna was only in the lime light when she was required to donate more blood or bone marrow. Jesse is ignored altogether.

At age 14, Kate's body start shutting down. First her kidneys. Anna is told by Sarah, that of course Anna will donate a kidney. Anna revolts, hires a lawyer and demands medical emancipation from her parents. She takes her parents to court. She wants to stop being forced to be a donor, even if this means Kate will die.

There are several other major things that are in the book but not in the movie. One is the court appointed guardian for Anna which is not mentioned at all in the movie. The second is Jesse's activities. While Jesse is seen out by himself in the city, his activities are not shown.

The movie was powerful enough without the guardian or Jesse's activities. I really wanted to call Cameron Diaz (who plays Sarah) a bitch for spending all her time on ONE child at the expense of the other two kids. No parents should be like that. However I know that Cameron is just acting. She was so believable.

Also in the book the judge who is deciding the court case is a man. In the movie the judge is a woman. And in the movie, Kate gets to go to the beach. In the book she does not.

As to the ending, well one sister does die. You have to see the movie and read the book to find out which.

Keeping Faith - Book Review

Keeping Faith
by Jodi Picoult
Harper Collins 1999
Author's website


As I have mentioned through this blog, I am not a fan of Chick-Lit. So I have never read any of Jodi Picoult's books.



Until this week after I saw the trailer of the new movie My Sisters Keeper - which opened at the theatres this week. The trailer looks good. My logic says, if the trailer looks good then the movie must be good. If the movie is good, then the book must be good. So I decided that I maybe better read a Jodi Picoult book or two. So I did.

Keeping Faith is about atheism and religion. One of my favourite subjects.

Seven year old Faith talks to her imaginary "Guard" constantly and begins to recite passages from the Bible. Being Jewish, Faith has never read the bible. Fearful for her daughter's sanity, Mariah sends her to several psychiatrists.

Yet when Faith develops stigmata and begins to perform miraculous healings, Mariah wonders if her daughter, a girl with no religious background, might indeed be seeing God. Word leaks to the press and a media storm ensues.

Mariah's ex-husband suddenly instigates a lawsuit for custody of Faith, claiming that Mariah is a danger to his daughter. And his lawyer gets a court order stating that Mariah must be kept away from her daughter for Faith's protection and safety. Faith is put under the care of a court appointed guardian. The court case is riveting.

I really enjoyed this book. A lot more than I thought I would.

Jodi Picoult has written more than 15 books. I know a lot of my readers will have read them, but I am just discovering them now. I plan on reading more - starting with My Sisters Keeper which has been reserved at my local library.