Anna and Kate are sisters and share a seemingly typical bond most of us can relate to. However, they also share a bond that creates a lifeline for Kate. From the age of three, Kate has suffered from a deadly form of cancer. The only chance of saving her was a transplant, but none of her family were a match. In a desperate attempt to save their daughter, her parents conceived Anna, a designed to be a match for treatments and transplants for Kate.

Anna continues to be a donor for her sister for 13 years until she makes a surprising decision: she files a lawsuit against her parents to liberate herself as Kate's donor. Her decision will nearly tear her family apart as they struggle to keep Kate alive.

I stumbled upon this novel at the time the movie adaption was released. Since I usually read the book before seeing a movie, I read a summary and had the ending spoiled. Nevertheless, I read the book. I'm still in disbelief at the ending.

In My Sister's Keeper, Picoult takes you on an emotional roller coaster. One minute you're seeing a happy family in a flashback and the next, we are in a hospital where Kate lies, close to death. We see the whole family suffer. Anna and her mother clash constantly, and you can't help feeling sympathy for them both as they struggle for Kate's sake.

Many of the scenes are played out dramatically and are what you would expect in real life. This book even changed my opinion about the important ethical issue of stem cell research. But still, after reading this parable, I cannot imagine how heartwrenching it would be to make a decision that could harm your sister.