Jodi Picoult is best known for her captivating tales about thoughts, emotions and actions of real people. In My Sister's Keeper, she tells the story of how a family can be torn apart by the members' contradicting needs. It also shows a kind of love that transcends beyond human weaknesses.

Anna Fitzgerald was conceived for a specific purpose. She was genetically designed to be a perfect genetic match for her older sister, Kate, who is dying of leukemia. As early as birth, Anna has already been donating parts of her to Kate: bone marrow, blood, stem cells, you name it. As long as Kate needs it, Anna was always there to provide it with.

But when Anna turned 13, her sister now needs a kidney. She loves Kate with all her heart but Anna has had enough. She then hires Campbell, a lawyer, and sues her parents for denying her the rights to her own body. As the case reaches the court, things start falling apart for the Fitzgeralds. Their father, Brian, becomes torn between the conflicting needs of his children. Their mother, Sara, will do everything to hold the family together and keep Kate alive, whatever it takes. Their older brother Jesse becomes delinquent and rebellious due to the weight of his family's situation. As the trial eventually reaches the end, Anna now discovers who she really is and what it's like to stand up for herself.

Picoult, being the literary genius that she is, used several narrators in the novel. She gave the readers a glimpse of each of the characters' thoughts to understand them better but essentially made it even more painful in deciding who to sympathize with. Picoult definitely tackled this sensitive topic with grace, wit and surprisingly, humor. She managed to include funny and lighter moments which balances out the entire story. I think most of us might relate with Anna on different levels. She just might be a reflection of ourselves in more ways than we think.

"The only way I can fight for you is if you can prove to everyone that you can fight for yourself when I walk away." - Campbell to Anna, My Sister's Keeper