The book My Sister’s
Keeper starts out through thirteen-year-old Anna Fitzgerald’s point of
view. She goes on to explain that she was put on Earth for a reason; to save
her sister. Anna’s parents, Brian and Sara, found out their eldest daughter
Kate had an aggressive form of leukemia when she was only a toddler. Because of
the severity of Kate’s disease and her need for bone marrow, Kate and Brian
turned to a geneticist to help them “engineer” a baby that had the same
characteristics as Kate. A baby that would help save Kate’s life. Within the
first five chapters of the book, it is quite obvious why the name is My Sister’s Keeper.
Anna is finally fed up with constantly having medical
procedures, painful ones especially, done to her in order to help Kate. It is
primarily based on Anna’s fear of giving one of her kidneys to Kate. Because of
this, Anna seeks out a witty attorney named Campbell Alexander, who comes with
a loveable service dog “Judge”, and he will later help her sue her parents for
the right to her own body.
Sara finally finds out that her youngest daughter is suing
her, and she nearly explodes with anger. She cannot wrap her head around why
Anna would ever make a decision, like the one she is making, that could
potentially end her sister’s life. After this, the plot has a steady beat of
Sara trying to convince Anna out of suing her and Anna timidly standing her
ground.
There are about two mini-plots that are introduced throughout
the story. The first is when Julia, Anna’s appointed Guardian Ad Litem, comes
to save Anna from her “walking on eggshells” lifestyle. When Julia goes to see
Campbell, readers learn that they had been in a relationship together when they
were both in private school. They both continue with their love/hate
relationship throughout the novel. The second mini-plot is Anna and Kate’s
older brother Jesse’s attention-seeking actions. On numerous occasions he makes
reckless decisions such as starting fires in abandoned warehouses, letting Anna
try a cigarette, and making his own moonshine in his room. At times he becomes
the comic-relief of the novel.
Kate’s condition gets worse when she doesn’t receive the
kidney that Anna was supposed to supply her with. Anna feels guilty about Kate’s
increasing pain and illness but still she stands her ground and continues to
file the law suit against her parents. Anna takes the stand at the trial and
admits that Kate was the one who told her to file the lawsuit in the first
place. She explains what Kate told her, that she was tired of being sick and constantly
on the brink of death.
At this point Campbell collapses and endures an epileptic
seizure. He then goes on to explain that he has his service dog “Judge” because
he can tell when a seizure is going to come on. He also admits that his
seizures were the reason he broke up with Julia when they were younger, because
he didn’t want his seizures to limit Julia as they limit himself. Julia and
Campbell later make peace with one another.
Back to the trial, the Judge makes his decision and gives
Anna medical emancipation and gives Campbell medical power of attorney over
Anna. Campbell and Anna get into the car to go to the hospital, so Anna can
tell Kate that she “won” the case. On the way to the hospital, they get into a
serious car accident. Campbell makes it out alive but once at the hospital, the
doctors rule Anna brain dead.
Anna’s family is devastated. The doctor tells Sara that Anna
is eligible for being an organ donor. Campbell then tells the doctors to give
Anna’s kidney to Kate.
An epilogue takes place in 2010, and Kate is living healthy.
She explains that her family was solemn for a long time after Anna’s death, but
she ends the book by saying “I think about her kidney working inside me and her
blood running through my veins. I take her with me, wherever I go.”
1.) Why did Anna choose to continue the law suit, no matter
how hard her mother tried to convince her otherwise?
2.) Why did Sara and Brian go to see a geneticist?
3.) Why do you think the author made Julia and Campbell have
a past with each other?
4.) What elements did Campbell Alexander bring into the
novel?
5.) What was Anna’s main goal in this novel?
6.) What was the Judge’s ruling?
7.) What do you think the Judge’s ruling would have been if
Kate had not told Anna to file the lawsuit?
8.) Why was Jesse important to the novel? What elements did
his character bring?
9.) What is Julia’s relationship to Anna? Why was she
brought into the novel?
10.) What is Sara’s initial reaction when she finds out Anna
is suing her and Brian for the rights to her own body?
