Por la vida de mi hermana (My Sister's Keeper): Novela

Escrito por Jodi Picoult

Narrado por Adriana Sananes, Katherine Levya, Jorge Pupo y 3 más

Anna ha nacido con un proposito muy especifico. Nacio porque un cientifico manipulo la conexion entre el ovulo de su madre y el esperma de su padre para crear una combinacion especifica de precioso material genetico, con el proposito de salvar a su hermana que padece de leucemia mieloide. Anna es la tabla de salvacion de su hermana Kate, pero no esta dispuesta a seguir donando sus organos para salvar la vida de su hermana. Una serie de planteamientos eticos, familiares y morales que desgarran los cimientos de una familia por el bien de uno de ellos. Una historia muy humana, una familia devastada por la enfermedad de Kate y un juicio con un veredicto inesperado.

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 4 mar 2011
• ISBN: 9781449836801

Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult received an AB in creative writing from Princeton and a master’s degree in education from Harvard. The recipient of the 2003 New England Book Award for her entire body of work, she is the author of twenty-seven novels, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers House Rules, Handle With Care, Change of Heart, and My Sister’s Keeper, for which she received the American Library Association’s Margaret Alexander Edwards Award. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. Visit her website at JodiPicoult.com.

Comentarios para Por la vida de mi hermana (My Sister's Keeper)

[funstm · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

My Sister's Keeper tells the emotional story of the Fitzgerald family, whose eldest daughter, Kate has been battling leukemia since she was two; their youngest daughter, Anna - who is Kate's perfect genetic match and was born specifically for the purpose of being a medical donor and keeping Kate alive and their only son, Jesse who has been very little more than an afterthought since the diagnosis. When Anna is scheduled to donate a kidney, one more donation in an endless parade, she decides enough is enough. And proceeds to sue her parents for medical autonomy of her own body. Begging the question, who knows best? Who can decide best? And where should the lines be drawn?This was intense. I don't even really know where to start because this book tackles the controversial issue of how far you'll go to save someone you love - even if it's at the expense of another loved one. Is it fair to ask Anna to dedicate her entire life to being the backup plan for Kate? No. Do I understand why her mum did it? Yes. But I don't think I could make the same choices. And as much as I was determined to know what happens - I don't know that I could say this book is good. It's long. Too long. 400 pages that could have been condensed because I don't know that half the words added anything to the story. I was interested to know what happens but I didn't particularly like any of the characters and I wasn't emotionally invested in them. And the ending ??? Seriously? I don't know how I wanted it to end but it seemed too abrupt (like oh crap, I should've finished five chapters ago but I wrote more and now I have to sum it up in two paragraphs type thing). It felt very unfinished, for all it wrapped up all the main points in a neat bow.It was an interesting topic but overall fell flat in execution. 2 stars.

[wellreadsoutherner · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This book totally wrecked me at the end. 400 pages of thought provoking medical ethics going through my head and then quickly the last 20 pages had me bawling like a baby. Whew.

[dairyqueen84 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

After awhile I could not put the book down. The ending was completely unexpected.

[northern_light-1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Like all her books this features a moral dilemma told from the viewpoints of all the people concerned.Sara and Brian have two children but when Kate is diagnosed with leukemia at the age of two the only important thing is to get her better. The only problem is her brother Jesse isn't compatible. So they undergo selection of an embryo who will be the perfect donor.Anna undergoes many processes to help her sister but at thirteen hires a lawyer so she has control of what she does and this means Kate will most likely die.We are shown the parents' anguish as they desperately try to persuade Anna she's making a mistake. Anna is resolute in her actions.The lawyer Campbell has a dog who he says is a service dog but he won't say why and this adds a light hearted touch.The reader is taken through the journey with the parents and also Anna and can see both sides of an impossible dilemma which cannot conclude to everyone's satisfaction.There are some twists and turns some of which I saw coming but others were totally unexpected. The ending in some ways was too tidy but it's still plausible.Yet again Jodi Picoult has written a thought provoking book

[elenaj-147457 · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

Very compelling and reasonably well-written . . . until the last 40 pages, which were just infuriating. And I was even spoiled for the ending going in, but it just made me more irritated with everything about the conclusion.

[nwieme-1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

oh. when it started raining, you just knew.

[karenhulseman · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

The book is WAY better than the movie!

[adam.currey · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

An interesting exploration into the emotional journey of a family put into a very difficult situation. The story cuts back and forth in time, a concept I'm familiar with and fine with, but in this case it's not executed particularly well and it's tricky keeping track of where (or rather when) we are. Different chapters also switch between different fonts, which I found very jarring.

[ck31-1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Wow, I just loved it. What a fantastic storyline. So moving. In order to not spoil it, at the end of the book there are book club discussion questions, read the first one, it will be an eye opener.

[caslater83 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I'm not sure I have sufficient words to describe how much I loved and hated this book. Normally, I hate the multiple points of view in books, but Jodi Picoult does it in a way that flows so well that you don't feel turned off by it. I developed feelings for every character in this book. It's hard not to! Anna and Kate are both stuck in a situation that neither wants to be in. There's no sense of fairness in it. If Anna stops giving, Kate suffers. If Anna keeps giving of herself, then Anna suffers. It's sad, it's frustrating, and it's just a crying shame that life can be this cruel.

I also felt for Brian, Sara, Jesse, and Julia, and Campbell. Being the parent of a sick child is heart-wrenching, but having to go through the legal process would taste one's patience and their sanity. All throughout this book, I questioned if this was even ethical. It certainly doesn't feel normal, and maybe that's why we need ethics committees/ethics panels. It would be hard to take a medical situation such as this and discuss what really is the right decision for everybody. Because no matter the result, someone gets hurt. Someone suffers. And the damage may be irreparable.

This is definitely a book club book that I would recommend to any group that wants a lively discussion. I don't regret picking up this book. It's been an eye-opener and it's still on my mind and probably will be for a good number of days. I'm planning to watch the movie to see how closely it follows the book.

[carolee888 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I was prepared for this book to be emotionally manipulative but I was very pleased. Jodi Picoult explored the theme in so much depth that I got very attached tomn some of the characters and wanted them to continue in other books but the story makes that impossible,What is it like for a family to have a terminally ill child? Kate had a very dangerous form of childhood leukemia, there seemed to be now hope for her. No one was a genetic match for her. Not her father, Brian, who never had a college education but was committed to saving lives as a fireman, not her mother who was an attorney, and not her brother, Jessie, the loner, troubled and unable to control hi s anger. Kate' s doctor told them that the best march would a personally genetically close to Kate as possible, that was Anna who was a genetically engineered baby.I admit that there were many times that I got angry with Anna' s mother and I did not understand how both parents could let their son self destruct but I can remember what it is like to be thirteen and never asked if she wanted to continue to be Kate' s donor. And what about Kate' s feelings? Kate had to adopt a sense of humor to bring her family back to earth.My family had never been in this situation so this story opened my eyes to difficult decisions made by the family, the legal considerations, moral, ethical and those of love. I highly recommended My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Please do not give on this book early on, it is well worth sticking it out!

[katherinegregg · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Anna was conceived specifically so that she could serve as a donor to her older sister Kate who was diagnosed with leukemia at age two. Since birth, Anna has gone through invasive procedures to provide her bone marrow and stem cells to keep her sister alive. At thirteen, Anna hires an attorney to fight for her right to make her own decisions about her body. She wants to decide herself whether or not to undergo surgeries and transfusions or to give her sister a kidney.

[joannemonck · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

A child is conceived just for the purpose of keeping her older sibling alive. The child decides to seek counsel to allow her to make her own decisions on medial procedures. It is heartbreaking all the way around. Why does she want to make her own decisions? Will her parents let her after a lifetime of being her sisters keeper. The ending is probably the only way it could end. And it is a surprise.

[rmarcin-630843 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I thought this was a beautiful book. Many comment that the family was dysfunctional. I don't know if that is true - but I can't imagine the toll a sick, dying child has on the rest of the family. The mother didn't love one child above the others, but any mother knows, she will do whatever it takes to keep her children healthy and safe. Caring for a child with a terrible illness takes a toll on the entire family, and this family was cracking under the stress. I thought the plot twists were interesting and I was quite upset over the ending. A real tear-jerker. Beautifully done and handled with compassion.

[vhartpowers · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

About a family with a daughter diagnosed with leukemia at 2. The couple has a child genetically conceived to be a donor for the sick daughter. At 16, Kate is tired of being sick. At 13, Anna wants to be free.
The story line is good. Jesse is predictable as the arsonist. It's predictable who dies in the end, but I didn't guess on the "how." And I didn't figure out what the service dog was for.
This book was MUCH better than The Pact.

[headinherbooks_27 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Tears, tears, and more tears !!

[liscarey · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Brian and Sara Fitzgerald thought they had a complete and perfect family when their second child, daughter Kate, was born. Then at two, Kate is diagnosed with leukemia, and life changes, completely. Treatment can stabilize Kate for a while, but remissions turn into relapses. And none of them, not Sara, not Brian, and not son Jesse, is a close enough match for the donations, including bone marrow, Kate will need for any hope of a cure.

Sara and Brian take a gamble, at the limits of medical science and on the edges of medical ethics. They use in vitro fertilization to conceive another daughter, who will be the closest possible genetic match for Kate.

Thirteen years later, Anna Fiztgerald files a lawsuit seeking medical emancipation from her parents.

This is an emotionally complicated tale. Anna loves her sister Kate. Sara and Brian love all their children. Jesse loves both his sisters and would give anything to be able to donate what Kate needs to live. Kate loves her whole family, and can't escape from being the neediest member of the family, in need of everyone's support, but especially Anna's vital medical donations. Sara and Brian have a strong and loving relationship, but they're not always in agreement on what's best for their daughters.

The story is told in the voices of each character, each of the Fitzgeralds, Anna's lawyer Campbell Alexander, and the guardian ad litem appointed by the court, Julia Romano. What we learn in these interwoven voices is that everyone in the family is struggling with guilt--over what they are doing, what they can't do, and over their complex feelings about those choices, failures, and the circumstances. It's Sara who gives us most of the history. Brian and Jesse in their different ways provide context, and it's Anna's choices and feelings that are driving the events of the story--or so it appears.

Campbell and Julia have their own complicated personal history, and for each of them it affects how they respond to Anna, the Fitzgerald family, and the moral and ethical conundrum at the core of the family struggle.

Picoult gives us a beautifully textured story, with good people in painful conflict as they all try to do the right thing as far as they can understand it. You won't like all characters equally, but you will sympathize with all of them.

Highly recommended.

I bought this book.

[mitabird · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

My Sister's Keeper was one of the most heart wrenching stories I've ever read. Anna's sister, Kate, is dying from a rare form of leukemia. She was conceived as a genetic match to help save her sister's life. It was supposed to be a one-time deal, but over the course of her 13 years, Anna has donated multiple times. Her sister is in need of a kidney and Anna's decided she's had enough of being told how to use her body. She decides to sue her parents for medical emancipation and refuses to give up her kidney. She knows the possible consequences of her actions, but she wants to be the one to make the choice, not her parents. What follows is a harrowing tale told in the view of six people affected by Anna's decision. I really can't say too much else without giving anything away, but this is a must read, albeit an emotional one.

[mandarella-337035 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Good book with a plot that was really thought provoking with the moral and ethical questions it addressed. I found myself irritated by Sara, the mother, but I can understand her dilemma. Having the book be from different POVs was helpful to grasp what each character was thinking. I actually liked that even though the book centered around Kate and her illness, as the reader you didn't get her perspective.

Summation: good plot. the conflict is was fascinating to read. Jodi Picoult is a great at writing dramatic stories which are entertaining, but she won't be winning any serious literary awards.

[kristinah-2 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This is one of my favorite books! I would recommend this to others.

[jayne_charles_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

My third Jodi Picoult novel, and I've accepted that they're all going to follow a similar theme: hotshot lawyer takes on tough/controversial/emotional case, and something links into their own private life. It's fine - it makes for good reading, and this was no exception. If I occasionally thought the case was being dragged out way longer than it would in real life (because people oddly chose not to speak to eachother unless it was in the environment of a courtroom) it dealt boldly with one of the ethical issues of the day - that of 'designer' babies, born to be a genetic match for an ill sibling. Such an emotional novel - hard to keep a dry eye in some places.

[startwithgivens · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This was one of the most powerful books I have ever read, then ending will shock even the most keen reader and Picoult keeps you wanting more with every page.

[soubhikiewiet · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

My favorite from this author. Touching with some shocking plot twists. I really enjoy books that change point of view from character to character.

[heycaye · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

TEARS. A LOT OF TEARS.
I was noisily sobbing by the last fifty or twenty pages, I think.

And I would like to say that I like Campbell and Julia. Individually, and together. They add to my list of OTPs that is eternally getting longer.

Still (spoiler part here I think?) the part that sucks is that the whole book was building up to that ending. And then it slaps you in the face with "Ha! Gotcha!" and renders everything useless. I know it's called a plot twist, but this sure is one of the worst ones. Not to mention one of the most heart-wrenching ones.

SPOILER!!
I liked the epilogue. Except the fact that Brian, who is one of my favorite characters, had the worst of it. It's unfair. So unfair. :(

Seems like I can't properly review this right now. Currently in a fragile emotional state. (medyo OA but whatever. Hahaha)

[anisadara36 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I both read the book and seen the movie and both made me sob. It is such a sad and powerful story.

[librarianjen · Calificación: 1 de 5 estrellas]

This book was pretty good until Picoult copped out on the ending. The ending was so weak and disappointing that I would not recommend this book.

[whisper1_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This is the second book I've read by this author, and similar to the first, this book also seemed to grab hold and take the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. Except, I am not keen on manipulation of feelings. I'll state at the beginning of this review what I hated at the end of this book -- surprise, unnecessary twisting of emotion to the last drop of pity. It's Picoult's book, but really? Did she have to end on such a ugly way?Two sisters, one who has since the age of two, a very invasive, hard to treat blood disease. Anna, the second and younger child was conceived for the express purpose of a donor match for her sister so that her organs can be used to keep her sister Jessie alive.Closer than twins, there is a very large sense of love between them. Neither one selfish, each one held at hostage of a mother who portrays the love of both, but still will do almost anything to keep her oldest child alive.Picoult does an excellent job of portraying a dysfunctional family spinning out of control because of a blip on the DNA chain. A middle brother who, because of neglect, does some rather radical things to get attention. A husband who loves all and is trying his best to keep his head above water. A mother who claims love of all, but her actions speak much louder than her words.Both daughters torn, each wanting to live, but not at the other's expense. The story primarily focuses on Anna, who as she ages is exceedingly tired of giving so the other might live. When a kidney is needed, Anna takes a firm stance that her body should not be held hostage. Spunky and unselfish, Anna hires a lawyer to represent her right not to donate a kidney.Anna is the least selfish of the bunch. Her lawyer is likeable, taking the case pro bono. All characters are well developed, and that is the highest praise I can say about the book.BUT, there was no need for the end. Curious? Give the book a try. It is worth the time spent reading it.

[longhorndaniel · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

So I don't usually go in for this type of book but a friend recommended it to me so I took a chance. Was not disappointed; I laughed and cried and got really really pissed off at the end!! Excellent story with really lovable characters.

[askelmore · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

In one version of my future, I attend graduate school so I can get a PhD in Philosophy, focusing on biomedical ethics. I find the topic endlessly fascinating, and full of such interesting and open-ended questions. So I can’t believe that I waited this long to read this book. I’d really like to dive into the subject matter of the book, so if you’re planning on reading it and want to avoid all manner of spoilers, here’s my one sentence review: it’s good, it grapples with interesting issues, and the version on Audible is probably the first time I’ve really enjoyed a novel as an audiobook. Also – don’t watch the movie version (which I’ve been doing while writing this review). It’s just so different, and the choices they make really take away from the story the book is trying to tell.

The basic premise of the book is that Anna is seeking medical emancipation from her parents, who want her to give a kidney to her dying sister Kate. Anna is 13, Kate is 16, and their older brother Jesse is 18. Anna was conceived as a genetic match for Kate after Kate was diagnosed with leukemia at age 2. The book is told in alternating chapters from many characters perspectives: Sara, the mother; Brian, the father; Anna; Jesse; Campbell, the attorney hired by Anna (pro-bono) to take on the case; and Julia, the guardian ad litem who is tasked with reporting to the court on what is best for Anna. The audio book really excels here because each character’s chapter is voiced by a different voice actor, which brings a real richness to the storytelling.

One thing the book does extremely well is telling us Kate’s story without ever giving us Kate’s perspective on things. It’s a bold choice, considering she’s the reason for the situation. But Ms. Picoult knows what she’s doing – she wants us to all to consider what the rest of the family goes through, because they all revolve around Kate and her constant illness. Jesse’s chapters focus on the fact that he hasn’t had really any attention, and that he’s dealt with by becoming an arsonist (perfect choice, since Brian, the father, is a fire fighter). Campbell and Julia have a side story, a history, that both seems a bit unnecessary but also serves to remind us that people have lives that go on outside of this family. The parents’ chapters are heartbreaking and brutal, especially Sara’s chapter where she describes giving birth to Anna. She’s so focused on saving the umbilical cord blood that at no point does she express any interest in her newborn. I don’t doubt that Sara loves all of her children, but I don’t know how she can love them all with the same passion she carries for saving Kate.

Anna’s chapters are challenging because she’s only 13, and she is so torn between loving her sister desperately and wanting a life of her own. Anna’s been called on to save her sister repeatedly, through stem cell donation, bone marrow transplants, and other donations. It’s affected her ability to do things, like go away to summer hockey camp (because her sister might need something from her). Anna and Kate are really close, though, so you know Anna is internally conflicted about wanting to save her sister and wanting a life for herself.

The issues that Ms. Picoult is grappling with in this book are so numerous. Is there something wrong with genetically engineering a child with the express purpose of saving another child’s life? Can the parent love the engineered child in the same way – can he or she ever see the child as an independent being, as opposed to being the one who is responsible for saving the other child’s life? What about other siblings in a sick child’s family? Even outside of all the issues of the sister being asked to contribute to and save the other sister’s life, what happens inside a family where one child is chronically, likely terminally, ill? Is it wrong of the other children to want to have lives, even if their ill sibling can’t? And how can a parent be asked to provide opportunities to the healthy children when they are so focused on saving the sick one? I can’t imagine being in that situation – it seems so horribly challenging, and exhausting, and unfair. And finally, what about the child who wants to make decisions for herself and stop being tied to her sister? It seems so easy to say ‘it’s just a ______’ (blood donation, bone marrow donation, etc.), but really, there’s got to be a limit. And can we expect a child, or a teenager, to pass those limits?

Having read the book, I’m still not sure how I feel about any of these questions. But they’re interesting, and as science progresses, we’re going to have to explore more of them.

[gennac-606910 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Picoult’s landmark novel of stem cell controversy and interfamily relationships follows a family heavily strained by the pressures of a young child diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. Faced with imminent loss, the decision is made to birth another child genetically tailored to be an ideal donor for the medically compromised older daughter. Fifteen years later and still the party directly responsible for her older sister’s medical care, Anna has chosen to take legal action and pursue medical emancipation from her parents. Rife with uncomfortable situations and morally complex dilemmas, Picoult considers the impossibility of such circumstances and the profound effect it has on each member of the family. As expected of a Picoult novel, the full truth is not revealed until the very end and the final pages hold a jarring twist. Although the ending is a bit contrived, My Sister’s Keeper is a generally thought-provoking novel with frustratingly realistic characters.