293:. She begins shoplifting and dyes her hair blue. Sean eventually discovers Amelia's eating disorder, after Piper brings them to his attention when the pipes burst in their home due to being eroded by the stomach acid (caused by her frequent vomiting). Charlotte suggests that Amelia should check into a treatment center. Amelia, furious with her mother, testifies in court that Charlotte told Willow that she would never wish that Willow had never been born. Charlotte admits later that they should have discussed the treatment center as a family before she and Sean made that kind of decision.
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The lawyer handling the O'Keefes' case, although she is privately opposed to it. She is adopted and searches for her birth mother, who she eventually discovers by chance on the jury for
Charlotte's case. However, her mother confides to her that she was the product of rape, and makes it clear that she
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Charlotte's husband, Willow's father and Amelia's stepfather. He is a police officer who works hard to support his family. Although he initially attempts to set aside his personal feelings about the lawsuit in order to support
Charlotte, his disgust for the wrongful birth suit eventually leads him to
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One day, Willow wanders alone to the frozen pond in the backyard and tries to crawl over it carefully. However, the thin ice breaks under her weight and she drowns. Willow mentions how, this time, it was not her that broke. The story concludes with
Charlotte burying the $ 8 million check with Willow.
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A young girl born with osteogenesis imperfecta. She is extremely intelligent and often reads while recovering from a bone break. During the lawsuit, she worries that her parents do not want her anymore because she is not perfect. At the end of the novel, she attempts to go skating on a frozen pond,
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Piper and Rob's daughter. She met Amelia through skating and became her best friend. However, she quickly casts Amelia aside after
Charlotte sues Piper and the two never reconcile. When she finds out about the lawsuit, she is able to persuade the other students to alienate Amelia. She was the first
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Piper's husband. He is an orthodontist whose patients include many people from the town of
Bankton, including Amelia. His older brother, Stephen, died by suicide at the age of 17; then-12-year-old Rob discovered his brother's body. Although the lawsuit initially causes strain in their marriage, Rob
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Willow's older half-sister, who is overshadowed by her sister's illness. Amelia falls in love with a boy who has the same disease as her sister, whom she meets at an OI convention. She lies and tells the boy that she is the one with OI, but he finds out. Eventually, the differences in their health
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During the trial, it is revealed that at an 18-week ultrasound, there was evidence of OI that Piper should have informed
Charlotte about. The jury awards $ 8 million to the O'Keefes. This forces Piper to leave her practice and take up a part-time job at a free health clinic. Marin, the O'Keefe's
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employs an alternating narrative style, in which various characters take turns narrating chapters and providing their perspective on the events that are unfolding. The novel is narrated by
Charlotte, Sean, Marin, Piper, Amelia and the final chapter by Willow. Picoult has used this technique in
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that treated
Charlotte during her pregnancy. Essentially, if the O'Keefe's had known earlier that their fetus had OI, they would have been equipped with all the information needed to choose whether or not to have the pregnancy aborted. However, the OB/GYN the O'Keefes are suing is Piper Reece,
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and best friend, in order to be able to secure the medical resources needed for Willow. The lawsuit is successful and she is awarded $ 8 million in damages. After Willow's death, she tucks the check into the lining of Willow's coffin, never cashing it.
189:(OI), a disease also known as brittle bone syndrome. To her parents, Sean and Charlotte O'Keefe, the disease has meant many sleepless nights, mounting hospital and insurance bills, and the pitying stares of "luckier" parents.
310:. She is a competent doctor, although this is called into question during the trial. She is forced to take an extended leave from work during the lawsuit. She brings Amelia's bulimia and self-harming to Sean's attention.
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and returned home healthy and with a passion for painting. Charlotte, who used to be a pastry chef, wrote a recipe book and is donating all of the profits to the OI Foundation. Sean and
Charlotte put the
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lawyer, is trying to track down her birth parents over the course of the trial. She discovers that her birth mother is on the jury and it is later revealed that Marin was a product of rape.
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but the ice breaks and she drowns. As she sinks deeper in the water, she reflects on her short life: how she was loved, and profoundly, that this time, it was not her that broke.
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called it "a great read, with strong characters, an exciting lawsuit to pull you along and really good use of the medical context". However,
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The final chapter is narrated by Willow. She begins first grade, and is going to a camp for kids with OI. Amelia received treatment for her
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lead to the boy breaking up with her, which further pushes her into isolation, as her parents are occupied by the lawsuit. Amelia develops
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aside for when they might really need it. Willow has always been jealous of her sister because she is a brilliant ice skater.
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The story follows the life of a young girl, Willow O'Keefe, and her family. Willow has Type III
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after countless disagreements with
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Amelia, Charlotte's eldest daughter from a previous relationship with a drug addict, develops
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testify for the defense. He files for divorce from Charlotte, but they eventually reconcile.
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Charlotte's best friend and obstetrician/gynaecologist, as well Willow's
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called the novel "fairly engaging if sometimes arduous read".
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that results in Willow severely breaking both of her
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466:"A 'Wrongful Birth' Lawsuit, a Mother in Anguish"
166:(2009) is the 17th novel by the American author
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324:person to notice Amelia's self-harming.
49:of all important aspects of the article.
492:"Drawing strength from a brittle child"
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45:Please consider expanding the lead to
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373:magazine gave the book four stars.
490:Campbell, Karen (March 20, 2009).
433:Donahue, Deirdre (March 3, 2009).
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409:. March 13, 2009. Archived from
403:"Hardcover Fiction Best Sellers"
135:Print (hardback & paperback)
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192:After a disastrous vacation to
37:may be too short to adequately
464:Klass, Perri (March 3, 2009).
317:ultimately supports his wife.
47:provide an accessible overview
1:
843:Novels about eating disorders
766:Wonder Woman: Love and Murder
828:Atria Publishing Group books
580:Songs of the Humpback Whale
339:Songs of the Humpback Whale
864:
838:Nonlinear narrative novels
336:several novels, including
261:obstetrician/gynaecologist
16:2009 novel by Jodi Picoult
818:Medical ethics in fiction
213:Charlotte's best friend.
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187:osteogenesis imperfecta
823:Novels by Jodi Picoult
776:With Samantha van Leer
170:. It debuted at #1 on
848:Novels about families
833:Novels about siblings
813:2009 American novels
741:The Book of Two Ways
587:Harvesting the Heart
413:on September 5, 2012
208:lawsuit against the
528:at Jodi Picoult.com
470:The Washington Post
376:The Washington Post
257:Charlotte O'Keefe -
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748:Wish You Were Here
727:Small Great Things
650:My Sister's Keeper
502:on August 10, 2011
407:The New York Times
345:My Sister's Keeper
173:The New York Times
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784:Between the Lines
194:Walt Disney World
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154:978-0-7432-9641-0
124:Publication place
69:Handle with Care
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685:Handle with Care
671:Nineteen Minutes
664:The Tenth Circle
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382:The Boston Globe
333:Handle with Care
282:Amelia O'Keefe -
275:Willow O'Keefe -
175:Best Seller list
163:Handle with Care
115:Publication date
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34:lead section
758:Comic books
692:House Rules
629:Salem Falls
622:Plain Truth
357:House Rules
314:Rob Reece -
202:child abuse
807:Categories
389:References
252:Characters
706:Lone Wolf
563:Works by
475:March 14,
439:USA Today
417:March 14,
364:Reception
308:godmother
291:self-harm
222:self-harm
104:Publisher
39:summarize
608:The Pact
96:Language
506:July 8,
449:July 8,
287:bulimia
226:divorce
218:bulimia
99:English
572:Novels
370:People
210:OB/GYN
198:femora
143:496 pp
86:Author
601:Mercy
242:check
140:Pages
108:Atria
508:2023
477:2010
451:2023
419:2010
354:and
181:Plot
149:ISBN
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
