Written by Lizabeth
Based on the votes everyone made, it looks like “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Piccoult is the next selection for our book club! We will begin discussions today for those who may have already read this book, and have decided to format things a little differently this time. Instead of having one thread for all the questions and discussion, we will have posts with a few discussion questions each to encourage participation and hopefully lead to a more interactive experience for all of us. Please leave a comment if you are going to be participating, and dive in to both the book and the questions whenever you are able.
Here is the first set of discussion questions for “My Sister’s Keeper”– feel free to start up whenever you are able, and we will add another post with more questions in a few days.
- Reread the prologue to My Sister’s Keeper. Who is the speaker? Is it the same person you thought it was the first time you read it?
- What is the metaphorical relevance of Brian’s profession as a fire chief?
- Why is Jesse’s behavior so aberrant, while until now, Anna has been so compliant?
- What might be a possible reason for Brian’s fascination with astronomy?
- On page 98, Kate is being admitted to the hospital in very serious condition. She mouths to Jesse, “tell Anna,” but is unable to finish. What do you think she was trying to say?
- On page 122, Julia says, “Even if the law says that no one is responsible for anyone else, helping someone who needs it is the right thing to do.” Who understood better how to “help” Kate, Sara or Anna?
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17 Responses to NEW BOOK CLUB CHOICE
I will be reading but my book is not coming in until sometime the first of this week.
OK, I have the book! I'm in!
Got my book yesterday at Target. Already started reading. I think this is the first book where each "character" speaks in first person and gets their own chapter. Interesting to say the least. I also noticed for each person's chapter, the typeface is different.
I'm liking it already. A bit of it is hitting home for me as our nephew was diagnosed with another form of leukemia right before his second birthday, too.
I have my book also, but need to wait a day or two before starting it. I also just started "The Shack" and want to finish that up before delving into this. If anyone else has read "The Shack," I'd love to discuss it with you– feel free to email me at lizabeth@imperfectwomen.com. Otherwise maybe I will just start a thread to discuss "The Shack" and other not book club books on our Facebook Fan page. That way we can talk about them without going off topic on the book club posts
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Can't wait to start "My Sister's Keeper" though– I have to read the book before I see the movie!
Count me in. I am finishing up a couple of other books, but hope to start mid-week. I too am excited to read the book and then see the movie.
Well, I started yesterday and am at the halfway point already. I cannot put it down. I have a HUGE work day today, so I probably won't be revisiting it until this evening. It is really good.
I'm excited! I have this book and will be starting it shortly. It looks really good.
I have the book and am about 1/4 way through.
The questions might be a little deep for me, but I will give it a whirl. That's why I joined a book club, after all.
I just got my book in the mail today. I might not have a chance to read it until this weekend.
My answers to the questions:
1.Reread the prologue to My Sister's Keeper. Who is the speaker? Is it the same person you thought it was the first time you read it?
I thought it was Anna. I haven't finished the book but I suppose it could be another character with a sister – Sara, Julia, even Kate?
2.What is the metaphorical relevance of Brian's profession as a fire chief?
He's an extinguisher of family strife. He seems to be the placater in the family. Sara does not deal with Jesse. Brian seems more sympathetic to Anna, whereas Sara justs seems angry with her.
3.Why is Jesse's behavior so aberrant, while until now, Anna has been so compliant?
Maybe because he's the oldest-used to getting attention at least for the first two years of his life. Now he is ignored because of Kate. He feels useless because he can't help her like Anna does.
4.What might be a possible reason for Brian's fascination with astronomy?
I don't know. Characters that live in the sky sort of like heaven. A place he hopes Kate will go after she dies?
5.On page 98, Kate is being admitted to the hospital in very serious condition. She mouths to Jesse, "tell Anna," but is unable to finish. What do you think she was trying to say?
I have a different copy. That scene is on page 117 in my book. I don't know. Maybe ,"Tell Anna she doesn't have to donate her kidney"?
6.On page 122, Julia says, "Even if the law says that no one is responsible for anyone else, helping someone who needs it is the right thing to do." Who understood better how to "help" Kate, Sara or Anna?
I don't know what page this scene is in my book. I would say Anna. Sara wants to fix Kate physically but I think Anna knows that Kate just wants to experience life as any other teenager would.
By the way, can we bold text using html tags?
Well, I finished today. This was a quick read as I couldn't put the book down! I won't spoil anything for anyone, but I can't to discuss.
I'm not sure whose voice that was in the beginning. My only guess now is that it was Anna.
I'm still not "over" the whole story yet. It was pretty damn deep and I've been thinking about it all day.
Teresa -
You can bold your type by just highlighting your words and hitting the big "B" button above. Make sense? No code necessary.
Has anyone seen the movie? Not to give anything away, but I heard they changed the ending. The book ending seemed just right and I was wondering? If they did don't give it away, just tell me yes or no for now!
1. At the beginning of the book I thought it was Anna. At the end I thought it was Kate.
2. I like Teresa's answer. I think it says it all.
3. Anna was conceived to help Kate. Jesse as the first born, doesn"t feel he has any value to the family.
4. Maybe he feels that Kate and the family will be connected through the vast universe.
5. Tell Anna no more! She is ready to die.
6.Anna, It was why she was conceived. She also knows how Kate feels about her illness. Sara is her mother and she wants her cured. That might not be possible but Sara is thinking only of that.
I have not been able to start this book yet.
So busy at work. So it sounds like Nancy has finished it already? How is everyone else doing with this?
I finished a couple of days ago. The ending is still bothering me. Anyone else?
Can we do a quick roll call on who is currently finished and who is still reading? I don't want to spoil anything for anyone?
I am a bad book club starter person. I haven't read "My Sister's Keeper" yet. I got done with book 13 in the Stephanie Plum series and started "The Shack" which was not a quick read for me (too much to digest). So, I am going to read this book this weekend before I go to book 14 in Stephanie's series (since 15 comes out on the 23rd!).
We have more discussion questions for later on in the book, so we will post those this weekend. That way anyone who has already read can discuss other topics and those of us who are slackers have the chance to catch up
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Wow this really is a quick read! I am about halfway through and wanted to get into the discussion now
Reread the prologue to My Sister's Keeper. Who is the speaker? Is it the same person you thought it was the first time you read it?
Anna– I didn't change my mind on that (though once I am done with the book I might
What is the metaphorical relevance of Brian's profession as a fire chief?
Brian saves lives and puts out fires by knowing where they originate as well as how to stop them. His family has a huge fire to be put out (with Kate's sickness) and he has nothing he can do to stop it. Theresa, I like your answer of him being an extinguisher of family strife. Brian seems more balanced than Sara does– she is so focused on Kate and what is happening this moment that she forgets the big picture. As a firefighter, Brian has to see the big picture to determine whether a burning building is worth going into. As a father, this is how he approaches his children— knowing that even when Kate is gone Anna will still be there as will Jesse.
Why is Jesse's behavior so aberrant, while until now, Anna has been so compliant?
In many families there is a black sheep as well as a peacemaker. Everyone has a different method of coping with situations, and Jesse rebelled while Anna decided to make things easier on her parents by being compliant. In my family, my older brother was the rebel while I was the 'Anna' who did the right thing and was invisible. It's tough to get past that as an adult, but made me empathize more with Anna's plight.
What might be a possible reason for Brian's fascination with astronomy?
My first thought was it dealt with faith or religion. He loved researching something that was finite while being infinite. I think it was also a way for him to escape the craziness of Kate's cancer with something bigger than himself.
On page 98, Kate is being admitted to the hospital in very serious condition. She mouths to Jesse, "tell Anna," but is unable to finish. What do you think she was trying to say?
I think she was trying to say "Tell Anna to tape my soap opera"
Paula, I agree with what you said as well though– "Tell Anna no more"– I got the feeling early on that Kate did not want to use her sisters body any more than Anna wanted to be used. It seems like by standing up for herself, Anna was standing up for her sister as well.
On page 122, Julia says, "Even if the law says that no one is responsible for anyone else, helping someone who needs it is the right thing to do." Who understood better how to "help" Kate, Sara or Anna?
I think Kate understood helping because she knows what the result would be. Kate seemed to respect Anna's choice even though it effects her as well.