Welcome back, Buzz Book Club readers. I'm re-reading My Sister's Keeper this month and am having a great time reading all of your thoughts on this provocative book. This was a brief section, but there's still much to chat about.
Here's a recap of how the Book Club goes: Every week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (which, in this case, will go up every Friday in May). In these weekly Book Club posts, I'll posit a few questions to prompt discussion in the comments section.
Of course, you are always welcome to read beyond the weekly chapters, but please don't spoil anything in the comments! After the jump you'll find some questions that struck me as I read this section.
The next section: Start at the section marked "Monday" and read through to the end. We'll chat about this final section next Friday, May 29.
To discuss last week's section of My Sister's Keeper, in which we read through the section marked "The Weekend" (stopping before "Monday"), read more.
- With all of Anna's waffling, I'm still unclear what she would actually do if she were given the chance to make her own medical decisions. Would she give Kate the kidney? Would she not? Does she actually want to stop being — literally — Kate's lifeblood, or does she just want the opportunity to have a say?
- The scenes of Sara and Brian's married life before Kate's cancer always move me. I can't imagine how a child's illness must stress a relationship. Are you amazed that the two of them have been able to stay together? Do you think their focus on keeping Kate alive is what's saved them, or is there something more? Do you think people understand their relationship?
- It's odd to me that nobody in this family seems to have gone to any support groups or made friends with other people going through their situation; I'm sure they must have encountered other families who have kids with cancer at some point. They've obviously become so close by going through this experience together — but how much is their relative isolation a part of their story?
- It was tough to read the section where the family thinks they have to say goodbye to Kate — and quite emotional when she pulls through. At this point, I've been wondering why nobody has suggested just halting Kate's treatment and making her comfortable for the end of her life. Could it be because they've seen her come back from the brink before? Is it that much harder for everyone to let go?
- On a lighter note, I've gotten a kick throughout the book of Campbell's many snarky explanations for his dog, Judge. Do you have a favorite? (I kind of like the one where he says Judge is trained in CPR.) And if you haven't read ahead, do you have theories about why Campbell does actually have the dog?
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1. I'm not sure Anna knows what she would really do. I think she wants to not give Kate the kidney, but I'm not sure she has the strength to actually say no.
2. I actually find these scenes depressing. It's sad to see what their marriage has become and how they've changed. Their current marriage is not one I'd want to be in.
3. I think that's a really great point. Much is said of both Anna and Kate's isolation and loneliness. I would trade the backstory of Campbell for some hospital friends for the girls.
4. It's a tough decision to make, and I think the decision is made tougher by her bouncing back so many times. She was essentially given a death sentence at age two, and at that age, you do all you can. Once you start fighting, it's hard to stop.
5. I really enjoyed Judge being charged with keeping him away from magnets. It's a mystery to me why he has it, and I hope it's satisfying.
11. Anna is a child that is torn in between her family members. She sees her sister go through the pain, but yet she feels like her contributions so far are helpless. I still applaud her for standing up for herself.
2. Brian's narratives really move me. He is a father and a fire fighter, but he is as sensitive as Sara and his kids. From his eyes, Sara has changed completely because of Kate.
3. I'm very surprised that they haven't ended Kate's treatments by this point. Maybe it is because she came back from death once, they felt like miracle could happen.
4. I love Campbell's bs about Judge. My favorite is the magnets as well. Actually I really have no clue why he has Judge.
Buzz Sugar, thanks for recommending this book. It's been one of my favorite books ever. I try to read as much as I can on BART and can't put it down when I get to the Embarcadero station.
21. I think that Anna's scared that there will never be an end. Yesterday, bone marrow. Today, kidney. Tomorrow, what? So I think there's the fear that there may never be an end in sight, and that she has to look forward to the rest of her life never being able to make any choices or make a life of her own because she will always have to be at the ready to give up the next piece of herself. And who knows what that next piece will be? And, I think what might be especially scary for her is that NO ONE is thinking about what might be good or harmful to her, because they're so focused on Kate's health. She can't trust anyone in her family to make sure she isn't put in medical danger; she can't count on anyone to watch out for her and make sure she's okay. Can you imagine? I can't.
32. I'm not sure that Sara and Brian understand their relationship, to tell you the truth. This is a couple (and a family) that has been in constant cycle of crisis and triage for 14 years, with the driving mission to keep Kate alive. That hasn't left them the energy or emotional resources to nurture their relationship, or communicate about much other than Kate.
3. I was struck by the same thing about the isolation of this family. I feel a little bit though that in order to be able to tell this story, the family has to be isolated in order for Sara to keep hewing to this intense, consuming obsession that drives everything else away. It's hard for me to imagine this narrative happening in a family that's been in support groups for years, and that has built up a support network over the fourteen years that they've been muddling through this. To my eyes, there's a complete tunnel-vision and also a complete lack of perspective at work, and one of the really great things about these support groups is that it helps you see yourself in context with the rest of the world and with others going through it.
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