My Sister's Keeper

My Sister’s Keeper is a 2004 novel by bestselling author Jodi Picoult centered on the controversy of savior siblings. In the novel, Anna Fitzgerald fights for medical emancipation in order to have a choice in whether or not she will donate a kidney to her sister, Kate, who has leukemia. In 2009, the novel was adapted into a feature film released by New Line Cinema. The movie was directed by Nick Cassavetes and starred Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin.

This guide is based on the Atria Books e-book version of the text.

Content Warning: My Sister’s Keeper discusses difficult topics such as medical emancipation, painful medical procedures, suicidal ideation, and a suicide attempt. It also includes child death.

Plot Summary

Anna Fitzgerald, 13, has saved up money for weeks and has roughly $137. Anna makes an appointment with Campbell Alexander, a lawyer, intending to use her carefully-saved money to file a petition for medical emancipation. Campbell initially dismisses the precocious girl’s request, but Anna explains that she was conceived to be a blood and organ donor for her ailing sister but now does not want to donate a kidney.