Handle with Care – Jodi Picoult

I have read several Jodi Picoult books over the years and it is fair to say that there is a certain formulaic element to them, but at the same time Picoult's attention to detail is also common across all of the books. Handle with Care is no different.

This time the main theme is the question of whether or not a mother would abort an unborn child if they knew that there was something wrong with them that would change their lives. Willow suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta which means that her bones break incredibly easily. Many were already broken before she was born. Whilst her mother, Charlotte, makes sure that she lives life to the full, it is painfully clear that there will be some things that her sister can do that Willow will never be able to due to the fear of another break. Had Charlotte known this early on in her pregnancy would she have allowed Willow to suffer? Is it possible to answer a question like this after there is a daughter to fall in love with?

Whilst a lovely, easy, read with some strong characters, it is impossible to read this book without thinking about the ethical questions that lie below the story. You may not be able to agree with all of the opinions expressed by some of the characters, but does that matter if it just gets the reader thinking about the choices involved?

Once again Jodi Picoult has opened the door on another new subject and a different life style and she's done it fantastically well.