My Sister's Keeper Love

If you look down the list of themes, you're probably overcome with dread about now. They're all pretty painful and depressing: Suffering. Mortality. Isolation. Family. (Well, depending on what kind of family you have.) It's a relief to get to love, isn't it? Picoult isn't a total masochist, and in My Sister's Keeper, she throws us a bone in the form of a love story between Campbell and Julia, along with a lot rumination about the nature of familial love as well. We're glad the heart of this story isn't just another organ that needs to be transplanted.

Questions About Love

1. Does Campbell really love Julia? Does Julia really love Campbell? Why? How can you tell?
2. Why do Brian and Sara fall out of love? What brings them back together? Are they the same again?
3. Does Sara love Anna as a daughter, or as an organ donor? Use the text to support your claim.
4. Does Brian love Anna differently than Sara does? Get specific, yo.
5. Do you agree with Julia that "You don't love someone because they're perfect. […]You love them in spite of the fact that they're not" (9.7.18)?

Chew on This

Julia never fell out of love with Campbell, she just needed him to be himself, and remind her why she fell in love in the first place.

Sara only loves Brian when he agrees with her. Heck, Sara only seems to love most of her family members when they agree with her.