Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
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This is my first Jodi Picoult novel. I think that may have let me enjoy it more than her diehard fans, who criticize it for reading too much like her other bestsellers. But for me, I couldn't put it down.
Handle with Care is the story of Willow, a 5-year-old girl born with a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta, where her bones break so easily they broke in the womb, break when she rolls over or trips on a step. Her mother, like so many mothers of children with disabilities, dedicates her life to caring for Willow - which is why it surprises everyone when she brings a lawsuit for "wrongful life." The suit argues that if she had known that her daughter had this condition at an early enough stage, she may have chosen to abort her. The mother says she is bringing the suit solely for the money she hopes to gain from the malpractice insurance, but of course, nothing is ever that easy.
I enjoyed how each chapter is written from a different character's perspective - the mother, the ignored teenage sister, the husband who doesn't support his wife's choice to sue, the ob-gyn (who also used to be the mother's best friend.) Each character really holds his or her own in the book.
As the mother of two disabled children, I thought I may not be able to handle the topic, but I loved it. I felt a camaraderie and sisterhood with this mother, even though she makes some inexplicable decisions. I strongly recommend the bestseller from Jodi Picoult, Handle with Care.
