Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult (Hodder & Stoughton Ltd)
My colleague, Tamsin, is a Jodi Picoult fan. She spoke of the author with such gusto that it would've been a shame if I hadn't taken her latest instalment, Handle with Care, home with me.

Now, before I get into the gist of the novel, know that I don't often venture down gloomy roads. Give me anything chick-lit and I'd have read it cover-to-cover in less than two days. No lies.

So Handle with Care was a complete turnaround for me and surprisingly, I actually enjoyed it. I loved the way her story achieved depth. I also, sob, loved the way it stirred up a lot of teary, choky moments.

In the US, lawsuits are an everyday thing, and Handle with Care is a story about just that.

Charlotte and her husband, Sean O'Keefe, have two daughters – the youngest, Willow, was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a debilitating bone disease, which often forces her to spend months in a body cast.

While the emotional impact of her condition is huge, it's the vast expense of keeping her safe – in specialised wheelchairs etc – that sees her family in financial ruin. Their saving glory? Suing Charlotte's obstetrician, who happens to be her best friend, with a "wrongful birth" claim, in the hope of receiving a payout which would secure Willow's – albeit dim – future.

Jodi Picoult's novel, Handle with Care raises many ethical questions about parenting, love and family ties.

A great read.

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