When Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe’s daughter, Willow, is born with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, they are devastated – she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, a lifetime of pain. As the family struggles to make ends meet to cover Willow’s medical expenses, Charlotte thinks she has found an answer. If she files a wrongful birth lawsuit against her ob/gyn for not telling her in advance that her child would be born severely disabled, the monetary payouts might ensure a lifetime of care for Willow. But it means that Charlotte has to get up in a court of law and say in public that she would have terminated the pregnancy if she’d known about the disability in advance – words that her husband can’t abide, that Willow will hear, and that Charlotte cannot reconcile. And the ob/gyn she’s suing isn’t just her physician – it’s her best friend. Handle With Care explores the knotty tangle of medical ethics and personal morality. When faced with the reality of a foetus who will be disabled, at which point should an OB counsel termination? Should a parent have the right to make that choice? How disabled is TOO disabled? And as a parent, how far would you go to take care of someone you love? Would you alienate the rest of your family? Would you be willing to lie to your friends, to your spouse, to a court? And perhaps most difficult of all – would you admit to yourself that you might not actually be lying?
Cathy's pick. Xmas in July at Cathy's on July 7th. See you all there!
When I started reading the first few pages, I put it down and decided that I couldn't go on. I didn't want to read about a little baby whose bones kept breaking and who was in constant pain.
ReplyDeleteBut, I overcame this and continued reading. It's interesting hearing the story from all the different points of view, though it does create a bit of disjointedness. I prefer reading stories that flow, being told by in either first or second person.
I agree with you Megan... I found it difficult to go on reading about the baby who was in so much pain :-( But I continued on and ended up really enjoying the book..
ReplyDeleteI guess you can appreciate the point of view of all the characters in the book. Didnt like the ending though.. couldnt understand why she fought so hard for financial security for her little girl but didnt end up using it??
Found it an interesting read and look forward to a good book club tonight.
Megan what are doing up at 2.30am posting comments!! You should be in bed :-)
ReplyDeleteHaha!! I'm an insomniac. Sleep for a few hours, then awake at 1.30 for about 2 or 3 hours every night!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the book.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed last night too and hearing everyone else's views.
At the end I really felt let down to think this Mum had put the whole familt through so much she had lost her best friend and WHAT FOR?
They didn't use the money to make their life easier her to help with extra equipment. To me it just shows that at times we can think that having lots of money will make our lives better and solve everything and in fact it's us that makes our lives what it is not money.
Agree with your comments whole heartedly Cathy. Wish I could have been at Xmas in July. Not sure I would have read this book without a tear in my eye. It is on my bedside table in my donga at work and I have not had time to even pick it up yet. Hello everyone :-)
ReplyDeleteThey didn't use that money, but happily spent their own knowing that the other money was there when they needed it.
ReplyDeleteHullo Tina!