Change of Heart

Jodi Picoult touched on a lot of different themes in this book: religion, capital punishment, organ donation. the death penalty is something that polarizes people, as well as religion. Jodi handled these issues with sensitivity and respect.

I won't say that she changed my mind/opinions about capital punishment, organ donation or religion, but I will say that I encountered characters who all went through crises of their own: crisis of faith, crisis of the law. Also, none of the characters are perfect, they all have their strengths and weaknesses, which made them very appealing.

Does a man convicted of double murders have the right to choose how he wants to be executed? Does that same man have the right to request that one of his organs be given to the surviving sister of one of his victims? Is one religion better than another or do all religions have 1 thing in common that makes them equal? This book has all of these questions and works to answer them.

I haven't liked all of Jodi Picoult's books, but this one has become one of my favorites. I really appreciated the way she addressed some of the toughest issues out there. It is obvious that she did a lot of research with religious leaders, medical staff, lawyers, jail/DOC staff and inmates based on all of the information she has in this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who can keep an open mind and is willing to listen to opposing opinions. I don't think is a book for someone who cannot look beyond his/her own personal beliefs; it's good to have beliefs but I think it is also good to be open to learning about another person's beliefs and how those beliefs have made that person into who he/she is. Our beliefs and opinions are what make each of us who we are and I can say that this book definitely made me think about what I believe and where I stand on controversial “hot button” issues and made me thing about why I feel or believe the way I do.