Meeting Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult, by far my favorite author, has a new book out, “Handle with Care” and is currently on a book tour promoting it. I was lucky enough to spend this afternoon listening to her read from her book and answer questions from her readers.

What a treat!

Jodi is funny, smart, curious and as much a treat to listen to as she is to read from.  Just like most of her readers she’s got kids to take care of, a husband to come home to and a life full of ordinary things, happy things.  And yet somewhere inside her there is this curiosity to tackle hard ethical issues including her quest to define a good mother (Perfect Match), a perfect friend (the Pact), or a loving spouse (the Tenth Circle). She insists  she writes for herself and not for her readers or her publisher but somehow, somewhere so many of her readers cannot stop after reading just one of her novels and go on to read all 17. I am guilty of it myself having read six and in the middle of the seventh.

What is “Handle with Care” about?

The book deals with a difficult issues of caring for a child with a severe and life threatening disability. What would you do for your sick child? Would you start a negligence/wrongful birth lawsuit to ensure financial stability for your and for your daughter? How would you deal with the ethical question of terminating a pregnancy if having advanced knowledge of a child’s disability?

Learn more

• Jodi might be in your area so check out her book tour schedule
• The movie based on her novel “My Sister’s Keeper” is coming out June 26th. No, it does not have the same ending as the book.
• Jodi has finished writing another book titled “House Rules” about a teenage boy who has Asperger’s Syndrome and a passion for crime scene analysis which eventually gets him in trouble with the law. This book is scheduled to be released in 2010.
• Jodi is currently researching embryo donation and gay rights in America for her newest book
• Videos and photos
• Listen to Jodi’s podcasts
  Want to talk about Jodi’s books. Visit her message board

Jodi Picoult reading from her latest book "Handle with Care"

Jodi Picoult signing copies of her new book.