THIS highly acclaimed story is full of human interest.

I do not believe that anyone who reads it can help but be involved in the story of a family where a girl, Kate, develops leukaemia, her brother, Jesse, goes off the rails and a younger daughter, Anna, is born in order to provide organs and tissues for her sister.

At the age of 13 Anna has had enough and seeks medical emancipation from her parents and the legal right to decide for herself what she does with her body.

Strains in the family's relationships are bound to appear as a result.

Members of the family and the legal characters tell the multi-layered story which spans a period of 20 years, including flashbacks; as a result it sometimes feels a little confusing but the excellence of the writing and the nature of the story draw one along like a magnet.

The author's use of language covers the whole range from beautiful metaphor to a graphic description of the progress and treatment of leukaemia; occasional touches of humour lighten the mood.

The moral and ethical issues are fascinating and likely to be faced by many families in a similar situation even if they do not follow the same course of action.

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