Duke Selects 'My Sister's Keeper' as Summer Reading for Freshmen

Incoming first-year Duke University students will read "My Sister's Keeper: A Novel," the story of a teenager who was genetically engineered to be a bone marrow donor for her leukemia-stricken older sister.

Students in the Class of 2010 will receive a copy of the book this summer and are expected to read the book before August orientation. At that time, they will participate in small-group discussions.

Ryan Lombardi, assistant dean of students and chairman of the summer reading selection committee, said that "My Sister's Keeper," written by Jodi Picoult, was chosen because it was likely to spark discussions among students about medical ethics, parental decisions regarding their children as well as privacy and family responsibility.

"It really supports what we're trying to do with this program, which is to stimulate discussion among students," he said. "The book is very rich."

The story is also very engaging, he said. One committee member stayed up all night to finish the book; others said they wept over it, Lombardi said.

"'My Sister's Keeper' is a very compelling novel that is difficult to put down," said Beth Harper, a Duke senior and committee member. "Picoult does a great job capturing the complex ethical issues which the main character and her family face." She said the fact that the book had a female protagonist and author were also factors in the committee's choice.

"I also think that the book's surprising ending will serve as an important topic of discussion," Harper said.

In the book, Anna Fitzgerald is conceived as a genetically perfect match to keep her older, ill sister Kate alive. When Kate needs a kidney transplant, Anna, now 13, begins to question her role in the family, and sues her parents for the medical rights to her own body. The book explores the relationships among the family members, including Anna's mother, who gave up a law practice to be a stay-at-home mom; her father, who wavers between choosing sides; and her troubled and ignored older brother.

Now in its fifth year, Duke's summer reading assignment intends to provide a taste of the university's intellectual climate and to foster a shared learning experience and a sense of community among incoming students. Last year, freshmen read "The Kite Runner," a fictional story of a young Afghan boy who is raised by his father in Kabul until they flee Afghanistan and end up in California.

A 12-member committee comprising faculty, students and staff began meeting in October and considered 70 nominations. For the first time, the committee used results from an online survey in making their decision, Lombardi said.

Students, faculty and staff could give feedback online about the four books and to indicate which one they'd like the committee to choose. Lombardi said 153 people completed the survey and more than 1,000 logged in to view it.

"We were really pleased with the engagement of the broader community in the process and it is definitely something that we'll continue in the future," he said. "The comments that people wrote about the four finalists were insightful and helpful to the committee in considering multiple viewpoints."

The other finalists were "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri; "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" by Anne Fadiman; and "King Leopold's Ghost" by Adam Hochschild.

Lombardi said he has contacted Picoult's agent about Picoult making a visit to campus in the fall.