Things break all the time. Day breaks, waves break, voices break. Promises break. Hearts break. Every expectant parent will tell you that they don’t want a perfect baby, just a healthy one. Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe would have asked for a healthy baby, too, if they’d been given the choice. Instead, their lives are made up of sleepless nights, mounting bills, the pitying stares of “luckier” … bills, the pitying stares of “luckier” parents, and maybe worst of all, the what-ifs. What if their child had been born healthy? But it’s all worth it because Willow is, well, funny as it seems, perfect. She’s smart as a whip, on her way to being as pretty as her mother, kind, brave, and for a five-year-old an unexpectedly deep source of wisdom. Willow is Willow, in sickness and in health.
Everything changes, though, after a series of events forces Charlotte and her husband to confront the most serious what-ifs of all. What if Charlotte should have known earlier of Willow’s illness? What if things could have been different? What if their beloved Willow had never been born? To do Willow justice, Charlotte must ask herself these questions and one more. What constitutes a valuable life?
Emotionally riveting and profoundly moving, Handle with Care brings us into the heart of a family bound by an incredible burden, a desperate will to keep their ties from breaking, and, ultimately, a powerful capacity for love. Written with the grace and wisdom she’s become famous for, beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult offers us an unforgettable novel about the fragility of life and the lengths we will go to protect it.more
Ugh, i still can rap my head around the way this book ended 🙁 i tried not to cry
Kept me up all night reading. Love this one
Audiobook: This has a whole cast of narrators who all did an amazing job of bringing the torment and angst, the very deep emotion of these characters to full blown life. Such an amazing performance by them all.
It’s been a long time since I dived into a book by this author. They are always angsty, always pushing the boundaries and always making me stop and think. While this is an older book, the core of its conflict is still very much alive today.
There wasn’t one character in this story that I didn’t empathize with, feel connected to in some way, or had negative feelings for. From the outset there were some that I judged a bit too harshly before I really got to know them but as the story unfolds I found myself reversing every negative thought I had about them.
While I despised this ending, and would have loved a different one, I was not surprised as this author always does the unexpected. The book has recipes throughout when we are given Charlotte’s (the mom’s) point of view, and I found these to be long and unnecessary. I skipped them after the first couple, although I understood that they held a subtle message as to the situation these characters found themselves in, I just didn’t want to waste time listening to the entire recipe. However, I did listen to the last one and for me that was definitely the most important.
Beware! You’ll be hooked to Jodi Picoult after reading this book! This was the first book that I read of hers, and I was inspired by Picoult’s knowledge of so many things! Medical Ethics, tied in with a tale of motherhood of a special needs child, friendship, legal matters, plus. Prepare to be blown away! Take a day or two off to read this book because you’ll not be able to put it down!
Jodi Picoult’s novels are always well written, tackle difficult subject matter head on, with no easy “outs.” The reader will almost always gain knowledge of the subject or of themselves. Splendid.
I took my family to Disney World once — very expensive, even when you stay at the lower-cost hotels. So how does a family with alarming medical bills, one income, and a second mortgage afford that? This question bothered me throughout the book.
Loved the story, skipped the recipes, hated Charlotte. The ending was not a surprise at all, But I’m still giving it four stars, because, you know, it’s Jodi Picoult …
Another great example of Jodi Picoult talents.
Too sad…no need to end that way after the struggles they went through.
Jodi has done it again…She makes you feel all the emotions..the heartache and the agony of the characters.. Excellent work!!!!
This was a difficult book to read but I learned so much about osteogenesis imperfecta.
Another great read by Jodi. She never fails to write a great book that revolves around many obstacles we all do or might face in life.
This is another eye opening book by Picoult. It is very sad but is worth reading. It will give you a different perspective that things may not always be what they seem .
very informative/outstanding
As of all of Jodi’s books, well researched, and a gripping read.
A fan of Jodi Picoult’s work
caught my heart always spell binding this author definitely does her research & spins the facts into a wonderful real story. I read every book she writes
Love everything she’s done
Jodi Picoult is an excellent author who often times writes about difficult issues. She thoroughly researches and writes a great story.
This book still haunts me two years after I read it. Pleeeeease read it; it’s a unique story and it will really make you think about what we put our kids through.
This was a great book and story. The characters were realistic and the story touches on real life issues. Exposes the issues of children with brittle bones.