Change of Heart

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Literature/Fiction

June Nealon's life has not been easy. Her first husband was killed by a drunken driver and she was left to raise their daughter. June marries the policeman who looked into the accident and is 7 months pregnant when a day labourer kills her husband and her daughter.

Now, twelve years later Shay Bourne is on his last days on the death row. Claire, June's daughter is at death's door because of a faulty heart. Shay wishes to donate his heart to Claire. Other characters include Father Michael a conflicted spiritual adviser and Maggie a competent lawyer and spinster.

This book has elements of other stories in it: The Green Mile by Stephen King and The Chamber by John Grisham. Does this constitute plagiarism? It is a story about religion, the death penalty, salvation, vengeance and regrets. This is a typical Jodi Picoult story even to the twist at the end. I found this story to be quite unbelievable. However, the concepts were interesting to read about and provoked a lot of thought about the issues

First Line: "In the beginning, I believed in second chances."

Rating:
(3.5/5)