From Publishers Weekly
Picoult bangs out another ripped-from-the-zeitgeist winner, this time examining a condemned inmate's desire to be an organ donor. Freelance carpenter Shay Bourne was sentenced to death for killing a little girl, Elizabeth Nealon, and her cop stepfather. Eleven years after the murders, Elizabeth's sister, Claire, needs a heart transplant, and Shay volunteers, which complicates the state's execution plans. Meanwhile, death row has been the scene of some odd events since Shay's arrival—an AIDS victim goes into remission, an inmate's pet bird dies and is brought back to life, wine flows from the water faucets. The author brings other compelling elements to an already complex plot line: the priest who serves as Shay's spiritual adviser was on the jury that sentenced him; Shay's ACLU representative, Maggie Bloom, balances her professional moxie with her negative self-image and difficult relationship with her mother. Picoult moves the story along with lively debates about prisoner rights and religion, while plumbing the depths of mother-daughter relationships and examining the literal and metaphorical meanings of having heart. The point-of-view switches are abrupt, but this is a small flaw in an impressive book.
1,000,000-million copy first printing.(Mar.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From AudioFile
Picoult's story tackles a triple-whammy of hot-button issues--the death penalty, bioethics, and religious freedom. Shay, a condemned inmate--who, incidentally, exhibits a striking resemblance to the new Messiah--wishes to donate his heart to the sister of his murder victim after he is executed. A mesmerizing page-turner, CHANGE OF HEART examines the topic of religious dogma against the plight of a child's struggle with life and death. In an inspired editorial choice for full-cast narration, Nicole Poole, Stafford Clark-Price, James Frangione, Danielle Ferland, and Jennifer Ikeda expertly portray the novel's tangle of moral dilemmas from individual perspectives--and skillfully employ at least four other voices each. Ferland is especially memorable as the spirited and sarcastic Maggie, Shay's ACLU attorney. A.W. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.