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| [[File:|frameless|upright=1]] First edition | |
| Author | Bryan T. Clark |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Gay |
| Publisher | [CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform] |
Publication date | 2014-02-22 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print ( Paperback ) |
| Pages | 189 pp |
| ISBN | 1494955172 |
Ancient House of Cards is a 2014 novel written by Bryan T. Clark. AHC is about a moral dilemma… of right and wrong… and how those lines become blurred when love is involved. As a gay man who is also a Christian, there have been many times that I questioned my faith and wondered if there was a place for me as a gay Christian. Although the book is not about a spiritual journey or even God per say, it is journey in search of who the two main characters are. The church is only a platform in with this story is told. In its core, it is a love story with a not-so traditional ending.[1]
Plot
[edit]The story takes place in fictional town Upper Darby, Rhode Island in 2004. Anna Fitzgerald's older sister, Kate, suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer. Anna was born as a savior sister specifically so she could save Kate's life. At first it is successful, but the cancer continues to relapse throughout Kate's life.
Anna is usually willing to donate whatever Kate needs, but when she turns 13, she is told that she will have to donate one of her kidneys. The surgery required for both Kate and Anna would be major; it is not guaranteed to work, as the stress of the operation may well kill Kate anyway; and the loss of a kidney could have a serious impact on Anna's life. Anna petitions for medical emancipation with the help of lawyer Campbell Alexander, so that she will be able to make her own decisions regarding her medical treatment and the donation of her kidney. This is done on the advice of Julia Romano, the court-appointed guardian ad litem whose job it is to decide what would be best for Anna. Julia was once romantically involved with Campbell when they went to school together, but Campbell broke her heart when he left her. Unbeknown to Julia, Campbell left her because he discovered he had epilepsy and thought she deserved better.
Meanwhile, Anna's brother Jesse, who has spent most of his life being ignored in favor of ill Kate or donor Anna, spends most of his time setting fire to abandoned buildings with home-made explosives and doing drugs. He is a self-confessed juvenile delinquent. The one moment when his parents pay him any attention is when Brian discovers that it is Jesse who has been setting the fires. Brian forgives him, and by the end of the book, he has reformed and graduated from the police academy.
During the trial, it is revealed that Kate asked Anna to sue for emancipation because she did not want Anna to have to transplant, and because she believes that she will die anyway. The judge rules in Anna's favor, and grants Campbell medical power of attorney. However, as Campbell drives her home after the trial, their car is hit by an oncoming truck. Brian, the on-call firefighter who arrives at the scene, retrieves an unconscious and injured Anna from the wreckage of the crushed car and rushes her and Campbell to hospital. At the hospital, the doctor informs Sara and Brian that Anna is brain-dead, that the machines keeping her alive may as well be switched off, and asks them if they have considered organ donation. Campbell steps in, and declares that he has the power of attorney, and "there is a girl upstairs who needs that kidney." Kate is prepared for surgery, and Anna's kidney is successfully transplanted. Kate survives the surgery and remains in remission for at least six years (the book ends in 2010).
Development history
[edit]Publication history
[edit]Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. Atria Books: New York, 2004. ISBN 9781416549178. ISBN 141654917X.
Critical reception
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2010) |
In review for The Washington Post, Katherine Arie described some of the characters as unconvincing, such as Brian, who is "too good to be true", Jesse, "a poster child for self-destructive behavior", and Kate, who is "as weak and wispy on the page as she's supposed to be in life", but ultimately called the book "a thrill to read".[2]
In 2009 the American Library Association (ALA) and the office for Intellectual Freedom named My Sister's Keeper the seventh out of ten most frequently challenged books in the US. Schools and libraries attempted to ban the book for the following reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexual Explicitly, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuitability to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence.[3]
Adaptations
[edit]New Line Cinema adapted My Sister's Keeper into a feature film, which was directed by Nick Cassavetes and released on June 26, 2009.[4][5] It starred Cameron Diaz as Sara and Alec Baldwin as Campbell. Kate and Anna were played respectively by Sofia Vassilieva and Abigail Breslin.[5]
The film, with an alternate ending and more emphasis on certain subplots while entirely eliminating others, has significant differences from the novel.
References
[edit]- ^ ReadingGroupGuides.com. Rainbow Gold Reviews http://rainbowgoldreviews.wordpress.com/2014/09/21/ancient-house-of-cards-by-bryan-t-clark-lgbt-review/ Retrieved on 09/27/2014
- ^ Katherine Arie (2004-04-04). "Spare Parts". The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
- ^ "ALA Website List of top 10 most challenged book bans for 2009". abc. American Library Association. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
- ^ "Questions and Answers". Jodi Picoult.com. March 2, 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
- ^ a b Fleming, Michael (2008-02-12). "Breslin, Vassilieva to star in 'Keeper'. Duo replaces Fanning sisters in New Line film". Variety. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
External links
[edit]Category:2004 novels Category:American novels adapted into films Category:Novels by Jodi Picoult Category:Novels set in Rhode Island Category:Literature about cancer