Do you believe in ghosts ? How do you feel about human genome research ?

Would you ever believe that these two topics could be intertwined in a fast paced, thought provoking novel ? Jodi Picoult, one of my favorite authors, tackled both of these subjects in one fell swoop in her novel, "Second Glance".

While I had thought I'd read everything she'd ever written, somehow this novel, written in 2003, got by me. As I was wandering the book section at Target, in between Josh's hockey games, I came across it with great delight. Little did I know that I would do little else for 24 hours, other than read this book. The laundry stacked up, the bills sat on my desk and the animals just figured they'd pile on top of me. I curled up in my favorite chair, made a cup of Chai, and simply couldn't stop reading.


One part ghost story, one part historical "fact meets fiction" regarding controlling genetics, and one part love story, this book was truly fascinating. The ethical issues of embryonic research and selection that this book raises were fascinating. This is partly because I learned, from reading the historical part of this novel, that genetic research and control are not something new to this generation of doctors and ethicists. A very dark chapter in Vermont history comes to light, but in doing so, also sheds new light on the embryonic research discussion. Who controls procreation ? Who has a right to make that decision ? And, are genes 'all' in the nature vs nurture argument ?


This sounds like extremely heavy reading, but in all honesty, this book is a page turner. The characters are memorable and multi-faceted. I wish I had more answers to the questions raised in the novel. But, I have to admit, the book created questions for me that I never knew I would ask. I highly recommend this novel.....and as you know, it's available at Target.