Play on Words in Picoult’s Handle With Care

Growing up, I always rolled my eyes when watching television with my mother. Not because she was hogging the remote or talking too loud on the phone but because she would find the opportunity during some program to shed a tear, or two. I, never being one to cry despite how shattering the storyline may be, found this simple act of being human annoying and mundane. As I grew older, however, I realized that this act, this simple betrayal of one’s inability to control one’s emotions, was an inevitable part of life and would one day happen to even the most stoic viewer.
Within the past couple of years, I have prided myself on adopting a reading compilation of more interesting materials; no more thrillers or mysteries, but novels that with even a sentence required me to momentarily put down the piece I was reading in order to really reflect on what my eyes had just scanned, what my brain had just absorbed. This is the feeling that I experienced while reading Jodi Picoult’s Handle With Care. This intricately and deeply moving novel takes place in Bankton, New Hampshire and revolves around a family named the O’Keefes. Charlotte, one of the novel’s main characters has a daughter, Amelia, from a previous relationship and after marrying Sean O’Keefe, becomes pregnant with a baby girl who they decide to name Willow, who is born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, otherwise known as Brittle Bone Disease.
While Picoult articulately illustrates for her readers the difficulties that plague the O’Keefe’s lives due to Willow’s disease, she quickly delves into the larger and more complex problem that ultimately becomes the novel’s focal point; a Wrongful Birth Lawsuit. After a catastrophic trip to Disney World and the threat of losing their children, the O’Keefe’s want to take action against those who have treated them badly but wind up with another option; an option that requires everyone involved to question whether or not Willow would have been better off not being born.
There are many aspects of Handle With Care that strike a chord with this reader. The title is the most poignant one. The title accurately summarizes not only the plot of the novel but the fragile state in which Willow is treated and how a disease such as Osteogenesis Imperfecta can drastically alter individuals’ lives. The title is also mentioned within the book itself; it being an inscription that Willow’s father, Sean puts on his daughter’s wheelchair.
Perhaps the most convoluted and misunderstood character is Charlotte O’Keefe. Many times, Picoult enables her audience to ask themselves if they hate Charlotte. Is it not every mother’s obligation to love her child despite what illness or difficulty has afflicted him/her? However, this specific reader often found herself having arguments in her head concerning Charlotte’s actions; couldn’t filing a wrongful birth lawsuit constitute or even be disguised as love? To create a character so complex that the reader is questioning what she/he would be doing if faced with a similar dilemma, is a rare gift and Picoult utilizes her talent in this heart-wrenching tale of a mother’s decision of what is best for her offspring.
The way the narrative is presented to the readers is another great facet of Picoult’s work and is representative of how she is able to draw her readers in. Instead of the normal, run-of-the-mill novel format, the author divulges the story through the eyes of several of her characters; truly allowing her audience to appreciate the development of each character. The way this story is told also permits the reader to get a sense of who Willow is and what she means to each character. The scene is set from the beginning, yet the characters are continuously being molded, defined by the different twists and turns that are incessantly unraveling.
In every novel, there is a point when the reader is riveted. When she or he is so impacted by what has been scanned, absorbed, that there is no other choice but to put down said novel and take a moment to reflect. In Handle With Care, Willow is depicted as a wise, older-than-her-years little girl who refuses to be classified by her illness. The most moving part of this novel occurs when Willow is leaving the hospital with her mother after yet another break and her mother accidentally bumps into a young girl who is also leaving the hospital. The little girl is completely bald and Willow reacts as any other child often does; she stares at the girl. This is ironic because as Charlotte states, “You did the one thing you hated most when it happened to you; you stared” (Picoult 112), this shows us that despite her wisdom and knowledge, Willow is still a child and she has the innocence that brands all young children. What happens next, however is Picoult’s pivotal moment. The little girl stares right back at Willow and as Charlotte notes, “But this was different; this was an equal match” (Picoult 112). There is a silent understanding between the two children that speaks volumes.
I still do not share my mother’s penchant for crying when watching made for TV movies (although that Hallmark movie channel can elicit tears from even the biggest cynic), however it is works like Picoult’s Handle With Care that makes me more reverent of my own emotions.


If you are interested in reading more about Osteogenesis Imperfecta, go to www.oif.org