Change of Heart

January 21, 2008
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.

April 28, 2008
A cast of four narrators (plus one extra for the epilogue) read Picoult's latest melodramatic take on an interesting social dilemma. Death-row inmate Shay Bourne, convicted of murdering a little girl and her cop stepfather, wants to donate his heart to the little girl's sister, who requires a transplant. ACLU lawyer Maggie Bloom (voiced by Danielle Ferland) and Fr. Michael Wright (played by Stafford Clark-Price) attempt to carry out Shay's wishes. Meanwhile, as apparent miracles begin happening in the prison, some wonder if Shay is some sort of messiah. As the overlong book drags on, the narrators do their best to keep the story moving and hold listeners' interest. Ferland effectively inhabits Maggie and James Frangione's calm baritone does much to engender sympathy for Shay's fellow inmate, Lucius. However, listeners may have a tough time getting to the painfully obvious revelation of the truth about Shay's crimes and the book's long-foregone conclusion. Simultaneous release with the Atria hardcover (Reviews, Jan. 21).

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. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine