Egendorf, Laura K. Organ Donation.

Egendorf, Laura K.  Organ Donation.  Cengage (Gale/Blackbirch/Greenhaven)     2013  182p  ISBN 978-0-7377-6333-1  series: Opposing Viewpoints  jr/sr  E  Nonfiction      

This volume in Greenhaven Press's Opposing Viewpoints series examines the controversial issue of organ donation. The four main questions covered by the book's nineteen opinion pieces are "Is the organ allocation system fair?", "How can organ donation be increased?", "What ethical issues surround organ donation?", and "What is the future of organ donation?" These chapters look at issues like how organs are allocated, whether it ought to be legal to sell organs for money, whether presumed consent to donate is the right way to get more donors, who should be allowed to donate, and what other options are available for recipients.  Most of the pieces are between six and ten pages in length, and each includes an overview of the piece and three questions for readers to consider as they read it.  It is relatively important to note that articles in Greenhaven Press anthologies are often edited to meet page length requirements, and the original titles of works may be changed to clearly present the main thesis and indicate the author's opinion. This means readers must assume that the presented material has not misrepresented the original author's opinion, or else find the source material and verify the matter. It is not difficult to find original sources, however, as the editors make every effort to cite the source on the first page of each article.  The selections offer a comprehensive and comprehensible representation of many aspects of organ donation that will enlighten more mature readers, from middle-school age to adulthood.    The Opposing Viewpoints series presents previously published writings on a variety of controversial subjects in order to demonstrate alternative or opposing views and encourage readers to think critically about assumptions and biases.   

Summary: This volume in Greenhaven Press's Opposing Viewpoints series examines the controversial issue of organ donation. The selections offer a comprehensive and comprehensible representation of many aspects of organ donation that will enlighten readers.

Organ donation                                        --Bethany Geleskie

Ellsworth, Loretta. In a Heart Beat

Ellsworth, Loretta In a Heart Beat
Walker & Co 2010 216p 16.99
978-0-8027-2068-9 ms/jr Organ donation VG-BN


Told in their separate voices, Eagan, who has died in a figure-skating accident, becomes a heart donor for Amelia, who then begins taking on some aspects of Eagan's personality. Ellsworth, in her author’s note, states that In a Heart Beat started out as therapy, written after the deaths of her mother and a nephew, who was an organ donor. The result of her effort is a heartfelt, honest to goodness, reach for the tissues because you can’t stop crying kind of a book. But rather than focus on the pedestrian “organ donor saves a life” plot, Ellsworth adds a twist with the theory of cellular memory. Cellular memory theorizes that the brain is not the only repository of memory and that other organs may also hold memories. Sixteen year old Eagan, a competitive ice skater, dies in a freak accident. As an organ donor, her heart goes to fourteen- year-old Amelia who has been living with congestive heart failure. Ellsworth brings us straight into the emotional turmoil of Eagan’s unexpected death and Amelia’s reluctance to live through someone else’s death. Eagan and Amelia’s stories are told in alternating chapters, as each deals with the circumstances of death and life. Eagan is athletic, full of life, with a controlling stage mother. Amelia is artistic, sheltered, with a mother who is devoted to her care and well-being. The two couldn’t be more different. Eagan tells her story in flashback, uncovering family secrets and trying to make sense of her complicated relationship with her mother. Amelia describes her recovery from the transplant operation, pleased with her new heart but believes that the heart has changed her in unexpected and unknown ways. She senses Eagan and begins to acquire some of her characteristics and memories. With the help of a friend, she is able to identify Eagan as her donor and feels compelled to contact Eagan’s parents, not knowing that her visit will reconcile Eagan and her mother. Eagan’s memory in her heart, the heart that now is Amelia’s, is the key to the reconciliation. As Eagan notes about Amelia, “We each saved each other.” For her part, Amelia realizes that Eagan wants her to learn to accept her gift of life. Characterization is strong and well-developed and readers relate to both girls on an emotional level. The theory of cellular memory is intriguing and propels the plot. Ellsworth does not play on saccharine emotions but leads readers to consider the possibilities of the power of memory, the importance of organ donation and the unseen angels that watch over us. Misc. Zajko, Rosanne

In a Heart Beat.

Ellsworth, Loretta. In a Heart Beat.

Walker & Co 2010 216p 16.99

978-0-8027-2068-9 ms/jr VG-BN

Told in their separate voices, Eagan, who has died in a figure-skating accident, becomes a heart donor for Amelia, who then begins taking on some aspects of Eagan's personality. Ellsworth, in her author’s note, states that In a Heart Beat started out as therapy, written after the deaths of her mother and a nephew, who was an organ donor. The result of her effort is a heartfelt, honest to goodness, reach for the tissues because you can’t stop crying kind of a book. But rather than focus on the pedestrian “organ donor saves a life” plot, Ellsworth adds a twist with the theory of cellular memory. Cellular memory theorizes that the brain is not the only repository of memory and that other organs may also hold memories. Sixteen year old Eagan, a competitive ice skater, dies in a freak accident. As an organ donor, her heart goes to fourteen- year-old Amelia who has been living with congestive heart failure. Ellsworth brings us straight into the emotional turmoil of Eagan’s unexpected death and Amelia’s reluctance to live through someone else’s death. Eagan and Amelia’s stories are told in alternating chapters, as each deals with the circumstances of death and life. Eagan is athletic, full of life, with a controlling stage mother. Amelia is artistic, sheltered, with a mother who is devoted to her care and well-being. The two couldn’t be more different. Eagan tells her story in flashback, uncovering family secrets and trying to make sense of her complicated relationship with her mother. Amelia describes her recovery from the transplant operation, pleased with her new heart but believes that the heart has changed her in unexpected and unknown ways. She senses Eagan and begins to acquire some of her characteristics and memories. With the help of a friend, she is able to identify Eagan as her donor and feels compelled to contact Eagan’s parents, not knowing that her visit will reconcile Eagan and her mother. Eagan’s memory in her heart, the heart that now is Amelia’s, is the key to the reconciliation. As Eagan notes about Amelia, “We each saved each other.” For her part, Amelia realizes that Eagan wants her to learn to accept her gift of life. Characterization is strong and well-developed and readers relate to both girls on an emotional level. The theory of cellular memory is intriguing and propels the plot. Ellsworth does not play on saccharine emotions but leads readers to consider the possibilities of the power of memory, the importance of organ donation and the unseen angels that watch over us. Zajko, Rosanne