Tear Jerkers

Here are a few books that will probably make you cry. They made me cry, and it takes a lot for me to cry at a book, but these stories will tug at your heartstrings.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult: I have recommended this book to every single one of my friends, my sister, my mom, etc. It's so good and so sad and the story of two sisters touch anyone, whether you have a sister yourself or not. This is the story of Kate and Anna; Kate has leukemia and Anna was conceived to be a genetic match for her big sister. After one invasive procedure too many, Anna hires a lawyer to sue her parents for the right to make her own decisions about her body. This book raises some really thought-provoking questions, but it also is a great story. I think this is by far Jodi's best book, although I also enjoyed Nineteen Minutes and Vanishing Acts.

All We Know of Heaven by Jacqueline Mitchard: I got this book from the library originally ecause I was intrigued by the premise - I had recently seen something similar on the news and was curious as to whether or not this was a true story. This is another story about two girls, best friends Bridget and Maureen, and the path their lives follow after a tragic car accident that leaves one of them dead and the other in a coma. The aftermath of the accident shatters both families but also has an impact on everyone who was close to the girls. I always enjoy Jacqueline Mitchard's books and some of my other favorites of hers are A Theory of Relativity, The Breakdown Lane, and her most well known, The Deep End of the Ocean.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving: Owen Meany is a tiny boy with an oddly strange voice who one day accidently kills his best friend's mom when he hits her with a baseball. Oh, and of course, Owen believes he's an instrument of God. The narrator of this book, Johnny, is Owen's best friend and while the novel jumps around between past and present, it never ceases to hold your interest. You'll definitely have a hard time putting it down and you'll never forget it. I love John Irving - I don't think I've ever read a book of his that I haven't really enjoyed and although my favorite is A Widow for One Year, nothing, and I mean nothing, comes close causing to the emotional response you'll have while reading Owen Meany.

Losing Julia by Jonathan Hull: This is a book I never would have found if it weren't for a recommendation from a work colleague and I'm forever grateful. Patrick is an old man, 81, and living in a nursing home in California. This novel is written as Patrick diary and is told in three sections - the end of his life, back to the trenches of WWI and finally to Paris, after the war where he meets Julia. The author doesn't pull any punches and the narrative is both illuminating and heartbreaking. If you enjoy this one, try The Distance from Normandy.