Change of Heart (2008)

Change of Heart is the sixteenth novel by American author Jodi Picoult, published in 2008. The novel explores themes of loss, redemption, religion and spirituality, and punishment.

Plot summary

Prologue

A man, Jack, is killed by an impaired driver, leaving his wife, June, and his daughter, Elizabeth behind. At the scene of the accident, June meets Kurt Nealon, a police officer, who becomes a close friend and later June's husband. A number of years later, June is pregnant and Kurt plans to create an addition onto their home. A young man named Shay Bourne offers to help with the addition, to which June explains is "the beginning of the end."

The Trial

Elizabeth, June's eldest daughter, and Kurt are found murdered. Shay, the construction worker, is identified as the only suspect. The case unfolds during the trial which becomes a media sensation. The jury convicts Shay of two counts of capital murder. The jury deliberates on the death penalty, and after much time, 11 members agree, with Michael Wright, a young man about Shay's age, being the last juror to agree on the death penalty conviction, after being coerced by the other jury members.

Eleven Years Later

Shay Bourne is transferred to the I-tier at the Concord state prison. Shay resides in a cell next to Lucius DuFresne, an artist. During the night, Shay confides in Lucius that he wants to donate his heart to a little girl he saw on TV in need of a heart transplant. The little girl on television that Shay spoke about is revealed to be the daughter of June and the late Kurt, Claire, who has a terminal heart condition.

June agrees to meet Shay in for a restorative justice meeting. There she asks him, "Why did you do it?" to which Shay answers cryptically, "She was better off dead." Out of spite, June agrees to take Shay's donated heart once he is executed. Maggie, an attorney, begins the legal process to petition the commissioner of corrections to allow Shay to be hanged rather than executed by lethal injection, so he will be able to donate his heart to Claire. Claire's doctor is able to determine that Shay is a perfect heart transplant match.

Maggie, Shay's lawyer, arranges a dinner meeting with Dr. Christian Gallagher, a doctor she's consulting to discuss organ donation for Shay. June sneaks Dudley, the family's spaniel, into the hospital to make Claire feel better, and a nurse reveals the upcoming transplant to Claire, which June hadn't discussed with her daughter yet.

Shay's trial begins, and Father Michael testifies to Shay's religious belief that he needs to donate his heart to Claire to be redeemed. Father Michael uses Shay's quotations from the Gnostic Gospels as his religious foundation. Ian Fletcher testifies as an expert on the Gnostic Gospels. Father Michael, privately, admits to Shay that he was on the jury that convicted him to death. Father Michael is able to locate Shay's sister, Grace, and tries to convince her to forgive Shay for setting the fire that ultimately disfigured her face. However, Grace actually started the fire in an attempt to kill their abusive father. Shay took the blame to protect his sister. While Shay testifies, all of his chains (including the belly chain and handcuffs) fall away from him for no apparent reason.

During Shay's trial, it is revealed that Kurt was sexually abusing his step-daughter, Elizabeth. At the time of the murders, Shay walked in on Kurt assaulting Elizabeth. Shay killed Kurt, who accidentally shot Elizabeth instead of Shay.

The trial concludes, and Shay is granted his request to be executed by hanging to be able to donate his heart to Claire.

Epilogue

Three weeks after Claire's surgery, she is able to go home. While resting at home, Grace, Shay's sister, visits her. Claire sees that her dog Dudley has died, but when she picks him up and holds him to her chest, his heart begins to beat again.

Characters

June Nealon - Mother of Claire and Elizabeth, wife of Jack, and then Kurt.

Elizabeth Nealon - June's daughter by Jack. She was one of Shay Bourne's victims. She was sexually abused by Kurt, her step-father, before she died.

Kurt Nealon - The policeman at Jack's car accident, then June's husband. He was one of Shay Bourne's victims.

Claire Nealon - Kurt and June's daughter, who needs a new heart.

Shay Bourne - The accused murderer of Kurt and Elizabeth. He has been on death row for eleven years. He wishes to donate his heart after his execution to Claire.

Michael Wright - University of New Hampshire college student, member of Shay's first jury trial, priest, and eventually Shay's spiritual advisor.

Lucius DuFresne - A prisoner in the state prison in Concord. He has HIV, is an artist, and resides in the cell adjacent to Shay. Lucius is in prison because he killed his lover, Adam in a fit of jealous rage when he was found with another man.

Alma - A prison nurse.

Calloway - A white-supremacist prisoner residing on the I-tier with Shay.

Maggie Bloom - An ACLU lawyer who takes on Shay's case.

Oliver - Maggie's pet rabbit.

Dudley - June and Claire's 13-year-old springer spaniel. He is the last connection between Elizabeth and Claire.

Dr. Wu - Claire's cardiac physician. He encourages June to take Shay's heart.

Rabbi Joel Bloom - Maggie's father.

Judge Haig - The judge that presides over Shay's trial to control his method of execution.

Dr. Christian Gallagher - The doctor who provides Maggie with information on organ donation. He eventually begins a romantic relationship with Maggie. He is also the physician of record for Shay's execution.

Grace Bourne - Shay's sister, who was disfigured in the fire that sent Shay to juvenile detention. She was sexually abused by a foster father when she was thirteen. Ultimately, Grace was the one to tell June that Kurt was sexually abusing her daughter, Elizabeth.

Ian Fletcher - A recurring character, joined with his step-daughter, Faith, from Picoult's novel, Keeping Faith.