Reading Response to Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult

       I just started reading the book Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult.  This book is a little strange so far and I'm having a hard time getting into it.  I think that it is unlikely that I will finish reading it.  The story line confuses me and I am not completely sure what is happening right now in the book.  From what I can understand the main character, Paige, had a hard time living with her father once her mother left them.  She left home as soon as she turned eighteen to go make it on her own.  She was struggling and finally found a job at a diner where she met her future husband, who happened to be her first customer.  Paige dreamed of saving enough money to go to art school.  She was an extremely talented artist that had the ability to draw people's secrets into their portraits.  Paige drew portraits of the customers in the diner and the manager hung them up.  I am not very far in this book so no massive climax or problem has occurred other then the fact that she is on her own and barely making a living.
       A theme that seems pretty clear in this book is the people leaving their families to go do what makes them happy.  I support doing what you love and following your dreams, but I don't think you should have to completely abandon your family to do this.  Though there are some specific circumstances where you may want to get as far away from your family for whatever reason but overall I think the right thing to do is to include, or try to include your family in your life and goals and dreams.  They should be supportive of you no matter what.  That's what they are there for.  It is also a tad selfish to abandon your family for yourself.  They need you just as much as you need them.  There is no bond stronger than that of family and people need to keep that in mind.  You will always be connected to your family in some way whether you want to be or not.
       I find it sad that Paige ditched her father, whose wife had already left him.  Maybe when I get farther into the book I will discover the reason why the women in his life don't like him enough to want to get so far away from him.  Or it might possibly have nothing to do with him at all, just with their dreams.  I hope that Paige will be able to reconnect with her father at some point, and I am interested to find out what happens with her future customer and life as a diner waitress.