《荆棘鸟》是一部澳大利亚的家世小说，以女主人公梅吉和神父拉尔夫的爱情纠葛为主线，描写了克利里一家三代人的故事，时间跨度长达半个多世纪。拉尔夫一心向往教会的权力，却爱上了克利里家的美丽少女梅吉。为了他追求的“上帝”，他抛弃了世俗的爱情，然而内心又极度矛盾和痛苦。以此为中心，克利里家族十余名成员的悲欢离合也得以展现。
小说情节曲折生动，结构严密精巧，文笔清新婉丽。在描写荒蛮广漠的澳大利业风光时，颇有苍凉悲壮之美；同时女作家对女人爱情心态的探索，又十分细腻感人，故而这部作品有澳大利亚的《飘》之誉。

故事的主角叫安娜Anna。她的姐姐凯特Kate在2岁的时候被诊断出患有acute promyelocytic leukemia（急性早幼粒细胞白血病），为了拯救这个孩子，安娜的父母通过体外受精方式生下了和姐姐有着完美基因配型的安娜。从安娜出生时为她的姐姐提供的脐带血细胞开始，每当姐姐的白血病一次又一次的复发，安娜就要不断的提供血液和骨髓来维持姐姐的生命。凯特16岁的时候面临肾衰竭的威胁，而唯一能挽救她的生命的就是肾脏移植手术，由于接受无血缘关系的人的肾脏的成功率不高，他们的家族里又没有适合的肾脏，安娜就需要为姐姐献出自己的一个肾脏，而那时候，她才13岁。然而安娜决定聘请一名律师，要从父母那儿解放自己的身体，赢得自己的“身体支配权”。她的律师亚历山大Campbell Alexander于是为她奔波上诉。
作者在接近尾声的时候才揭开了安娜控告她父母的原因其实是她的姐姐不愿意接受她捐献的肾脏。凯特说她不想再在医院里过她的日子了，她已经准备好了要接受死亡。案件以安娜获得了自己身体支配权为收尾。而就在安娜要宣布自己是否愿意为姐姐捐献出自己的肾脏的时候，她遭遇车祸，头部受伤，脑死亡。不过她的律师持有安娜授权的医学意向书，最终安娜的肾脏还是捐献给了她的姐姐。
结尾处凯特提及她对安娜的死的悲痛。她说她的母亲不断寻找安娜苏醒的迹象。她还说，每当她看到自己身上移植手术留下的深深的疤痕，她就永远不会忘记她的小妹妹。

The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague.Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.
For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.
Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder.Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?
Mitch Albom had that second chance.He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life.Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college.Their rekindled relationship turned into one final "class": lessons in how to live.
Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world.