The bestselling writer - whose hit books include My Sister's
Keeper and Picture Perfect - says she has been aware of her son's
sexuality for sixteen years, despite him only officially coming out
in 2008.
The American novelist told People magazine that the announcement
happened while she was researching her latest book, Sing You Home,
which focuses around a lesbian wanting to start a family.
"My son, Kyle, who was 17 at the time, was writing his
college-application essays," said Picoult. "He came to me one day
with this essay and he said, "Can you read this over for me?"
"And in his essay, he came out to my husband and myself… I was so
happy that he felt secure enough to tell us that he was gay.
"I'd known Kyle was gay from about the time he was three years
old," she said. "Maybe it was more of a surprise to him, but it
didn't surprise my husband and I at all."
Despite this, Picoult added that the declaration gave her extra
incentive to make Sing You Home compelling and effective.
"All of a sudden, it wasn't a theoretical journey into what it
means to be gay in America. It was this mission as a mom wanting
really badly to change people's minds with my book," she
added.
"I want the world to be a kinder place by the time Kyle gets
married and has kids," she said.
Jodi Picoult also features in this month's DIVA magazine.
