The Memory Keeper's Daughter

By Kim Edwards

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Average Rating: (See all 18 reviews) Format: Paperback, 401 pages Published In: United States, June 2006 Quantity Available: 8 24 hour shipping Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins. His son is perfectly healthy, but his daughter has Down's syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect his wife, he asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, the nurse disappears into another city to raise the child herself. From The Publisher: Kim Edwardss stunning family drama evokes the spirit of Sue Miller and Alice Sebold, articulating every mothers silent fear: what would happen if you lost your child and she grew up without you? In 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins, he immediately recognizes that one of them has Down Syndrome and makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and to keep her birth a secret. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own. Compulsively readable and deeply moving, "The Memory Keepers Daughter" is an astonishing tale of redemptive love. BACKCOVER: Edwards is a born novelist. . . . Rich with psychological detail and the nuances of human connection. "Chicago Tribune" Unfolds from an absolutely gripping premise, drawing you deeply and irrevocably into the entangled lives of two families and the devastating secret that shaped them both. I loved this riveting story. Sue Monk Kidd Anyone would be struck by the extraordinary power and sympathy of "The Memory Keepers Daughter." "The Washington Post" Kim Edwards has written a novel so mesmerizing that I devoured it. . . . "The Memory Keepers Daughter" has it all. Sena Jeter Naslund Kim Edwards has created a tale of regret and redemption, of honest emotion, of characters haunted by their past. This is simply a beautiful book. Jodi Picoult Publisher: Penguin Books ISBN: 0143037145 EAN: 9780143037149 Dimensions: 20.73 x 12.9 x 1.88 centimeters (0.30 kg)

A disappointing and annoying book. The story is so contrived that it loses all credibility and becomes intensely irritating. The same can be said for the characters: the doctor is the only believable character and he has to be conveniently killed off as the author applies modern day morals to a story set over 40 years ago. No doubt it will become a soppy movie - it certainly seems to have been written with that intent. Don't bother.

This is one of the most overrated books ever. In fact, I could hardly bring myself to finish reading it. Annoying, over-written, overly emotional and awful. It has a great cover and the premise of the plot is all this book (in my opinion) has going for it. Disappointing and corny.

The book had great potential and I looked forward to reading it. However, if you cut half the book, you could retain all the story without the repetition. It seemed as though the author was trying to drag out the story to fill a book. Maybe it would make a good short story, but there is not enough in it for a whole novel and I just ended up irritated with the characters and wanting them to get on with their lives!

This book was a wonderful story about love and the (sometimes horrible) things it evokes people to do. The story is set in motion by love--a doctor sends away his Down Syndrome daughter to protect his wife from the pain of having a disabled child, and it is the love the nurse present at the birth has for this doctor that prompts her to take the child away secretly and raise it as her own. Contrary to the doctor's expectations, this horrible secret creates an ever-widening barrier between him and his new family and the very thing that was supposed to protect his wife from pain becomes the cause of it.

Definetely worth a read.

I have really enjoyed this book as it gives you a perspective of life in the 60's, what expectations were and the thoughts on babies with down syndrome, but when one woman recognizes that when you erase the timeline, someone with down syndrome can still accomplish so much. An inspirational story that leaves you reflecting on life in a new way. Written beautifully and an easy read. Im glad to own this book

I felt that it was a good story with potential, but poorly told. Worth a read if you are good at filling in some details yourself.

I really liked this book. It was a very addictive read.

I enjoyed the honesty of the characters in this book. Reading this story I became entranced by the turns that life takes when people are faced with impossible decisions of the heart. At times cringeworthy I found myself involved with the characters like old friends.

I found 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' to be incredibly beautifully written. Half my joy in reading this novel came from the delightful writing style of Kim Edwards. The story itself was almost secondary. The characters were honest. No character was black and white, everyone had their own good points and bad points, everyone had something likeable in them.

A beautifully written book with a brilliant story line. A Doctor on delivering his wifes twins sends away the little girl who is born with Downs Syndrome - he tells his wife she was still born. The book traces their stories for years down the track as each character lives with their own guilt and grief. Written in a similar style to that of Jodi Piccoult - !