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The Memory Keeper's Daughter
by
Families have secrets they hide even from themselves... It should have been an ordinary birth, the start of an ordinary happy family. But the night Dr David Henry delivers his wife's twins is a night that will haunt five lives for ever.
For though David's son is a healthy boy, his daughter has Down's syndrome. And, in a shocking act of betrayal whose consequences only time ...more
For though David's son is a healthy boy, his daughter has Down's syndrome. And, in a shocking act of betrayal whose consequences only time ...more
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Paperback, 401 pages
Published
April 26th 2007
by Penguin Books
(first published June 23rd 2005)
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Start your review of The Memory Keeper's Daughter

Mar 23, 2007
Tracy Rhodes
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Tracy by:
online book club
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Apr 24, 2007
Christian
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People with secrets
Shelves:
recently-read
This book was terrible, not because it was bad, but because it was so good: I couldn't put it down until I finished the final pages at 3 in the morning. Not a good thing, when your alarm goes off at 5:50 AM.
What fascinates me about this book is what it has to say about "secrets." The basic premise: a doctor is forced to deliver his wife's child in the middle of a raging snowstorm. The only complication is that she's actually carrying twins - the first, a healthy beautiful baby boy; the second, a ...more
What fascinates me about this book is what it has to say about "secrets." The basic premise: a doctor is forced to deliver his wife's child in the middle of a raging snowstorm. The only complication is that she's actually carrying twins - the first, a healthy beautiful baby boy; the second, a ...more

Apr 06, 2008
Lisa
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Housewives and Oprah fans.
Shelves:
hated-and-overrated
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Man I hated this book- the plot had some great potential, but instead you got to witness one scene of frustrated people not knowing how to deal with their emotions after another. Seriously, imagine 60 someodd pages of: wife- "I'm sad, darling, talk to me" husband- "we can't have another baby" silence...followed by wife being angry and husband yet again being emotionally stunted...ok, fine, I see that it's a result of him giving away their daughter with downs syndrome, but I just wouldn't end! Af
...more

Mar 09, 2019
Dorie - Cats&Books :)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
all-time-favorite,
literature
This is a wonderfully unique story. Ms. Edwards creates characters very real and situations that are effectively believable. After delivering his wife's first child, while she is unaware of what is happening, he delivers another child, this one with Down's syndrome. He makes a quick decision to spare his wife the heartbreak of raising this child and asks his nurse to place the child in an institution. The nurse takes the infant but raises it on her own.
There is always something not quite right a ...more
There is always something not quite right a ...more

The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Kim Edwards
The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a novel by American author Kim Edwards that tells the story of a man who gives away his newborn daughter, who has Down syndrome, to one of the nurses. Published by Viking Press in June 2005.
In early March of 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced to deliver his wife Norah's twins with the help of a nurse, Caroline Gill. Their first child, a boy they name Paul, is born a healthy perfect child, but when the second baby is born, Pho ...more
The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a novel by American author Kim Edwards that tells the story of a man who gives away his newborn daughter, who has Down syndrome, to one of the nurses. Published by Viking Press in June 2005.
In early March of 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced to deliver his wife Norah's twins with the help of a nurse, Caroline Gill. Their first child, a boy they name Paul, is born a healthy perfect child, but when the second baby is born, Pho ...more

At first I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why I was not enjoying a book that sounded as though it would be ‘my kind of book’ in every way, but the more I read and the more I thought about it, the more reasons emerged.
From the beginning of the novel there were little details that bothered me. The plot often felt contrived, as pieces fell together too nicely. Of course life is crazy and there is always the possibility of the little pieces falling in the most peculiar way, but when all of your characte ...more
From the beginning of the novel there were little details that bothered me. The plot often felt contrived, as pieces fell together too nicely. Of course life is crazy and there is always the possibility of the little pieces falling in the most peculiar way, but when all of your characte ...more

Mar 05, 2008
DeLaina
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to DeLaina by:
book club
Shelves:
adult
I read a bunch of reviews of this book prior to reading it myself, and wasn't sure whether or not I would enjoy it.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked this book quite a bit, and here's why:
1. The story was fascinating! What would I have done in that situation? It was fun to imagine myself as Norah, Caroline, David or Paul and determine if my actions would mirror theirs, or if I would have done things differently.
2. The metaphors and imagery that Edwards uses are captivating. For exa ...more
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked this book quite a bit, and here's why:
1. The story was fascinating! What would I have done in that situation? It was fun to imagine myself as Norah, Caroline, David or Paul and determine if my actions would mirror theirs, or if I would have done things differently.
2. The metaphors and imagery that Edwards uses are captivating. For exa ...more

This is one of those books that I always see people reading in parks and on the subway, and I just want to shout at them, "Save yourself! There's still time to quit reading!"
Really, it's one of those books that has an interesting premise/situation, but doesn't go anywhere. The interesting premise is this: a couple has twins and the father sneaks away with the one twin who has Downs Syndrome. The mother doesn't know about this baby and it's raised by the father's coworker. You're interested, rig ...more
Really, it's one of those books that has an interesting premise/situation, but doesn't go anywhere. The interesting premise is this: a couple has twins and the father sneaks away with the one twin who has Downs Syndrome. The mother doesn't know about this baby and it's raised by the father's coworker. You're interested, rig ...more

Wow, I'm really torn as to what to say about this book. I will start by saying that Kim Edwards is a skilled writer and there's no taking that away from her. Her words flow beautifully and that was greatly appreciated by me.
I began reading this book and fell in love with it. From the beginning, I was very sure that I was going to rate it with five stars. I was intrigued by the premise: It's 1964 and a doctor's wife gives birth to twins. The twins were unexpected (no ultrasounds back then) and so ...more
I began reading this book and fell in love with it. From the beginning, I was very sure that I was going to rate it with five stars. I was intrigued by the premise: It's 1964 and a doctor's wife gives birth to twins. The twins were unexpected (no ultrasounds back then) and so ...more

Jan 24, 2018
Elizabeth
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
i-own,
family-saga
The Memory Keeper's Daughter crept up on me in a way I never expected. After reading many conflicting reviews I assumed I would either DNF this book at worst or slap 3 stars on it at best.
In 1964, Dr. David Henry delivers his own twins. His son is perfectly healthy. His daughter is born with Down's Syndrome. Remembering his own sickly sister who died young, and the unending sorrow it caused for his mother, he is determined to protect his wife from the same heartache. He asks his nurse to take th ...more
In 1964, Dr. David Henry delivers his own twins. His son is perfectly healthy. His daughter is born with Down's Syndrome. Remembering his own sickly sister who died young, and the unending sorrow it caused for his mother, he is determined to protect his wife from the same heartache. He asks his nurse to take th ...more

**SPOILER FREE REVIEW**
Reading this book was like an up-hill battle for me. I have looked forward to reading it for so long and was expecting great things based on all the praise-worthy reviews on the book jacket. Boy was i disappointed! The plot and synopsis of the story had such excellent promise but along the way the author dropped the ball. It was very difficult to relate or sympathize with Norah Henry, even though she is the one wronged by her husband's rash (but not unfounded) decision to ...more
Reading this book was like an up-hill battle for me. I have looked forward to reading it for so long and was expecting great things based on all the praise-worthy reviews on the book jacket. Boy was i disappointed! The plot and synopsis of the story had such excellent promise but along the way the author dropped the ball. It was very difficult to relate or sympathize with Norah Henry, even though she is the one wronged by her husband's rash (but not unfounded) decision to ...more

Dark Trees in the Heart
The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a story about a secret--a terrible, life-altering secret running central to the story and in the lives of the characters. In spite of spanning only twenty-five years, it has an epic feel. A lot happens. We first meet Norah and David Henry on the stormy night she gives birth to twins. The boy, Paul, is born healthy. The second, an unexpected daughter, is born with Down's Syndrome. While his wife lay unconscious, David, a doctor who presides ...more
The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a story about a secret--a terrible, life-altering secret running central to the story and in the lives of the characters. In spite of spanning only twenty-five years, it has an epic feel. A lot happens. We first meet Norah and David Henry on the stormy night she gives birth to twins. The boy, Paul, is born healthy. The second, an unexpected daughter, is born with Down's Syndrome. While his wife lay unconscious, David, a doctor who presides ...more

The book begins in 1964. A doctor delivers his own wife’s son, and to his own surprise, their son’s twin sister as well. From her physical features, the doctor recognizes the child has Down’s Syndrome and to protect his wife from the grief of having a child die early (common for Down’s children back then) since he and his own family had to deal with the death of his sister when she was young, the doctor hands the child over to his trusted nurse and instructs her to take the child to an instituti
...more

Children being treated like meat puppets, disabled children being lesser, unwanted, cheating spouses and gawdlike doctors...spare me.
Very mawkish writing, quite clearly aiming to Be Emotional and Send A Message:
Please ...more
Very mawkish writing, quite clearly aiming to Be Emotional and Send A Message:
You can't stop time. You can't capture light. You can only turn your face up and let it rain down.
–and–
She imagined herself as some sort of vessel to be filled up with love. But it wasn't like that. The love was within her all the time, and its only renewal came from giving it away.
Please ...more

📸
After reading the description for this book I hadn't expected to feel any sympathy for the husband, but I did. It was interesting to find myself feeling a great deal of compassion for someone who made a decision that I find absolutely appalling. Telling your wife that one of the twins has died, rather than telling her she had Down's syndrome is something I can never really condone, even in a fictional scenario. It's such a mind-boggling lie to tell anyone, let alone your spouse. Thankfully the ...more
After reading the description for this book I hadn't expected to feel any sympathy for the husband, but I did. It was interesting to find myself feeling a great deal of compassion for someone who made a decision that I find absolutely appalling. Telling your wife that one of the twins has died, rather than telling her she had Down's syndrome is something I can never really condone, even in a fictional scenario. It's such a mind-boggling lie to tell anyone, let alone your spouse. Thankfully the ...more

Although the premise was extremely interesting, and there were true moments of brilliance in her characterizations, descriptions, and interactions, this book, more than anything, left me incredibly angry at the author. [Contains spoilers!:] Her characters are very deep, but only in one dimension. Her two stories are so clearly divided between good and evil, it's unrealistic. The last 50 pages or so are so filled with action that it made me wonder if she got to a certain point and her editor told
...more

This book would have been better if they would have cut out all of the descriptions that were used. Too much "The wind is blowing, it was cold, etc". I wanted the author to get to the point already. Other than that a very sad story about the love between a husband and wife and the secrets that are kept between them. Although I enjoyed the book it was just ok because of all the extra that was there.
...more

Apr 11, 2019
Brittany
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
historical-fiction,
romance,
5-stars,
contemporary,
mystery,
reviews,
z2019-challenge
Wow.. This book was heavy. I listened to this in my car, so it stretched out for awhile and I got to think on it and talk about it a LOT. The narrator: Martha Plimpton (I guess there is also a version narrated by someone else) did a phenomenal book. She brought this book to life in an amazing way. 3 different accents AND two characters with down syndrome is impressive.
These two separate families each with a twin told in chronological order from before birth and the life difficulties and joys be ...more
These two separate families each with a twin told in chronological order from before birth and the life difficulties and joys be ...more

Nov 29, 2008
Kei As in Keisha
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-despise
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

It's the first paperback I've read this year and also my first book that I've read and isn't MM this year. I planned on reading only MM books in 2019, but a coworker borrowed it to me saying it's a great one. Unfortunately it wasn't a great story for me. Maybe because I had high expectations? I don't know. But what I do know is that I am NOT a fan of this author's writing and that this #1 New York Times Bestseller didn't work for me. It ended being only an OK read, but nothing more.
The blurb is ...more
The blurb is ...more

3.5 Stars
A well-written and very emotional read. It took me a little longer than usual to get into the book. I did find it could be overly detailed at times that weren't especially important to the story. I would find myself easily distracted by other things going on around me. I am usually able to tune everything out when I am into a really good book. I will say that this wasn't the case very often but it was something I noticed.
There was a lot of emotion along with many shocking and dramatic ...more
A well-written and very emotional read. It took me a little longer than usual to get into the book. I did find it could be overly detailed at times that weren't especially important to the story. I would find myself easily distracted by other things going on around me. I am usually able to tune everything out when I am into a really good book. I will say that this wasn't the case very often but it was something I noticed.
There was a lot of emotion along with many shocking and dramatic ...more

Wasn’t it just last night that I said I did not give out five stars easily? I have to do it for this book; yes, run out and read it as fast as you can, for this novel will give you whole new insights into the mysteries of life and love and grief. Most of the books I waste my time reading are plot-filled page-turners, in which the author has a tremendous story that pours out through the pages, and you get just a little comprehension of what makes the characters tick as they progress through the a
...more

Mar 26, 2008
Nola Redd
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who thinks lying is okay in marriage
Shelves:
fiction-fantasy
Some moments in our lives are crossroads, moments where the course of our lives is shaped. Sometimes the deviation is minor, and sometimes it is life-altering. Such are the forces that form the first chapter of Kim Edwards’ novel, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter.
A dreadful snowstorm forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his first child, which to his surprise turns out to be twins. The first is a perfect son, ideal in all ways. But the second child has Down’s syndrome. In a moment that changed and def ...more
A dreadful snowstorm forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his first child, which to his surprise turns out to be twins. The first is a perfect son, ideal in all ways. But the second child has Down’s syndrome. In a moment that changed and def ...more

I highly enjoyed this novel. Reading some of the more negative reviews, I would have to disagree about the plot needing to be more exciting or the lack of depth in the characters. I believe that was the point of the novel entirely, we cannot label the doctor who gave away his child as "bad" because his troubled past was revealed and he was genuinely trying to do good, and it was clearly unfolding throughout the progression of the story that he began to regret his once-confident choice, but felt
...more

A well written and sadly beautiful book—but unsatisfying.
A blizzard causes Dr David Henry to have to deliver his own twin children. His son is beautiful and healthy, but the unexpected twin shows all the signs of Down Syndrome. At this point in history (1964), children with Down Syndrome didn't live long, were an embarrassment, and were frequently abandoned or sent to live their short lives in institutions.
So David sends his loyal nurse Caroline to take the child to an appropriate facility and ...more
A blizzard causes Dr David Henry to have to deliver his own twin children. His son is beautiful and healthy, but the unexpected twin shows all the signs of Down Syndrome. At this point in history (1964), children with Down Syndrome didn't live long, were an embarrassment, and were frequently abandoned or sent to live their short lives in institutions.
So David sends his loyal nurse Caroline to take the child to an appropriate facility and ...more


This book was tedious. ...more

In Kentucky, 1964, Norah Henry goes into labor during a blizzard. Unable to reach the hospital, her husband, Dr. David Henry, must deliver his wife’s twins, a boy and girl, at his own clinic. The boy is healthy, but the girl has Down’s Syndrome. Dr. Henry, having lost his sister at a young age due to a similar condition, hands the girl to his nurse, and tells her to take the infant to an institution. He tells his wife the girl has died. The nurse takes the child but is unable to leave her at the
...more

It was soooo depressing and a waste of my time. I'll never attempt to read another book that I hate after the first chapter. I read it through and was feeling so annoyed at the story line and the melancholy of it all. I just didn't enjoy any of it. The husband makes a choice and thinks about it every freaking second of every minute!!! It wasn't my thing. Read and see for yourselves.
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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September Reading Assignment | 4 | 17 | Apr 21, 2021 03:13AM | |
Things You Can Do To Improve Your Memory | 1 | 4 | Apr 13, 2021 12:14AM | |
Play Book Tag: [Poll Ballot] The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards - 3 stars | 6 | 14 | Jun 12, 2020 09:28AM |
Kim Edwards grew up in Skaneateles, New York, in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. The oldest of four children, she graduated from Colgate University and the University of Iowa, where she received an MFA in Fiction and an MA in Linguistics. After completing her graduate work, she went with her husband to Asia, where they spent the next five years teaching, first on the rural east coast of Mala
...more
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