The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards

Our book for August was, "The Memory Keeper's Daughter", by Kim Edwards. This novel begins on a winter night in 1964. A blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. One child, a boy, is born perfect and healthy. His little girl is born with Down's syndrome. On the basis of good intentions, the doctor sends the little girl baby off to an institution and tells his wife she was born dead. The novel deals with the separate lives of Dr. Henry and his family and the life of the little girl, "Phoebe" that grows up apart from her relatives. The secret that the doctor keeps haunts him and does irreparable damage to the people in his life.

In discussing the book, we were split on deciding how good a read it was. Some thought it was too drawn out and hard to get into. Others felt it was a great read and appreciated the story. I thought while I might recommend it to others, it did take a while to get into the story. I also found it hard to relate to the concept of giving your child away and telling your spouse they had died. It was a good book for discussion whether you like it or not.

If you've read this book, please leave your thoughts.