Rating: 3 Don't Bet On This One - Wait for the Movie(···) Pages: 432 (listened to it on audio)
Synopsis (From BN.Com)
On a winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter is born, he sees immediately that she has Down's Syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split-second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret.
But Caroline, the nurse, cannot leave the infant. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by the fateful decision made that long-ago winter night.
A brilliantly crafted, stunning debut, The Memory Keeper's Daughter explores the way life takes unexpected turns, and how the mysterious ties that hold a family together help us survive the heartache that occurs when long-buried secrets burst into the open.
I am disappointed that this book has gotten so much hype. Although the story is different an easy to follow with all the different characters I am not sure why it has gotten so much hype. It didn't capture me where I couldn't wait to know what was happening. David Henry is the main character and is likeable, but it is disturbing that he never admitted the truth. I wonder what their lives would all be like if he didn't give away his daughter. He lived with the guilt all of his life and his family paid for his decisions. On the other hand, Caroline seems blessed to have Pheobe. She wouldn't have met the man she eventually married if not for Pheobe. I would have like to see her have more children though. All in all not a book I would put on my recommendation list.
2 comments:
You find David Henry likable? Not me. But I loved the book, while you didn't. It's funny, isn't it, how books affect different readers differently?
I did like David Henry though I thought he made some bad choices and never made an effort to correct or change them. That was disappointing for someone who was a Dr and clearly intelligent. Also I think it would have helped so much with his wife and son's grief.
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