The Memory Keeper's Daughter: A Novel
by Kim Edwards
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Book Reviews of The Memory Keeper's Daughter: A Novel
Book Review: Silly, Sanctimonious, and Saccharine
Summary: 3 Stars
A doctor David Henry, haunted by poor hard childhood and a sister with Down's Syndrome who died at twelve and who took with her to the grave the heart of their mother, works hard to build for himself a new identity and a new life. When his beautiful wife gives birth to a beautiful boy he thinks his new life is now complete, but when this wife gives birth moments later to a twin daughter with Down's Syndrome the doctor sees the possibility of being trapped yet again by his past. He remembers how his mother sacrificed herself to raise his sister, and he remembers how his mother was destroyed when his sister died at twelve: he decides to spare himself and his family the pain and the agony of his past, and tells his nurse Caroline Gill to take the daughter away to an institution. David Henry tells his wife that their daughter died at child birth, and Caroline Gill decides to raise David Henry's daughter by herself. Everyone is haunted and forever changed by the good doctor's decision that night. And by trying to escape his past David Henry becomes forever trapped in it.
This is the strong and affecting beginning for Kim Edwards' "The Memory Keeper's Daughter," and she sets herself an impossible task of building from this premise. David Henry, now haunted by his great crime, escapes into his camera called the Memory Keeper, and into his clinical work: he becomes forever detached, and a cold lifeless man. His wife Norah is also haunted by the supposed death of her child, and she slowly breaks away from her slowly dying husband. Caroline Gill, by making the courageous decision to save David Henry's daughter and love it unconditionally, changes from a girlish nurse with a silly infatuation with David Henry to an independent beloved mother and wife.
The plot wanders, but more important it seems contrived. The characters all seem thin and flat, and their mentality and motivations all seem overly simplistic in their contorted complexity. We never really understand David Henry, and a lot has to do with the author's failure to account convincingly for his past, which is after all the key to understanding the drama and the dilemma in this novel. Norah seems childish. Caroline Gill is the most developed of the characters, and most of the supporting cast seem like stereotypes.
In many ways, "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" is less a novel and more like a television mini-series. I couldn't help but think of "Mad Men" while reading this novel. This novel is really silly, sanctimonious, and saccharine at times. And unfortunately this is what passes for literature nowadays.
Book Review: "Families have secrets they hide even from themselves..."
Summary: 4 Stars
How appropriate I found this phrase printed on the back cover. As soon as I started the first chapter, my attention was held as if of by a spell, enthralling. Page after page, the story transcendently drowns you into a captivating and emotional whirlwind and there is no going back.
1964. Doctor David Henry and his wife Norah are happily married and expecting their first child. At the clinic after the labour pains begin, it is only after their healthy boy is born that they realise that another baby is on the way. A little girl with Down's syndrome. Norah is drifting in and out of consciousness due to the fatigue of labour and the anaesthetic she has been given. In the split second that follows this second delivery, David decides to secretly give his daughter away, asking nurse Caroline, who assisted on both births, to place the baby in an institution. To Norah, he tells her that their daughter was born dead.
This secret, shattering decision by David, together with the grief brought along by this "death" and despite the joy that their newly born son represents, slowly but irrefutably has consequences that will forever be haunting. It lacerates the family.
Leaving aside the historically-speaking-moment (middle 1960's), when David's despicable decision was taken, somewhat aligned, shall we say, with the ignorance and lack of knowledge about certain issues back then -not a justification, certainly-, something else led him to act as he did, something with deeper roots than one can imagine, buried in his soul.
And what about the little girl? What happens to her? What will Caroline the nurse do?
This is the beginning of the story. Nothing more can be said without spoiling what follows. A gentle yet piercingly moving narrative, together with the need to know, to understand, and reach an epilogue, make this book a page-turner. Flaws and qualities of each character are accurately and distinguishingly described. Some physical, emotional and surroundings-related descriptions could have been shortened a bit, and it is the only reason for my 4 (and ½) stars rather than 5. I especially appreciated the way the author, Ms. Edwards, approaches the Down's syndrome subject, never too superficial, sentimental or patronizing and it is unavoidable not to compare this particular side of the book with nowadays, how things have changed for the better. People with disabilities are so much more understood and integrated, it is uplifting.
On the whole, a lovely, lovely book, highly recommendable.
Book Review: Don't understand all the hype
Summary: 1 Stars
I was really disappointed with this book. My mom is part of a reading group. Even though I'm not part of the group, she told me I could read this book before she did. (I'm a much faster reader than she is) I was so excited. I had looked at this book in the store on seveal occasions. I thought it sounded like it would be a really good and interesting read. I honestly had a hard time finishing this book. I kept tossing it aside and didn't even want to pick it up again. But I did finish it. I just kept hoping that it get better. But unfortunately, in my opinion, it never did.
I found the character development in this novel to be sorely lacking. None of the characters had much depth to them. It was almost like they were paper dolls. You turn them to a different angle and they completely disappear. I also found most of the characters to be very unlikeable. I didn't really care what happened to any of them.
David-He was able to convince himself that he gave his daughter away to protect his wife. But I think this motives were far more selfish than that. He gave his daughter away because he was ashamed to have a daughter with a disability. I don't think it had anything to do with his wife at all.
Norah-At first, I really felt for Norah. I couldn't believe that her husband would tell her their daughter was dead when she wasn't. But as the book went on, I felt less and less sympathy for Norah. Especially when she started having extramartial affairs. Not one affair, but several. It seems to me that Norah allowed herself to be consumed by bitterness and self-pity. She thought that what her husband did to her justified anything she did to him. I also found it disturbing that when david learned she had been unfaithful, he did nothing about it. It was like he didn't even care. How realistic is that?
Even though Caroline had some admirable character traits, I also found her to be very one-dimensional.
I was also disappointed with the character of the other twin Paul. He just seemed very arrogant and self-centered. It didn't seem like he really cared about anyone other than himself.
I also found the writing style of this book to be very repetitious and boring. At first, I enjoyed the writing style alot. But as I got further and further into the book, I liked it less and less. Bottom line, I'm glad I didn't purchase this book myself. I would recommend that people skip this book all together, but if you want to read it, get it from your local library. Don't spend your hard-earned money on this book.
Book Review: Dramatic and compelling ....
Summary: 4 Stars
I picked this book up simply because someone in my book club had asked if any of us had read it. I thought it'd be a good read and it was ~~ it was very compelling. It was a great "what if" novel ~~ even if it did flounder towards the end. This is not the best book I have read in the last year or ever, but it was a good read and I enjoyed it.
It is a dramatic novel ~~ where Norah, the mother of the twins, struggled with the loss of her daughter and trying to be joyful of her son. She didn't know that she was pregnant with twins and the loss of her daughter tore into her soul and changed her into a person who was always struggling with grief. David, her husband, struggled with deception and grief as he told his wife that Phoebe, their daughter, was dead at birth, but the reality was, he had given her away. His intentions were good because he watched his mother suffer greatly over the loss of his sister, who had died young of a heart ailment. He thought to avoid the same fate as a parent and he thought to protect his wife of the same fate. He played God. And that split-second decision haunted him for the rest of his life. Soon, the secret became a gulf between the two lovebirds and they drifted in life.
That part is very believable. I can totally relate to that whole dilemma. A secret like that can only tear the sensitive fabric of a marriage apart. The other parts, like where Caroline, the nurse, ends up running off to Pittsburgh with Phoebe and raised her as her own, finds a job as a live-in companion for an elderly man and the story of Rosemary living in David's childhood home ~~ yes, they are a bit unrealistic, but that is why some people like to read novels ~~ it makes it interesting and it's one of those "what if" situations. Are they necessary parts to the novel? I don't know, but they're there and they make the book interesting. Can the book be shorter? Yes. It can. It did start to flounder half way through the book as if the author needed to throw in some years to make this book more lyrical.
I enjoyed this book. As a mom of twins, I thought this book's premise held great promise especially since the twins were separated at birth. But the author didn't dwell into that in great depth ~~ instead, she dwelled on the secret ravaging the marriage and lives apart. But this book makes for a great entertaining reading. It was fun. It is beautifully written in most parts ~~ very descriptive scenery. That will be what lingers the most in my mind when I think upon this book.
9-20-06
Book Review: Was Hoping for More Redemption
Summary: 3 Stars
The Memory Keeper's Daughter takes place during a snowstorm in 1964. An orthopedic doctor and his wife are surprised when she goes into labor three weeks early. Because of the snow, they cannot get to the hospital, but they can get as far as the doctor's clinic, then wait for the arrival of an OB in his practice to deliver the baby. The baby is coming quickly, though, and the OB has a car accident and can't make it on time. With the assistance of one of the clinic's nurses, the husband/doctor must deliver the baby himself. Only...it's not just one baby. After bringing a beautiful, healthy boy into the world, the husband realizes his wife is actually pregnant with twins. He stays to deliver the second child - a girl, with Down's syndrome. Fearing a terrible prognosis for the life she will lead, the husband gives the baby to the nurse to take away. His initial instructions are for the nurse to take the baby to an institution outside of town. Though he plans to tell his wife the truth, when she comes back to clarity after the births, he tells her the baby girl has died. When the wife asks to see the baby, he says she is already gone, to the cemetery.
The nurse follows the doctor's instructions, and takes the baby to the group home. Seeing the terrible conditions there, she cannot bring herself to leave the child. Instead, she moves to a different city and raises the girl as her own daughter.
The book follows the story of these two worlds - the grieving parents and their son, the nurse and her adopted daughter - as they orbit around the decisions made and lies told on this one night in 1964. It's true that there is a lot of sadness in this book, but strangely, there's a lot of honesty, too. Edwards makes a close examination into how it is to love others, or try to, despite the things we keep from each other and the walls we build to keep ourselves protected. I could never relate to the specific situation in this story, but I could relate to a lot of the intricacies of family relationships - as a child, as a parent, as a spouse. I also found it interesting how Edwards explored why each of the characters did what they did - are our motivations always so clear? Are they always as innocent as we want to believe they are?
There is so much meat to this book; I am eager to discuss it at my book club's meeting in October. As I said, though, this book may certainly not be for everyone. It is thought-provoking and well-written, but a pretty heavy piece of work.