The Memory Keeper's Daughter

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards is a beautiful book. It is the story of what happens in many lives based on one single decision made in 1964 by David Henry.

During a snow storm Dr. David Henry is forced to deliver his own twin. The roads are blocked, making it impossible to get his wife to the hospital. Luckily, his nurse Caroline is able to join them at the office. Due to the advances of medical science at the time, Norah and David do not know they are having twins.

When the second child is born, David immediately recognized signs of Down syndrome. In a split second, he make the decision that will haunt all of their lives forever.

He asks Caroline to take the second child to an institution. But when Caroline gets to the institution, she cannot leave the baby there. She takes the child to another city to raise her as her own.

I can't possibly say enough about this book. It is well written with characters so vivid and a story so haunting, it is hard to put into words. Edwards is obviously a master story-teller. Read this book today. Buy it even. (Think about this. I don't purchase books. I am studying to be a librarian and fell that 95% of books can be read from the library. But this one, you can buy!)

Edwards, Kim. (2005). The Memory Keeper's Daughter. New York: Penguin Books.