The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards

Book Details

Paperback
Pages: 401
Publisher: Penguin Books
Published: 2006
Language: English
ISBN: 01430.37145

Book Review
I started reading this book whilst I was on holidays in Queensland earlier this year. I had already finished both books that I took with me, so my mother lent me this one. Both my mother and my sister have read it and enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to reading it.

I was going to explain the storyline in my own words, but I actually think that the back of this book explains it better than I can.

"The stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognises that his daughter has Downs Syndrome. For motives he tells himself are good, he makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own."

Edwards explores the consequences of this momentous decision and what it cost each of the people it effected. David decided to give his child away for his own reasons, but regardless of his motivation at the time, I think that had he any idea the long-lasting consequences his decision would have, he would have made a different decision.

I will try not to give anything away, so bear with me. For David, this secret became a barrier between him and his wife (Norah). He was not entirely honest with her, and as a result they could not be close in the way that a married couple should be. The barrier this secret creates is something that neither can work their way around to get to each other. Norah does not know what it is that keeps them apart, and David is afraid to really deal with what he has done.

David is unable to lead a meaningful life. Everything for him seems to be about the 'surface', as if he is too scared of what he might find if he tries to live a different kind of life.

What I found interesting was the way in which all the female characters seem to go on their own journeys of self-discovery. Perhaps it is the changing decades over which the story spans but both Norah and Caroline start in places where they are confined totally by social expectations and in their own way, they break free of those expectations to really become the women they are. Even Bree (Norah's sister) goes on her own journey, albeit in a different way. I know Bree begins the story as a young girl rebelling against social convention, rather than embracing it, but as time goes by, she seems to realise that this is in and of itself is conforming to a stereotype and she slowly settles down to live her own life. I found that Norah and Bree particularly (but also Caroline) were very different characters at the end of the book to who they were at the beginning.

You may notice that I am not really talking about the big issue - the daughter with Down Syndrome and what happened to her? Did she find out about her origins? Is the secret revealed? I am not going to discuss this; I think it's important that you learn it all yourself when you read the book.

Speaking of which, all this is wonderful but what did I think of the book?

I feel a bit so-so about the book to be honest. I was really looking forward to reading it, but in the end, I just though... eh. The writing was very good, but sometimes it was very cliche. Examples that come to mind include the description of Norah breastfeeding and most particularly the image of Norah crying in the church with the birds fluttering in the rafters. It was the way in which certain things were described that made the book seem more cliched than I think it needed to be, and it was a bit distracting.

Having said that, I can say that I enjoyed it, and it kept my attention to the very end.

Summary

What kind of read is it?
It's a very popular book so when you are reading it you have the sense that you are reading where millions of others have read before. But it is easy, if denser than you might think, and it keeps your attention to the end.

Do I recommend the book?
Yes. It is enjoyable and worth reading, but don't go into it with massive expectations.

Do I recommend that you buy it?
No. Borrow it from the library or a friend.

Star Rating

Good and worth reading if you have the opportunity, but there is no need to prioritise it.

Originally posted 10 March 2010 Page Turners