The Memory Keeper's Daughter

The year is 1964. A young doctor, David Henry, helps deliver his twins. One is a healthy son and the other is a daughter who is born with Down's Syndrome. At that moment Dr. Henry chooses to hand over his daughter to his nurse, sending her to a facility which will take care of her and tells his wife that their daughter was delivered dead. With this simple act we are taken through the years silently reading about the events that unfolded as a result.

Reading this book was like being in a fog. It was like breathing, eating, living a fog full of secrets where nothing at all was as it seemed. And so sad. The moment I read the very first sentence I felt this way. It was a very eerie feeling. Even moments when there should be happiness it was sad. Even moments where there was nothing but happiness it was almost as if you were afraid to be happy too like it was taboo.


It was interesting to see how it all unfolded. I'm having a hard time rating it because although it was well written it left me with such a heavy feeling. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood to read this kind of book at this time. Perhaps I didn't quite agree with some of the characters, their train of thought and their actions. I will settle on 4 stars only because you will enjoy it if you feel this is your kind of book. If you are into more of a light read then I say RUN the other way.