from the author : Kim Edwards
"This would destroy her . I would not have her destroyed ."
- David Henry [McCallister] about Norah , a wife beloved to him .
Life is a choice .Happiness is a choice .Love - is a choice .
One stormy night in the midst of winter in 1964, Dr.David Henry was forced by circumstances to deliver his own twins .Although shocked and terrified , he managed to do that calmly , thanks to his expertise in medical practices .Paul , his son , was born first , crying and healthy .Phoebe was born later , quiet and pretty .Holding the tiny baby girl in his arms , recognizing the unmistakable traits which confirmed that she was to be burdened with Down's Syndrome for her whole life , he numbly requested for his nurse , Caroline Gill , to take the baby girl to an institution for the invalids .A choice made without his unconscious wife knowing ,and later , a secret little prison of his own life. Achoice which would send his whole life wheeling out of control when Caroline , who was in love with David , ran away with the baby , away from David's life ... Until the end came ...
"
The Memory Keeper's daughter is definitely , undoubtedly a page-turner with a plot strong enough to ravage the sea of emotions in your heart .This book I have devoured in twelve hours' time .This book , which had trapped me in my chair , flipping through the pages feverishly one Saturday night !!
What's so interesting about this novel ?
Well , I think ...if you love The Lovely Bones , you would certainly like this as well . I find this feelingly woven story appealing in the same way The Lovely Bones did to me .
Here , we watch Dr.David Henry ,a youthful ,handsome , talented and married scholar and orthopedic surgeon whose life seemed to be perfect -simply flawless .For a child who came from a poor rural family , he was lucky he's intelligent enough to be granted scholarship and a bright financial future and a promising career .He had married his first love , Norah , a beautiful lady who ,as the story developed , would prove as talented as David was .Their life before that stormy night in 1964 seemed like a pleasant dream .David was building up his career and Norah was heavily pregnant .It was a decision David made , a decision greatly affected by his painful childhood memories , his denial and unconditional love for Norah .
It was heartbreaking though , to witness the agony , despair and fury which each of the characters would need to go through . David appeared to be calm and composed but inside , guilt had eaten the desire to life in him , convincing him that he deserves a punishment in all sort of misery and obsession he could find in order to seek redemption for his mistake - a mistake he believed was too late to be reversed . Norah , sorrowful and lifeless after her loss , was desperate for but denied love and consolation as David drowned himself in jobs and immersed himself in all sort of activities but never really listening to , or trying to understand Norah .A child as talented as his parents , who sought escapade in music and defying his parents, his emotions ravaged and unstable , after living in the darkness of the Henry's house for his whole life .Evil and selfish as they seemed , each and every single one of them had locked in their heart an unconditional love to their beloved ones .This love , which lead them to self-destruction . This love , which cause too much pain for them to bear ,they turned and walked away . This love , which wreak a silent havoc inside their family , cracking the remnants of what was left of their bond , erecting a huge wall of lies between them.
“THE MEMORY KEEPER’S DAUGHTER unfolds from an absolutely mesmerizing premise, drawing you deeply and irrevocably into the entangled lives of two families and the devastating secret that shapes them both. I loved this riveting story with its intricate characters and beautiful language.”
—Sue Monk Kidd
“This tragedy of a man who thinks he can control how lives are redirected is as moving as the story of his nurse, who knows that her love can bless a damaged life…Anyone would be struck by the extraordinary power and sympathy of THE MEMORY KEEPER’S DAUGHTER.
—The Washington Post
“An auspicious debut novel…THE MEMORY KEEPER’S DAUGHTER is a page-turner, a wonderfully crafted tale…Highly recommended.”
—Bookreporter.com
And ....lastly
Terryfyingly heart-wrenching . A tale of the finding of redemption , love, happiness and helplessness . David had tried to "fix" everything but ended up screwing it all . In the end , whose fault it is ,when "all are punished" ?
click here to read the excerpt .
"This would destroy her . I would not have her destroyed ."
- David Henry [McCallister] about Norah , a wife beloved to him .
Life is a choice .Happiness is a choice .Love - is a choice .
One stormy night in the midst of winter in 1964, Dr.David Henry was forced by circumstances to deliver his own twins .Although shocked and terrified , he managed to do that calmly , thanks to his expertise in medical practices .Paul , his son , was born first , crying and healthy .Phoebe was born later , quiet and pretty .Holding the tiny baby girl in his arms , recognizing the unmistakable traits which confirmed that she was to be burdened with Down's Syndrome for her whole life , he numbly requested for his nurse , Caroline Gill , to take the baby girl to an institution for the invalids .A choice made without his unconscious wife knowing ,and later , a secret little prison of his own life. Achoice which would send his whole life wheeling out of control when Caroline , who was in love with David , ran away with the baby , away from David's life ... Until the end came ...
"
The Memory Keeper's daughter is definitely , undoubtedly a page-turner with a plot strong enough to ravage the sea of emotions in your heart .This book I have devoured in twelve hours' time .This book , which had trapped me in my chair , flipping through the pages feverishly one Saturday night !!
What's so interesting about this novel ?
Well , I think ...if you love The Lovely Bones , you would certainly like this as well . I find this feelingly woven story appealing in the same way The Lovely Bones did to me .
Here , we watch Dr.David Henry ,a youthful ,handsome , talented and married scholar and orthopedic surgeon whose life seemed to be perfect -simply flawless .For a child who came from a poor rural family , he was lucky he's intelligent enough to be granted scholarship and a bright financial future and a promising career .He had married his first love , Norah , a beautiful lady who ,as the story developed , would prove as talented as David was .Their life before that stormy night in 1964 seemed like a pleasant dream .David was building up his career and Norah was heavily pregnant .It was a decision David made , a decision greatly affected by his painful childhood memories , his denial and unconditional love for Norah .
It was heartbreaking though , to witness the agony , despair and fury which each of the characters would need to go through . David appeared to be calm and composed but inside , guilt had eaten the desire to life in him , convincing him that he deserves a punishment in all sort of misery and obsession he could find in order to seek redemption for his mistake - a mistake he believed was too late to be reversed . Norah , sorrowful and lifeless after her loss , was desperate for but denied love and consolation as David drowned himself in jobs and immersed himself in all sort of activities but never really listening to , or trying to understand Norah .A child as talented as his parents , who sought escapade in music and defying his parents, his emotions ravaged and unstable , after living in the darkness of the Henry's house for his whole life .Evil and selfish as they seemed , each and every single one of them had locked in their heart an unconditional love to their beloved ones .This love , which lead them to self-destruction . This love , which cause too much pain for them to bear ,they turned and walked away . This love , which wreak a silent havoc inside their family , cracking the remnants of what was left of their bond , erecting a huge wall of lies between them.
“THE MEMORY KEEPER’S DAUGHTER unfolds from an absolutely mesmerizing premise, drawing you deeply and irrevocably into the entangled lives of two families and the devastating secret that shapes them both. I loved this riveting story with its intricate characters and beautiful language.”
—Sue Monk Kidd
“This tragedy of a man who thinks he can control how lives are redirected is as moving as the story of his nurse, who knows that her love can bless a damaged life…Anyone would be struck by the extraordinary power and sympathy of THE MEMORY KEEPER’S DAUGHTER.
—The Washington Post
“An auspicious debut novel…THE MEMORY KEEPER’S DAUGHTER is a page-turner, a wonderfully crafted tale…Highly recommended.”
—Bookreporter.com
And ....lastly
Terryfyingly heart-wrenching . A tale of the finding of redemption , love, happiness and helplessness . David had tried to "fix" everything but ended up screwing it all . In the end , whose fault it is ,when "all are punished" ?
click here to read the excerpt .
