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The Memory Keeper's Daughter | 
 enlarge | Author: Kim Edwards
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Category: Book
Buy Used: $1.32
Used (82) from $1.32
Avg. Customer Rating:  853 reviews
Sales Rank: 833543
Format: Import
Media: Paperback
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5 x 1.2
ISBN: 0141030143
EAN: 9780141030142
ASIN: 0141030143
Publication Date: April 26, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: in great shape minor wear to cover
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Product Description
Kim Edwardss stunning family drama evokes the spirit of Sue Miller and Alice Sebold, articulating every mothers silent fear: what would happen if you lost your child and she grew up without you? In 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins, he immediately recognizes that one of them has Down Syndrome and makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and to keep her birth a secret. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own. Compulsively readable and deeply moving, The Memory Keepers Daughter is an astonishing tale of redemptive love. BACKCOVER: Edwards is a born novelist. . . . Rich with psychological detail and the nuances of human connection.
Chicago Tribune
Unfolds from an absolutely gripping premise, drawing you deeply and irrevocably into the entangled lives of two families and the devastating secret that shaped them both. I loved this riveting story.
Sue Monk Kidd
Anyone would be struck by the extraordinary power and sympathy of The Memory Keepers Daughter.
The Washington Post
Kim Edwards has written a novel so mesmerizing that I devoured it. . . . The Memory Keepers Daughter has it all.
Sena Jeter Naslund
Kim Edwards has created a tale of regret and redemption, of honest emotion, of characters haunted by their past. This is simply a beautiful book.
Jodi Picoult
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
Drifting Memories August 26, 2008
My take on this novel is that the movie was better than the book. As previous reviewers have stated, there was a lot of information distracting the reader from the meat of the plot. The unnecessary lengthy discussions are eliminated from the movie, i.e. the whole Rosemary saga (which claims a good many pages) and David's yearning and interest in saving this young girl. The basic plot is excellent and the movie (unlike the book) relays the fundamentals of Ms. Edward's story, eliminating the surplus dialogue. My advice, watch the movie and pass on the book. Kim Edwards had a great plan but her delivery and editing left much to be desired.
 The Memory Keeper's Screw-up. August 24, 2008
This is the first time I've read Kim Edwards. Her writing has depth, is interesting, and moves at a good pace for me. The plot was interesting and raised many issues. It would make good fodder for a book discussion group. As the events progressed, the characterization became more complex. Was that intentional or a fluke of the story?
I couldn't give the book a five as a few things bothered me. First, it came off a little like a soap opera. The same issues were repeated again and again with no resolution. The characters never seemed to really want to solve their problems but lived in eternal angst. Didn't anyone ever hear of therapy? Also, I felt the characters were too one dimensional. I have known other people who have lost children at birth or in infancy. While the pain is always there, they are not fixated on the tragedy for decades as were these people.
The best parts illustrated some real psychological truths. Initially, you cannot live with unresolved grief. If sadness and loss are not addressed, they take over a life. Secondly, you cannot live in relationships under the shadow of a lie. Even if never mentioned, there are residual issues that affect the parties. In this way, the book was somewhat like Ibsen's "A Doll House". Finally, when you try to take life in your own hand's, trying to cheat fate, you become a prisoner of your own making. Pretty deep.
Lastly, it seemed that the males in the story were the protagonists. I found this an interesting way to approach relationship and loss that so deeply affected the female characters. Even when the primary character was removed, the emphasis transferred to the son and the mother continued to be the dependent recipient of the action rather than the originator. Did anyone else find that interesting? Nice work Ms. Edwards.
 Absolutely loved this book! August 23, 2008
Well I'm shocked at how many have rated this book poorly and goes to show everyone has different likes in what they read. I have not been so interested in a book in so long. I could not put this down and became incredibly enthralled with each of the characters ... all for differing reasons. I almost felt as though I was somewhere mixed in, literally within, their lives. I understood them and their actions and was moved in so many ways. It was amazing how well Kim was able to age each of the characters so well and in a way that was easily followed by the reader. I've never actually gone back and read a book twice, but I have a feeling this one won't collect too much dust!
My only complaint ... i felt a small loose end with Rosemary. I wished she popped up one more time (perhaps the funeral).
 Don't waste your time August 22, 2008
I was very disappointed in this book. Read it to the end and was left with a feeling that I wasted my time.
 Plot Holes and Annoying Characters August 20, 2008
I do not understand the popularity of this book. Our book club has deemed this book 'Our Least Favorite'. We found many of the characters 'unlikeable'. Additionally, there were several plot holes.
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