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The Memory Keeper's Daugher by Kim Edward


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Anyone who would like to get hold of a copy of this book and join in the circle - there are a few copies available at

Green Metropolis

 

Also available at Amazon. See link on site front page!

 

The Reading Circle choice for August is The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards:


Kim Edwards's stunning family drama evokes the spirit of Sue Miller and Alice Sebold, articulating every mother's 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 Keeper's Daughter is an astonishing tale of redemptive love.

 

Some questions to consider:

1- Who was your favourite character and why?

2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?

3- Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

4- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

5- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

 

(You do not have to answer all, or indeed, any, of these questions, they are meant only as points for you to perhaps mull over as you read, and provoke more discussion. Please feel free to ask and answer any questions that come up as you read.)

 

Also see reading guide questions (attached) from Penguin Reading Guides



WARNING: You may wish to wait until you have finished reading the book before you look at the attachment - it may contain slight spoilers as it offers discussion points.

 

 

The Memory Keeper's Daughter Discussion Questions.doc





Edited by Kell
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

This book certainly asks a lot of questions about how people perceive and cope with disabilities. In this day and age, most pregnant women routinely undergo tests to see what kind of likelihood there is of their child having certain disapbilities such as Downs Syndrome and Spina Bifida, and they're done at a point where it is still legal to abort the foetus. Some people decide ahead of time that if their child has a high likelihood of having a disability, they will not be having that child, but it must be such a difficult decision to make.

 

I was very lucky in that all our tests showed we were incredibly low-risk, but I do wonder what would have happened if we'd been told Tadpole would most likely have Downs Syndrome or Spina Bifida. I've actually done some work in the past with adults who had various difficulties, from learning difficulties to Downs Syndrome to being wheelchair-bound for various reasons, as part of a theatre copany in Edinburgh. It was very rewarding and some of the adults and young adults who were involved in Lung Ha (the theatre company) were completely inspirational.

 

It takes a lot of stregth and courage to devote all your energy to making the best life possible for someone with difficulties, and as a parent, it must be even more difficult to see your child struggle with the smallest thing.

 

The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a brave book in itself - it shows two completely different levels of acceptance and how acceptance can come too late for a difference to be made. On the one hand, you have someone lying to cover their own tracks when they feel that they and their wife will be unable to cope with the problems of raising a Downs child - completely taking away the choice of his wife and denying his son the chance to grow up knowing his twin sister. On the other hand, you have someone who loves this child unconditionally, despite the fact that there is absolutely no blood tie - she willingly takes on the role of supportive mother and does everything in her power to make life wonderful for this child, putting her first in every area of her life and encouraging her in everything she does.

 

It's a book that really makes you think and wonder what you'd do in a similar position, which can be a slightly uncomfortable feeling when you really think about it, as it forces us to look at ourselves and realy evaluate what kind of person we are - we might not always like the answer we get!

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  • 1 year later...

I have just finished this book. It is a good story, which I'm sure happened in actual life more than once. Actually I'm not sure if I like this story or not - it left me feeling unhappy and in turmoil. Reading the story I did not blame the father for his actions - I rather felt sorry for the decision he made, and the way he had to pay for it all his life. I hated the fact that it seemed as if this family never had a moment's happiness after the birth of the twins.

I would have preferred if the blurb on the back did not give away the fact that he gave his daughter away...although the reader gets to know that in the first chapter.

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I read this book in the spring and quite enjoyed it. A haunting tale of love, loss and secrets that span a lifetime. One decission ....and an entire life (lives) are altered forever.

 

I'm about a quarter of the way through at the moment (it's 1965), and I'm enjoying the story. I quite like Caroline, but am undecided about Norah.

 

 

I agree with you Kylie. While I did enjoy the book, I found that I liked Caroline more than Norah. Her fast, aimless drives and the drinking issues that were never really resolved (was she an alcoholic, or not?) seemed off, somehow. Although, perhaps I'm too hard on Norah ....she was suffering from a loss; found herself stuck and unable to move past it. Caroline on the other hand, seemed more "real" to me. She had a 'daughter' to raise and made any necessary sacrifices to do the best job she could. Maybe it's just that I can relate to Caroline more than Norah.

Edited by Maureen
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  • 9 months later...

Just finished this one and thoroughly enjoyed it. Like others a very thought provoking book. What would you do in coping with a down's syndrome child? I liked all the characters and felt sympathy for David. Was he/was he not doing the right thing. And having to live all these years with his decision and secret. Caroline all played her part in making her decision and having to live with it and keep the secret.

 

I thought it all came together very well

although I didn't expect what happened to David to happen!

in the end.

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