Kim Edwards, "The Memory Keeper's Daughter"

"The Memory Keeper's Daughter," is nothing short of a page-turner. The plot unfolds at a steady pace and the characters are revealed in meaningful, succinct doses. I was instantly immersed in the story. It begins during a snow storm during which twins are born to David and Nora Henry. The male (Paul) of the twins is perfect, but the female (Phoebe) has Down Syndrome. David Henry decides to send the baby to a home, but he tells Nora that the baby had died. The next twenty years or so of the story display how that one decision has shaped the lives of all the characters.

I cried twice during the reading of this book. I admit that I've cried at a movie or two, but I can't say that I'v actually cried while reading a book before this one. Laugh out loud, yes. Cry? Not to my memory. There is a nurse in the story, Caroline Gill, who raises Phoebe as her own daughter, it is the story of Caroline and Phoebe which brings tears to my eyes.

This is a touching story in that it demonstrates the power and reason of love. The love of family, and the love of friends. The love of a down syndrome person, and the love of twins. By reading this book I have further understood how the choices that I make will affect not only me, but other people, and not just in the here and now but for many years to come.