The Memory Keepers Daughter

The Memory Keepers Daughter, by Kim Edwards is a really good book. The book begins on a winters night in 1964. David Henry and his wife Norah are expecting a baby. But on this winters night, a blizzard strikes the town and David is forced to deliver his own twins ( he is a doctor). The first baby, a boy is born healthy and fine- but the second baby, a girl isnt. Leaving Norah in the room with her son David takes the baby girl and diagnoses her with Downs Syndrome. David grew up with a sister having this illness and she died aged 11. David doesn't want Norah to have to go through what he went through as a child, so gives the baby to the nearby nurse called Caroline Gill.  David tells her to take his daughter to this institution down the road, but when Caroline see's how horrible it is - she takes the baby and leaves. Meanwhile, David tells his wife that their daughter (Phoebe) has died.

Caroline has now taken Phoebe into her care. David has to live with this lie about their daughter, that she is alive and as well as she can be. Norah is confused and depressed for a while- she even has a funeral for Phoebe.
The rest of the book tells the story's of both Paul and Phoebe, and how they both lead such different lifestyles, not knowing anything about each other - or the real truth about their mother and father.
Phoebe believes Caroline to be her mum - and Paul lives his life knowing that his twin sister died at birth.
Caroline keeps in touch with David, telling him how she had to fight for Phoebe's education and other difficulties she's had to cope with caring for a handicapped child.

But one day, an unexpected death happens, and all the truth is uncovered........

I would give this book a 9/10
DH