Search - The Memory Keeper's Daughter

I found this book, trite, predictable and overly wrought with sentimental platitudes. The story isn't that original or exciting, and the characters are shallow and easy to dislike. Although many others really enjoy this book-as it has been on the best sellers list, i just couldn't stand it. If you like the Hallmark channel and Little House on the Prairie, you'll probably like this.

This book started out fantastic and then abuptly slid downhill without hope for recovery. Don't read if the synopsis on the back cover intrigues you because it hints that the book it something it isn't. Not what I was expecting at all. Characters are two dimensional, prose is long and carried out. I had to force myself to finish this book. I rarely ever read a book I don't like, this just happens to fall into that minute category.

This book is a difficult read for those that don't remember times before we "mainstreamed" children with developmental and physical handicaps. The Memory Keeper's Daughter was a selection for my book club, and those younger than 40 found the storyline unbelievable.
Since I am 50+, I gave birth to my first child much like Norah did, drugged and delirious, although it was in a hospital. Someone could have told my my child died, and I couldn't have proven differently. I also remember as a child, friends and neighbors of my mothers who went to the hospital to have babies, and told people that they had stillborns, but there weren't funerals, and the whispers.
This is a well-written book about courage, and love, pain, grief and guilt and how different all that was in 1960.

Although well received, I did not find this book very compelling. Full of predictable cliches, the book was a disappointment.

I had to force myself to keep picking this one up to finish it. I wanted to know what happened in the end, but I felt like it took forever to get there.

There was only one reason that I kept reading to the end - I wanted to find out if the biological mother would find out "the secret." I was bored with the details, I found myself skipping a few pages.

It probably doesn't matter what I write because this book is very much in demand. I liked it, but not as much as I thought I would.It is based on the premise that the death of a twin child at birth, never seen by the Mother, would affect all of the events of her and her family's lives for the rest of their lives. Norah is the mother and is not a real sympathetic character. I believe that her behavior makes more sense as a reaction to her cold,controlling, secretive husband than to the death of her child at birth.
It is very readable and much more likable if you go along with the motivations presented by the author rather than what makes sense to you(or in this case, me.)

After all the hype I really expected this to be a fantastic book, but it turned out to be only so-so. I liked it ok but I am a bit disappointed.

I had no idea this novel would be so hard to put down -- the story is compelling, the characters are intensely real, and Edwards' writing offers great description and internal monologue of these characters keeping the reader guessing. She forces us to look from different perspectives and to really care about these people...it's a great book...

Kim Edwards is a wonderful writer. Her discriptions make you feel like you are right there looking at the photographs or in the car driving along looking at the landscape. It was a heart renching story of a broken family due to one life changing decision. I would highly recommend this book.

I am a fast reader and I could not get past page 15 of this book. It was boring! Didn't like it at all.

i read the book to finish it
in the middle it got boring and the summary on the back paints the book as something it is not

Very disturbing

This was a very touching story. It will make you emphatize with some of the characters and hate some of them. This book was very well-written and the story was captivating.

The first half was okay...after that it was just a big yawn. I couldn't even force myself to read anymore. Since it was on the bestsellers list, I thought I would give it a try but I definitely found it lacking in more ways than one.

Easy reading book, but found it pretty good. I haven't seen the movie.

Very engaging story; great character development. I enjoyed her writing style enough to seek out more of her work.

After seeing the Lifetime movie, I had to read the book. It was a very compelling book; I kept squeaking out time to read it a few pages at a time and did read it in about a week and a half just a little at a time. It is about a man who gives his daughter away at birth because she had Down Syndrome. The story then focuses on the lives of Phoebe (the daughter given away), Paul (her 'normal' twin), Dr. Henry (the father), Norah (the mother), and Caroline Gil (the nurse who took Phoebe in when her father wanted her brought to an institution). I really enjoyed this book and found that the character of Norah reminds me of Nora from "A Doll's House."

Not worth the hype. Had so much potential but really fell flat.

I enjoyed this book alot. I hear they are making a movie based from the book, I dont see it being as well as the book. You experience the great journey of Dr David Henry and his secret. Great Book, fast read