The Memory Keeper's Daughter

By: Kim Edwards

Narrated by: Ilyana Kadushin

A #1 New York Times bestseller by Kim Edwards, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is a brilliantly crafted novel of parallel lives, familial secrets, and the redemptive power of love

Kim Edwards’s stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964 in Lexington, Kentucky, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century—in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by the fateful decision made that winter night long ago.

A family drama, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter explores every mother's silent fear: What would happen if you lost your child and she grew up without you? It is also an astonishing tale of love and how the mysterious ties that hold a family together help us survive the heartache that occurs when long-buried secrets are finally uncovered.

Critic reviews

“The Memory Keeper’s Daughter unfolds from an absolutely mesmerizing premise, drawing you deeply and irrevocably into the entangled lives of two families and the devastating secret that shapes them both. I loved this riveting story with its intricate characters and beautiful language.”
—Sue Monk Kidd


“In The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Kim Edwards has created a tale of regret and redemption . . . of characters haunted by their past. Crafted with language so lovely you have to reread the passages just to be captivated all over again . . . simply a beautiful book.”
—Jodi Picoult


“Anyone would be struck by the extraordinary power and sympathy of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter.”
—The Washington Post


“Edwards is a born novelist.”
—Chicago Tribune

wonderful

A wonderful, heartfelt story. I enjoyed watching the characters grow as the story twisted and turned

Worth a read

I really enjoyed the story possibly because I am a paraprofessional.
I would, and have recommended it to friends.

Well written

No denying the author is a talented writer. Her prose formed pictures in my mind. The narration was pretty good, lacking a little as she voiced Paul or his father. The story, however was lengthy and just not that exciting. I prefer more action in my "listens."

well written.

This book is extremely well written. The character development is strong. Personally, I just prefer a little more action.

A look into grief

This was a beautiful look into what could be with the imagination every mother who has lost a child has gone through and the patterns of grief that we all to forget to understand and respect the uniqueness of how everyone grieves. It was long.