The Memory Keeper's Daughter

By: Kim Edwards

Narrated by: Ilyana Kadushin

Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's Summary

A number one New York Times best seller 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' 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. 

©2016 Kim Edwards (P)2016 Penguin Audio

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)

“Edwards is a born novelist.” (Chicago Tribune)   

A favorite

This is one of my favorite books of all time. Read it several years ago and bought it on audible recently and it was even better this time around. A love/hate for the characters but you can't image leaving their lives. Such a unique storyline and very well written.
The reader of this Audible did a GREAT job!

Interesting read/ Predictable ending

I bought this because of my interest in literature that includes characters with disabilities as part of the story. While that was not the primary focus of the book, it did play a pivotal causal role. The disillusion of the fairy dust period in many relationships is interesting in a psychological way. I found myself almost liking, and certainly having some sympathy for our misguided male lead. I wanted to shake him by the shoulders and tell him to take responsibility for his behavior and the pain he had cause others. He never did. The last third was a little bit anticlimactic. I was sure that there was going to be a twist, or a turn in a direction beyond what would just be a natural conclusion...a chance meeting, a glimpse across a distant room. Nope, there was not. I was drawn into the story and looked forward to my next opportunity to listen, it just fell flat in the end.

Hard to read

A very difficult story. ..moves very slowly thru darkness. Not a relaxing read. Book club selection or I would not have finished it.

Simply put: Perfection

This story is so complex and beautifully constructed, I didnt expect it at all. Super good read I definitely recommend it.

meh...

meh... well written, and fairly captivating until the end. I stopped listening prior to the end chapters and found myself... not really caring. cant say I ever read the last few pages, and don't really care, which, I guess, is telling.

good book but

the story line is captivating and unique. i am glad i read it however, the story could have been told with less words. i found my mind wondering at times.

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.

Beautifully descriptive

I found the narrator very easy to listen to. The writing was detailed and beautiful. I originally started reading it but lost the book so began listening which I am glad I did. I think it made the story more beautiful. It allowed me to more fully feel the emotion of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Couldn’t stop listening

After reading some of the reviews I was hesitant to purchase this book. But I am glad I did. I loved it. It took me on an emotional journey.

Brilliant

I love this story. I also have the movie. I love it too. Truly good.