This is one of those books that I know I was supposed to like. And I really wanted to like it...I really wanted to like it, but I just could not. Ms. Edwards is desperately in need of an editor. It would have been such a better read if I did not have to trudge through so many paragraphs...pages...to get to the point. Great idea...just poorly executed. ( )

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memorable book because the story is so unique. Strongly drawn characters. ( )

It takes a lot of hard work on an author’s part to get me interested in family drama; characters have to be spot on, the drama worth sitting through, the pathos balanced with distanced narration. It’s not my preferred genre of fiction, and I have trouble with virtually every other book written by Jodi Picoult, while finding the ones that are good absolutely gripping. Her recommendation on the front cover of Kim Edwards’ The Memory Keeper’s Daughter put me in two minds whether to pick it up at all. I’m very glad I did, because the theme of memory, of personal history, the way the secret sits and channels everything from there on was utterly fascinating and handled with finesse.

It’s moving, too… I can handle that when a writer is not simply trying to play my emotions like a toy banjo; the decision to remove the Down’s Syndrome twin from the family unit without the mother’s knowledge was a monstrous act of compassion and the reader is involved in every consequence as half a dozen or so lives play out around it.

About three quarters of the way though, it dragged a little and then did a little skip, as though the author had just realised she was getting a bit entrenched… the end more than redeemed this slight flaw; the simple good nature of Phoebe, quite content with her life, set against the troubled background of her existence is beautiful, and Edwards uses that to shine a light across what might otherwise have been the bleak landscape of a shattered family.

Even if the ‘misery-lit’ feel of the subject initially turns you off, this is a gem of a read. If you were, like me, to only rarely put aside your dislike of exploring family dysfunction and secrets, this is the book to do it for. And if you like that sort of thing anyway… this is how it should be done. ( )

When the Memory Keeper’s Daughter came out on film, I knew I wanted to read it before I watched it. I’m a book before the movie kind of girl. But that put a lot of pressure on the book. I saw the movie on from time to time and had to force myself not to watch it, but I saw the characters so when I read it, I had a picture of them in my mind.

One thing I learned from this book is that I need to read light books. This had its light points, but was serious. After I’ve been at work all day dealing with shootings, missing people etc I need something light and silly to get me through.

I liked this book because it hit close to home. My brother was born a few months early and has learning disabilities, but I can never imagine my parents giving him up. That thought it just crazy. I know this book happened a few decades earlier when this happened a lot, but it still blows my mind.

I really like that this book covered an entire life span. A lot of the books I’ve been reading lately cover a week or a few months. This covers from the time the kids were born until they were in their late 20s. It’s nice to get to see someone grow up and the people they become.

I also like how you went back and forth from Paul’s life to Phoebe’s life. You got to keep up with both of them although they were miles and miles apart. I know that is the point of the story, but I thought Kim Edwards did it well.

I’ve been reading a lot of stories from New Jersey and London, but it was nice to read one from Louisville. It’s nice to read about places that are near home and nice to read about rivers I’ve heard of and places I’ve been to.

One of the things I least liked about this book was all the secrets. Things like this paranoy me. Michael would never do something like give away our child (David) or be unfaithful (Norah), but this book kind of makes me lose faith in honesty. I can’t imagine living a whole life with these secrets.

There were positives about this book, but I think the negatives override and I only give this book 3 bookmarks. It was just so-so. ( )