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Post by liasmom on Oct 30, 2006 22:22:41 GMT -5
If anyone wants this booK I would gladly mail it to them. I have the paperback edition. I really liked it myself. Just email me rntarbox@santel.net with your ground address. Nancy
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Post by char on Nov 1, 2006 15:50:01 GMT -5
I read Memory Keeper's Daughter last month. I'm one who started it and could not put it down. It was a very sad story.
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Post by Debbie on Nov 5, 2006 16:38:19 GMT -5
Yesterday was my birthday. I always visit Barnes & Noble the closest bookstore near where I live. I was just browsing, looking around at the new books at the front of the store and walked toward the biographies. Before I stood in front of the biographies I looked up and saw The Memory Keeper's Daughter book. Of course I grabbed the book because I knew I wanted to read it! I couldn't believe I found it so fast. I am about to start the second chapter. This is Sunday today so I may be finished with the book by Tuesday or before that. Once I start a interesting book I can't put the book down and if I do put it down I always immediatedly pick it up and read it. So far I like it. Every writer is different and they have their different writing styles. Kim Edwards brings you in by making you a part of the story. I don't know if I will like it by reaching the end but so far I am enjoying it.
Jenifer, I hope I spelled your name right, welcome to Unomas! I looked at your website and Avery is so cute! Have you considered writing your story? I see a very promsing writer in you.
I am not a parent but an adult with Down syndrome. I have Mosaic Down syndrome. I am forty six. Would you ask Kim Edwards what motivated her to write this book? I am just curious. I think this book may be more about the adults, like David Henry, his wife and their son, and Caroline, the nurse who adopted the girl Phoebe instead of the Down syndrome but maybe I am wrong on that.
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Post by cindylou on Nov 6, 2006 14:10:08 GMT -5
Happy late birthday Debbie-- Post up your thoughts on this book when you're done. I think my neighborhood book club is going to select this to read- Cindy
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Post by Debbie on Nov 9, 2006 23:20:21 GMT -5
I finished The Memory Keeper Daughter Monday night. I stayed up all night reading it. I didn't slide in bed until five. Yep, I stayed up all night literally! I couldn't believe I did that. It was a very sad story and to be honest, I really felt sorry for the husband, David. Of course I didn't at first because I had thought that giving up his daughter and lying to his wife was a horrible thing to do. I really felt sorry for her. She didn't deserve all the grief and depression she went through. When you lie like that it pretty well haunts you. I think the husband knew what his terrible decision had cost him later. Yes, I did feel sorry for him. Why did he not tell them later? Well, maybe it was just easier for him to not do so. I don't know. Did it hurt me when I read it? No, not really. I was sad that people still see us as people who are not typical but, I don't really think that will change. I mean, people live with what they know and don't know. If a person is not exposed to a person with Down syndrome or say a child they may never know. Stereotype's will always be there unfortunately. I felt sorry for his family and what he endured as his life unfolded. I felt the book was a wonderful story. When you think about it, the book is about Down syndrome and the effects that Down syndrome has on the family and those around the person. The wife, Norah, thought her little girl died, the husband, David, thought about that lie and lived with it and watched his marriage collapsed. Caroline accepted this and adopted Phoebe as her own along with the hardships she had to live with in her life. I really liked it. I doubt I will be able to donate this book to the library because of how much I enjoyed it. I am now reading a Ken Follett book, titled, WHITEOUT. So far it is good! It is mystery along with some unsual twists in the story.
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Post by jennifergg on Nov 11, 2006 20:40:54 GMT -5
Debbie, thank you for the warm welcome. I really appreciate it. And thank you for the compliment about my writing, I really appreciate that too!
I also agree with your thoughts about the book. I really felt it was about David, mostly, and I too felt very sorry for him. I wished there was more about Down syndrome in the book, but since it seemed to be so much about the other characters it didn't bother me.
For another book club, I read up on Kim Edwards. She said that she wrote the book because her church pastor told her the story, and said someone should write about this. So Kim Edwards thought about it for a long while, and then began writing. So the story was based on true events, which to me is also a bit sad. I hate to think any real family went through this, but I guess they did.
I am mom to twins. One of the boys has Down syndrome. It doesn't affect their relationship at all--they need and love each other in a very special way. It breaks my heart that the other family didn't ever get to know this in real life, and that Paul and Phoebe were kept apart in the book. That, for me, was the saddest part of the book, I'm sure because of my own life and my personal feelings about it.
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Post by wrblack on Nov 14, 2006 10:45:52 GMT -5
Finally, finally got my hands on this and read it. Good story, well written, good read. I think somebody should compile statistics on twins with Ds, broken out into both w/ Ds and one w/ and one w/out. Also want stats on kids with Ds born to medical professionals. Appreciate Debbie and Jennifer's perspective on this. One of the acknowledgments in the book led me to go find this web site www.bruceburris.com/BURRIS/MWO.htmInteresting, and pretty cool. Any Uno Masers in and around Lexington, KY? -- Bob
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Post by Emilysmom on Feb 4, 2007 21:33:26 GMT -5
I just talked with Robin tonight. She says she just finished this book and it was a quick read..........she couldn't put it down. I've got to find it. It's been a while since I read something good!
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Post by laurasmom on Feb 4, 2007 23:04:52 GMT -5
I read this book over Christmas and really liked it. I was honestly hesitant to read, and now am very glad I did. If anyone needs a copy, pm me your address and I will send it to you.
Sharon
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Post by brewersal on Feb 7, 2007 17:25:42 GMT -5
I read this book whilst travelling back to the UK from the States last August, having twins and a little one with DS it seemed a 'must-read' as soon as I had seen the blurb. I found it uplifting and terribly sad at the same time. I thought it was really beautifully written. I immediately thought of it when I saw Jennifer's website and her lovely writing about Avery and Bennett. I agree with Jenifer about the real sadness being that this happened to a real family somewhere! But have to admit the most moving thing I've read in the last 12 months was her account of when her 'quiet boy' finally uttered his first words. (I think it was called 'a good night' ) Jennifer you must have been so proud! So many things aboutit made me cry! (in a good way) First just the excitement of first words, especially where ther's been a delay. Secondly the poignancy of the words! and finally, as most children's first meaningful utterences tend to mimic words they have heard often, how proud you would be as a mum that these were the words you'd modelled most consistently. Sally
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Post by TriciaF on Apr 12, 2007 21:53:31 GMT -5
I just listened to this on CD last week and really enjoyed it. I did feel at times that the family's unhappiness and disfunction seemed to sometimes be blamed more on the down syndrome instead of the lie. This bothered me a bit. That said, I really enjoyed the section that documented the parents fight with the public school system and the change in the laws. Our local public libraries all have book clubs and most have this book on their list to be read this year. I think it would be interesting to attend the discussions and see how the "outside" world reacts to the book. Think I might have to do that. I really enjoyed the interaction between the twins toward the book's end and will be happy for people who would otherwise have no contact with an individual with Ds to get a sense of thinking of everyone as a unique individual.
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Post by Chester on Jun 16, 2007 12:18:17 GMT -5
Finally got my hands on this one. I enjoyed it, especially since the story took place in my "backyard", Lexington KY.
It is a sad, sad story. I had the same feeling as when I watch scarey movies and the main character is out alone in the dark walking through the woods, you just want to say "stop, make a different choice...."
Dawn
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Post by violettesmom on Jul 19, 2007 15:16:55 GMT -5
It's funny - I read this book before I had a child with DS. My opinion about the book hasn't changed since I read it. I thought there was some lovely writing, but overall it didn't do much for me. Parts of it seemed implausible to me (and it has been a while since I read it, but the part about the woman who take the baby being in the parking lot in the snow and meeting the love of her life?) I never found much to like about the father, and couldn't get much into the characters. But I read the whole thing. In retrospect, I think the aspects of inclusion and how the nurse pushed to find what the daughter needed were quite good.
That's just my take...interesting that the father figured out right away that the 2nd twin had DS. I'm amazed at how quickly doctors can identify the markers. I sit and look at my 3 week old and can find more similarities to my other kids than differences!
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Post by Chris too on Dec 15, 2007 11:51:10 GMT -5
This is NOT a true story. The author was told quite a different story and it got her thinking about what would happen to a family with a secret like this. The thing is made up out of whole cloth, and while the author does a fine job expressing the emotional fallout of this type of secret, I couldn't in any way relate to the characters - except maybe Caroline as it relates to her love for Phoebe. It was a story of one bad decision followed by more and more bad decisions. It was like reading about an avalanche - I had to skim my way through the middle because I was so disgusted by the excuse-making, pity-party choices made by Norah and then Paul. I was cheered somewhat by the successes of Caroline, and later by the attempts of David to, finally, deal with his grief over his sister. I found it unbelievable that David was quite able to bring a pregnant stranger into his home while continuing to keep his secret about giving away his daughter. Didn't like this one at all, even though it was well-written.
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Post by kimallen on Jan 6, 2008 9:45:41 GMT -5
I finished reading this book a few hours into the New Year of 2008. This time of year puts me in a rather reflective state of mind, so it's not surprising to me that one of the ways I resonated with this book was how the world was then, and how it is now, pertaining to Down Syndrome(ds). Of the psychological and social issues touched on in this book, I found myself most disturbed by how much it feels like our society was, and still is, in the Dark Ages about people with ds. How do we move towards a more positive awareness and acceptance, and get out of the fear driven atttitudes of ds people being lesser than? The book reminded me that in 1964 the generally accepted social norm, was to institutionalize people with ds. Sounds bad, doesn't it? It was bad- horrible. But here we are in the year 2008, and what do we do instead? We choose to not even have the baby with ds! I know from my own personal experience only 7+ years ago, the doc told me in one breath, "your baby has down syndrome", the next, "I can do the abortion on Friday at 2:15"! True story! Even after getting a good report from the Fetal Echocardiogram, the medical experts (at the Big Hospital) referred me to a psychologist that had also experienced having to make the decision, "to keep or not to keep", (she didn't), as though it was a huge mistake to keep this child! The professionals in my case, as well as in the story, didn't seem to want me to keep this child. I found myself fighting for this child even before he was born. Unfortunately, I believe , too many parents elect to abort due to ignorance, fear, shame, negative stigma and a general lack of community and professional support surrounding what most know very little about. (My brother-in-law emailed me at the time pleading for me not to have the baby, referring to how if I were an Eskimo I'd leave the child out in the snow! He has since done a complete turnaround and thanked me for having him-stating he's one of the coolest kids he's ever known!) Which brings me to believing that education is key. I remember being afraid and uncomfortable, awkward even around special needs folks. What I didn't understand is how special they really are. For if you talk with anyone who has had the opportunity to become close to someone with ds, abortion would be as unacceptable as institutionalizing was not all that long ago. I enjoyed the story, though personally, I would have liked to have experienced more of Phoebe's(ds) world. Whew! This book brought up for me more than I imagined! Thanks for having the venue that allows me to express these thoughts and let it out to the universe! Ha!
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