Author Kim Edwards’ novel, “ The Memory Keeper’s Daughter” is the book chosen for the month of October by the Spalding Public Library’s book club members. 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 (from amazon.com). Copies of this book are available at the library. Spalding Public Library’s Book Club meets on the first Monday of each month in the small conference room at 4 p.m. On November 4th we will discuss this novel. Newcomers are welcome.
