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Reader Reviews | |
Review by Jenika (140908) Rating (8/10) Review
by Jenika The book begins in the 1960's, where Dr. David Henry's heavily pregnant wife Norah goes into labour during a snowstorm. Unable to reach the hospital in time, Norah instead gives birth in her husband's clinic, which is empty except for the nurse Caroline Gill who harbours a secret crush for David. Here, Norah gives birth to twins; the first a healthy beautiful baby boy Paul, the second is girl named Phoebe who David immediately recognizes as having Down's Syndrome. Haunted by the memory of his sister who died from a heart defect at a young age, David gives Phoebe away to Caroline, and tells Norah the baby died at birth. It is this terrible decision that catapults him and his family into years of suffering, irrevocably changing his life and the lives of those around him. Much of the novel's success is the intricate and dynamic characters that Edwards creates, allowing the reader to gain a deep insight into their experiences. Rather than settling for easy stereotypes such as villain or victim, Edwards creates more complex character studies, with each rich detail inviting a mixture of feelings from readers. David's abominable actions for example, are shown to be borne out of a deeper desire to protect himself from his past; also his fruitless strive for perfection can invite both hatred and pity from the reader. Norah, so beautiful and vulnerable at the beginning, begins to attract sympathy and eventually bitter regret as she starts to retaliate and seek out love elsewhere. Other characters also come to life through Edwards' skilful writing, particularly Phoebe, whose infectious smile and lively personality leaps off the page. The growing strength and vitality of Caroline Gill is also admirable as she fights to provide Phoebe a fair right to life. Their story, so different to David and Norah's, is inspirational and heart-warming, as they struggle against society's unfair prejudices. Edwards also uses poetic, lyrical sentences to effectively illustrate the complexity of human emotion. For example, readers see how the distance between Norah and David, "the space of a breath, opened and deepened" (Edwards 2005, p.115) over the years and the times of bitter reflection and unspoken hurt between the two. The loneliness and confusion that Paul feels from his feuding parents is also made clear by emphasizing his love for music, which serves as both his refuge and escape. The beautiful descriptions of photography also serve to add another insight into David's personality. This attention to detail allows Edwards to effectively explore the nuances of human emotion and portray realistic characters that readers can sympathize, despise, or fall in love with.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter skilfully weaves important
themes within its plot, such as the values of honesty, love, trust
and the painful journey of redemption. Most importantly, however,
Edwards consistently reminds us to always accept others how they
are - that it is not perfection that completes a character, but
rather it is the flaws that make each and every person unique
and beautiful. |
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