Kim Edwards' "The Memory Keeper's Daughter"

The Memory Keeper's Daughter on Amazon

Have you ever had a time in your life when you were going through a really rough patch? You're relationship was falling apart, you were mourning the loss of a loved one or you were just plain down in the dumps? Knowing that misery loves company, did you seek out others who would understand and empathize because their lives sucked too? Maybe you were like me and you were surrounded by happy love-doped jerks.

Either way, "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" is one of those books is just perfect for tough times.
The book is about a man, David Henry, who makes a choice to give up his Down syndrome baby and then lies to wife by telling her that the baby died at birth. The story is the tale of how that decision affects the rest of not only his life, but his family's and the life of the little girl that he gives up.

While most people have hopefully never had to endure the pain of losing a child, the repercussions are things that we can all relate to - relationship woes, guilt, trouble connecting to the world - and Kim Edwards write in a way that submerges you into the lives and emotions of her characters. You feel Nora Henry's pain at losing her child, her emptiness. You ache for Caroline Gill's desperate need to protect her special needs daughter, and you find yourself examining your own relationship as you watch the distance grow between the Henry family.

The book resonated so much with me personally, that as I was reading, I found my mind wandering to my own relationships.. Pages later, I'd snap to, realizing I had no idea where I was in the story or what was going on.

Aside from the raw emotion, I love Kim Edwards' use of vivid imagery to describe scenery. Reading about all of those flowers had me pining to go sit in my grandma's garden. Of course that could just be because I've been surrounded by wedding flowers for the past two weeks.

Anway, if you need a good cry and a tug on the heart strings, this one comes highly recommended!