The Memory Keeper's Daughter
11 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by star-light from Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia on Wednesday, February 14, 2007
From back of the book:
This stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognises that his daughter has Down's syndrome. For motives he tells himself are good, he makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own.
I ended up with mixed feelings about this book. It began strongly but dragged on for a bit in the second half. I empathised with David and can understand why he behaved as he did, but I really wished he'd made different decisions. I admired Caroline and all she did for Phoebe.
This stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognises that his daughter has Down's syndrome. For motives he tells himself are good, he makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own.
I ended up with mixed feelings about this book. It began strongly but dragged on for a bit in the second half. I empathised with David and can understand why he behaved as he did, but I really wished he'd made different decisions. I admired Caroline and all she did for Phoebe.
Bookring time!
This copy is in paperback and 3 cm thick. Australia only.
Participants:
katfysh (Penrith, NSW) - posted without reading, asked to be added to bottom of list
tqd (Sydney, NSW)
mummafour (Adelaide, SA)
bargainqueen (Glenelg North, SA)
michyj (Gold Coast, Qld)
charliewendy (Yarra Glen, Vic)
LadyIndigo (Orange, NSW)
katfysh (Penrith, NSW)
Bookring guidelines:
1. Please make a journal entry promptly when you receive the book so we all know it arrived safely.
2. Read the book at your own pace, but if it's taking more than 4 weeks, make an extra journal entry to update us on your progress.
3. When you’ve finished, make a journal entry to let us know what you thought.
4. PM the next person on the list for their postal address.
5. Post the book off to the next person, and make a journal entry (NOT release notes) to say that you’ve sent it on.
If there are any issues, please PM me.
This copy is in paperback and 3 cm thick. Australia only.
Participants:
katfysh (Penrith, NSW) - posted without reading, asked to be added to bottom of list
tqd (Sydney, NSW)
mummafour (Adelaide, SA)
bargainqueen (Glenelg North, SA)
michyj (Gold Coast, Qld)
charliewendy (Yarra Glen, Vic)
LadyIndigo (Orange, NSW)
katfysh (Penrith, NSW)
Bookring guidelines:
1. Please make a journal entry promptly when you receive the book so we all know it arrived safely.
2. Read the book at your own pace, but if it's taking more than 4 weeks, make an extra journal entry to update us on your progress.
3. When you’ve finished, make a journal entry to let us know what you thought.
4. PM the next person on the list for their postal address.
5. Post the book off to the next person, and make a journal entry (NOT release notes) to say that you’ve sent it on.
If there are any issues, please PM me.
Journal Entry 3 by star-light from Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia on Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Posted to katfysh earlier today. The ring has officially begun!
Received today, thank you star-light! I have another to read before this but will try to be quick.
Too much going on with uni at the moment so I'm sending on without reading.
Turned up in the post today. And why is it that bookrings all turn up at once? This is the third in the pile, I am afraid. But I shall get to it asap.
Thanks star-light and katfysh!
Thanks star-light and katfysh!
A rather angst-filled novel about regret, loss, family, and one (very) bad decision. (Although I think the bad decision was made for the right reason. Which doesn't make it the right decision in any way, shape, or form; I just didn't feel Dr Henry was a monster. An idiot, yes; a monster, no.)
I have to say that I felt it went on too long. Somewhere about halfway I just wanted it all to end. But then I got a second wind, the plot ticked along a bit faster, and suddenly it was over.
The main feeling I had while reading this was deja vu. It all reminded me of other, better, books somehow...
I've got mummafour's address, so shall pop this in the mail tomorrow. Thanks for the chance to read it, star-light!
I have to say that I felt it went on too long. Somewhere about halfway I just wanted it all to end. But then I got a second wind, the plot ticked along a bit faster, and suddenly it was over.
The main feeling I had while reading this was deja vu. It all reminded me of other, better, books somehow...
I've got mummafour's address, so shall pop this in the mail tomorrow. Thanks for the chance to read it, star-light!
Thank you tqd this arrived today! I will start on it tonight!
I enjoyed the first half of this book,anticipating what might happen next to the characters but nothing really exciting happened. The story just seemed to drag on with what I thought was a disapointing ending.
Thanks for sharing star-light
Posted to bargainqueen this morning
Thanks for sharing star-light
Posted to bargainqueen this morning
Received with thanks. And perfect timing, too, as I just finished my last book. Thanks for the beautiful bookmark Mummafour.
Wow what a stupid man. That's all I could think throughout this book. I mean, ok it was 1964 and things were different etc, but to go through life with this terrible secret seems quite strange.
Although there were many things about this story I liked, there were also many I didn't - I never saw the point in the "Rosemary" encounter as for me it didn't lead to anything.
All in all, an ok read. Thanks for sharing and I have pm'ed michyj so this should move again on Monday.
Edit: Posted 1st May 2007
Although there were many things about this story I liked, there were also many I didn't - I never saw the point in the "Rosemary" encounter as for me it didn't lead to anything.
All in all, an ok read. Thanks for sharing and I have pm'ed michyj so this should move again on Monday.
Edit: Posted 1st May 2007
Received in the mail today. For once a bookring with perfect timing, I just finished a book last night! Will get stuck in to this one right away.
I think I liked this book a lot more than the others on the bookring. I didn't want to put the book down. I wanted to know how long the secret would be kept and if it was revealed, how would it be revealed. I liked going through the years and seeing how they were all doing. I didn't care for the Rosemary part and didn't feel it was necessary, some of it was, but some of it just didn't make sense.
Thanks for sharing this book star-light. I've pm'ed charliewendy and will post on when I have an address.
MAILED MAY 14TH
Thanks for sharing this book star-light. I've pm'ed charliewendy and will post on when I have an address.
MAILED MAY 14TH
Received safely. I have 2 bookrings ahead of it but I will try to be quick and keep it moving.
Thanks for sending on michyj!
Thanks for sending on michyj!
I enjoyed this book very much. I liked the characters, particularly Caroline, Phoebe and Al. I was interested in what happened to each of them down the years. Sometimes something unlikely or out of character happened - Norah in particular seemed a less cohesive character than some others - but all in all a very enjoyable experience.
I am putting this in the mail to LadyIndigo tomorrow (2-Jul-07).
I am putting this in the mail to LadyIndigo tomorrow (2-Jul-07).
received from charliewendy as part of bookring in a week that has yielded 3 new bookrings to the tbr pile - will read as soon as i can - heard so muich about it ;-)
well what can i say - i am happy to have read it given i had heard so much about it - i think kim edwards writes well, i felt involved when new characters new places were introduced, but it seemed a little long in places with little happening, i also liked the multiple points of view
i agree with others who were disappointed in the ending - seems ready for a happy endings hollywood movie, maybe it could have ended earlier - we still have unresolved questions about the outcome and i wonder whether rosemary character was a late addition as she wssn't wrapped up as the others were in the final chapters
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thanks star-light for sharing
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posting to next on list ~katfysh~ on monday ;-)
i agree with others who were disappointed in the ending - seems ready for a happy endings hollywood movie, maybe it could have ended earlier - we still have unresolved questions about the outcome and i wonder whether rosemary character was a late addition as she wssn't wrapped up as the others were in the final chapters
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thanks star-light for sharing
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posting to next on list ~katfysh~ on monday ;-)
Forgot this one was coming, not sure when it arrived because I've been away but it was waiting when I got home yesterday and I have started already. Thanks LadyIndigo for posting.
I've been somewhat preoccupied lately so perhaps I wasn't in the right mood for this book but it started strong but 2/3 of the way through I sort of lost interest so I'm sending it home. Thank you star-light for hosting the ring and allowing me to receive the book twice!
Journal Entry 20 by star-light from Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia on Thursday, September 13, 2007
Made it home today. Thank you all for participating and for writing such thoughtful journal entries. I enjoyed reading them.
I will bring this to the 2007 Australian BookCrossing Convention in Melbourne next month and offer it on the Table of Temptation.
I will bring this to the 2007 Australian BookCrossing Convention in Melbourne next month and offer it on the Table of Temptation.
Releasing at the 4th Australian BookCrossing Convention in Melbourne tomorrow night.
Picked up at the 2007 Bookcrossing convention from the table of Temptation
Journal Entry 23 by woosang at BC Brisbane Convention in Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Thursday, July 3, 2008
Released 15 yrs ago (7/3/2008 UTC) at BC Brisbane Convention in Brisbane, Queensland Australia
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
At the convention on Saturday
At the convention on Saturday
Journal Entry 25 by onionlove from Perth City, Western Australia Australia on Monday, November 9, 2009
Will read it soon.
