The Memory Keeper's Daughter

I'm so far behind in my reviews. But this book was just so fantastic! The Memory Keeper's Daughter I don't know where to begin.

The basic plot: A young doctor is delivering his own twins on a "dark and stormy night." But the cliches end there. His firstborn, a son, is healthy. The surprise second (this is the early 1960's), a girl, has the telltale signs of Down's Syndrome. Back then, the common thing apparently was to send them to a "home." He makes the decision to do so without consulting his wife. His nurse, whom he sends to the ome with the baby, takes one look at the home, a long look at the baby, and decides to just "keep going" and raise the girl as her own. Years later, things come together and intersect, as they were meant to.

The characters are totally real and even the father is likeable. He's doing as he was taught. And you can't help but like him a bit, even while you dislike him. The nurse has the vision of the future and the belief (and energy) to give the girl the skills and exposure to the "outside" world. The wife is left wondering at the hole her daugher's "death" (as she is told) leaves in her heat.

This is so good on so many levels. The story line is a heartbreaker. You know there's no win-win here but you keep hoping. The characters are lovely and likeable. The writing is lovely.