One snowy night in 1964, Doctor David Henry is forced to deliver his twin children. The first, a boy named Paul, is born happy and healthy. As soon as David delivers the second one, a girl named Phoebe, he recognizes the signs of Down's and hands her to his nurse Caroline. To save his wife and son from the grief of losing her later, he tells them that she has died at birth. What he doesn't realize is that the decision he makes will cause much more bad than intended good. Over the years his family grows apart due to lifelong secrets and misery. As for Phoebe, she grows up with Caroline who loves her as she were her own. The relationship between them grows and Caroline changes into a confident, strong woman.It is hard for us to understand why a father would ever want to give up his own daughter due to a disability. We have to remember that this was the 1960's and many people were less accepting of Down's not to mention less educated as well. David had good intentions of course, but never acknowledges what the real consequences could be. We learn that he was sheltering his family from experiencing the same pain he endured as a child after losing his sister to a heart condition. Many times he tries to reconnect with Phoebe but ends up realizing that there is no place for him in her life anymore. His own son grows up deprived of a loving family and Norah, his wife, is never the same.
This is a compelling novel overflowing with detail and emotion you can't even imagine. Kim Edwards is an amazing author who makes us feel angry and hopeful at the same time. She shows us; that you must have trust in yourself as well as your family in order to maintain a happy and healthy relationship. If you love a heart-wrenching story that is impossible to set down, then check this book out.
Reviewed by BHS student K. Gaiss
No comments:
Post a Comment