The Memory Keeper's Daughter BC Discussion #3

Would I hide something like this from my spouse? No way, but I see why he did it especially keeping in mind the year it was when Phoebe was born. It is a stigma now but then it was much more difficult. And in the grand tradition of lies, once you start it's hard to stop and the lie becomes this thing that you have to maintain...in this case until his death.

As for Norah - I agree with Rachel & Yari. I started out feeling bad for her, for what she didn't know. But I lost that sympathy rather quickly and feel that her cheating and carrying on was worse than him lying & hiding the baby in the first place. She really annoyed me, seriously. David really loved her and I can't say that she really loved him. All things considered Norah is the selfish one. If she wasn't such a biotch they may have had a chance to reconcile but she went around treating him like she already knew so IMO he was damned if he told the truth and damned if he lied.

I get the Rosemary-David relationship. The daughter he never had, the child in crisis he wanted to help, the association with his childhood home. I actually never thought it was weird or potentially sexual just based on David's character...but I see how if one of our dad's took in a teenager, and bought a duplex with her, it would seem creepy.

I think Rosemary filled that family void for David. He was completely shut out from Norah and consequently his relationship with Paul was adversly affected. He didn't really have a loving relationship with either and both were so judgemental of him. Rosemary seemed to understand David (and she even knew the dark secret).

Great points Jamy and Rachel regarding Rosemary.

Was anyone else nervous about Caroline & Al's relationship? I was always worried that he wouldn't come back from the road, or that the next chapter would be about him cheating on her while he was gone because he felt unfulfilled. He was so patient and loving, and sometimes it seemed Caroline was so worried about Phoebe that she didn't appreciate or notice Al enough when he was around.

She was stressed a lot and it struck me when he said on pg. 347 "Why are you so mad? What have I ever done to make you feel like I am going to leave?". The book was nearly over then and I was thinking "Please don't get fed up and leave her now!!!" LOL

What are your thoughts on their relationship?

Jamy, I completely agree! I kept waiting for their relationship to fall apart...and I was SO happy that it didn't. Though it did seem that part of Caroline was always waiting around for David. And if he would've given her the chance I think she might have left. Glad it didn't happen though!

Great point Jamy. I was nervous about their relationship. At first I was scared that he was going to molest Phoebe. I have no idea why, but that is the feeling I got. Turns out Al was a great man.

Memory Keeper's Daughter- it starred oh what's his face from My Best Friend's Wedding.