The Memory Keeper's Daughter

@cripfemme (7698)
United States
July 16, 2008 4:21pm CST
I finally watched the movie which I recorded back in April when it premiered on Lifetime. It's the story of Paul and Pheobe, two twins who were separated at birth because the daughter had Down Syndrome and the father told the mother the daughter died. They had a funeral for her and everything. It was really disturbing, especially being a disability rights activist. I kept watching the movie and saying, "How can people do this?" and having to remind myself that it was fiction set a long time ago. The mother finally found out that the daughter was still alive after her ex-husband died. Then she went to meet the girl and the nurse who raised her and rescued her from a life of institutional living. My favorite moment of the movie was when the daughter, now 18, meets her brother and biological mother for the first time (of all days on Mother's Day), and divides the flowers she bought for her adopted mother between the two women as natural as anything. Has anyone else seen the movie or read the book? I borrowed the book on audio books from the library and am waiting for my CD player to work again so I can listen to it. Which version do you think is better?
1 person likes this
1 response
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
17 Jul 08
I saw the movie also and thought it was very good and very touching. I'd like to read the book, too. I couldn't believe the father could be that cold-hearted to send his own daughter away like that and lie to his wife about her! The nurse and the guy she married (It's awful, I can't think of either of their names now!) were truly wonderful people, weren't they? I felt so bad for the biological mother because she missed so much of her daughter's life. That was a really beautiful and bittersweet story. Annie