The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Kim Edwards spins a compelling story about Dr. David Henry and his young wife Norah. It was love at first sight and appears to be a match made in heaven. He dotes on her and loves her passionately.

They start to build a life and home together in a beautiful older victorian home. The only thing that makes their dream complete is her pregnancy. He takes care of her with love and kindness.

The blot on their joy was a blizzard on the way to the hospital. They end up going to the Clinic where he practices and he is forced to deliver their baby as their doctor is not able to get there in time. What Norah is unaware of because of the gas that is administered to her by her husband's nurse Caroline, is that she delivers another baby.

The baby is a little girl. She has Down's Syndrome. David cannot face raising a baby that is defective because of having a sister who had a heart condition when she was young. She died and David and his mother and father were horribly emotionaly wounded by the experience. He didn't want Norah or himself to have to deal with this grief.

He gives the baby to Caroline who secretly loves him to take to a highly recommended institution. Caroline takes the baby there and is unable to leave her there because of the horrible atmosphere.

David tells Norah the baby died. She arranges to have a service for the baby and agonizes over the loss of Pheobe who she believes was stillborn.

Their son Paul misses the sister he never knew and he is a dissapointment to his father. David agonizes over the secret he is carrying and the distance between them all grows.

Caroline continues to raise Pheobe. There are many twists and turns to this story and I highly recommend reading it. It is not just a sentimental romance, it will have you anxiously turning the pages to see what happens next.