THE MEMORY KEEPER'S DAUGHTER

Few audiobooks cry out for abridgment as much as this one. The premise of Edwards's second novel is loaded with possibilities--a woman gives birth to twins, one of whom has Down's syndrome. The doctor, her husband, makes a quick decision--give the child away and say it was born dead. But Edwards's focus on the minutiae of everyday life from this point on is repetitive at best, pontificating at worst. Narrator Ilyana Kadushin does her best to help listeners see these characters' quirks--altering her tone to convey sympathy, fear, frustration, and the potent conflict between child and parent. Still, their stereotypical aspects are what stand out. Only the disabled Phoebe comes through distinctly. R.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 07]